// Create a new document from scratch
XWPFDocument doc = new XWPFDocument();
// -- OR --
// open an existing empty document with styles already defined
//XWPFDocument doc = new XWPFDocument(new FileInputStream("base_document.docx"));

// Create a new table with 6 rows and 3 columns
int nRows = 6;
int nCols = 3;
XWPFTable table = doc.createTable(nRows, nCols);

// Set the table style. If the style is not defined, the table style
// will become "Normal".
CTTblPr tblPr = table.getCTTbl().getTblPr();
CTString styleStr = tblPr.addNewTblStyle();
styleStr.setVal("StyledTable");

// Get a list of the rows in the table
List<XWPFTableRow> rows = table.getRows();
int rowCt = 0;
int colCt = 0;
for (XWPFTableRow row : rows) {
    // get table row properties (trPr)
    CTTrPr trPr = row.getCtRow().addNewTrPr();
    // set row height; units = twentieth of a point, 360 = 0.25"
    CTHeight ht = trPr.addNewTrHeight();
    ht.setVal(BigInteger.valueOf(360));

    // get the cells in this row
    List<XWPFTableCell> cells = row.getTableCells();
    // add content to each cell
    for (XWPFTableCell cell : cells) {
        // get a table cell properties element (tcPr)
        CTTcPr tcpr = cell.getCTTc().addNewTcPr();
        // set vertical alignment to "center"
        CTVerticalJc va = tcpr.addNewVAlign();
        va.setVal(STVerticalJc.CENTER);

        // create cell color element
        CTShd ctshd = tcpr.addNewShd();
        ctshd.setColor("auto");
        ctshd.setVal(STShd.CLEAR);
        if (rowCt == 0) {
            // header row
            ctshd.setFill("A7BFDE");
        }
        else if (rowCt % 2 == 0) {
            // even row
            ctshd.setFill("D3DFEE");
        }
        else {
            // odd row
            ctshd.setFill("EDF2F8");
        }

        // get 1st paragraph in cell's paragraph list
        XWPFParagraph para = cell.getParagraphs().get(0);
        // create a run to contain the content
        XWPFRun rh = para.createRun();
        // style cell as desired
        if (colCt == nCols - 1) {
            // last column is 10pt Courier
            rh.setFontSize(10);
            rh.setFontFamily("Courier");
        }
        if (rowCt == 0) {
            // header row
            rh.setText("header row, col " + colCt);
            rh.setBold(true);
            para.setAlignment(ParagraphAlignment.CENTER);
        }
        else if (rowCt % 2 == 0) {
            // even row
            rh.setText("row " + rowCt + ", col " + colCt);
            para.setAlignment(ParagraphAlignment.LEFT);
        }
        else {
            // odd row
            rh.setText("row " + rowCt + ", col " + colCt);
            para.setAlignment(ParagraphAlignment.LEFT);
        }
        colCt++;
    } // for cell
    colCt = 0;
    rowCt++;
} // for row

Document doc = new Document();
DocumentBuilder builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);

Table table = builder.startTable();
builder.insertCell();

// Set the borders for the entire table.
table.setBorders(LineStyle.SINGLE, 2.0, Color.BLACK);
// Set the cell shading for this cell.
builder.getCellFormat().getShading().setBackgroundPatternColor(Color.DARK_GRAY);
builder.writeln("Cell #1");

builder.insertCell();
// Specify a different cell shading for the second cell.
builder.getCellFormat().getShading().setBackgroundPatternColor(Color.blue);
builder.writeln("Cell #2");

// End this row.
builder.endRow();

// Clear the cell formatting from previous operations.
builder.getCellFormat().clearFormatting();

// Create the second row.
builder.insertCell();

// Create larger borders for the first cell of this row. This will be different
// compared to the borders set for the table.
builder.getCellFormat().getBorders().getLeft().setLineWidth(4.0);
builder.getCellFormat().getBorders().getRight().setLineWidth(4.0);
builder.getCellFormat().getBorders().getTop().setLineWidth(4.0);
builder.getCellFormat().getBorders().getBottom().setLineWidth(4.0);
builder.writeln("Cell #3");

builder.insertCell();
// Clear the cell formatting from the previous cell.
builder.getCellFormat().clearFormatting();
builder.writeln("Cell #4");