Revamped End Table: From 70's to Now

Hola, all!  I hope you're all having a blessed day.  I would like to share one of my larger projects I've been working over the past week and a half.  I am very excited about this little end table.  It is the perfect size to hold all of my scrapbooks.  My kids are excited, too.  I know they're going to drag them out twice as much and that's just fine.  It's a great way to count your blessings when you look back on all those great times and not so great times we've had as a family.
  I found this little beauty at a local church's yard sale and was excited about the $10 price tag.  My husband was not so much,  just because he thought it would sit in the garage for a year or more. NOT! It was only in there for three months, thank you very much.  However, I can understand his hesitation.

This is how it started out:

We have all played around these at a neighbor's house or a grandparent's house in the seventies or early 80's.  I know I did. BLAST FROM THE PAST!!

Anyways, this one was very sturdy and wasn't very knicked up, so I took it.  The first order of business was cleaning it.  I just washed it with soap and water, inside and out, top to bottom.  Then I took all the hardware ( hinges and handles) off and laid them and the screws aside.  Place your screws in a safe place. (I lost one, just FYI.  My ADD is tough when it comes to long projects.)

 Next, it's time to prime! Here's the primer I use.  My littlest helper is holding it up so you can see the label.  You will want to prime everything: table, inside and outside, top and bottom, doors and hardware.  I always just use one thin coat.  Make sure it doesn't pool or drip or your paint will look drippy and sloppy.


Next it is time to paint. It will take two good coats of paint on top of the primer.  Just take your time and watch for drips.

 Make sure to use painters tape when you want to paint colors that will be side by side so that you get crisp lines.  I painted  the table white and taped off where the gray inlay on top would go.   I taped the doors around the inside frame where the gray would be painted. Now paint!

 

 It looks pretty messy right now, but once you remove the tape it looks one hundred times better.  Let it dry completely, several hours.  I did use two coats so that it will be even and smooth.

VIOLA!!!  Now ain't that purty!

Next, I stenciled the damask pattern on four sides of the hexagonal table, leaving the two sides with the doors as they were after adding the inlay of gray.  I battled with the question of whether to stencil or not.  I like simple, but I wanted to try my hand at damask, so my need to craft won out.

The stenciling process was simple.  I used a tape measure to find the center of each side.  Measure sideways, mark the middle.  Measure from top to bottom, mark the middle.  I then place the middle mark in the center of my stencil and worked from the center out to make sure the pattern was uniform and nice-looking.  After I completed the center stencil, I made one above it, then below it, then diagonally.

After all the painting and stenciling is complete, I painted the hardware white and used the clear stain on everything.  I add a clear satin coat by Minwax.  It is a water-based polycrylic finish that works great on indoor furniture upon which you will set picture frames, lamps, etc.  It makes all that hard work worth it, not to have it messed up so quickly.

Here's the finished product, once again.  I hope  you enjoyed the post.  Drop me a line.  Any questions and followers are welcome. Happy crafting!!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Phillipians 4:13  Courtney C.