Transform an aging table with a decoupage furniture makeover
I have had some extra time on my hands and got this table makeover completed a bit differently than I had originally planned.
I decided to decoupage the table with wrapping paper that I found at Kate’s Paperie while I was up in NYC. For those of you who don’t know, to decoupage furniture means to use any sort of paper medium and glue it onto the furniture. It’s important to use the right glue, I personally used Mod Podge to decoupage this table.
Not only is my little table bright and cheery now, but with the addition of a thrift store tray she is super functional, too. We used to have to worry that drink glasses would leave rings on the dark wood and she always looked dirty as every spec of dust showed, even after cleaning with a microfiber cloth. Not anymore!
Table Before
Here is my small round table I bought for $22. She is modern looking and on wheels. Wheeee… which I love. I would like to have all my furniture on wheels if possible; it just makes for easier moving and flexibility.
I found this tray at a local retirement community that I wrote about when I guest posted over on The Collected Interior. It cost me 2 bucks.
Table After
I used sheets of gift wrap that is called Hatch No. 1648. I loved it when I saw it, but they didn’t have enough so I went online to Snow & Graham who actually make the paper to get more.
The gift wrap is cut in strips and woven so you don’t have to worry about matching the pattern.
Each sheet is $3.25. I needed 5 sheets as I wanted to weave strips of it to provide some texture. If I just placed the paper flat onto the table I would have needed less.
The tray is the perfect way for me to bring in drinks and food into the family room. When not in use, it looks like a part of the table.
I looked into the cost of having round glass cut to size for the top and bottom, but it was over $100 to have custom glass cut, so I opted to seal the paper with Mod Podge instead.
HOW TO DECOUPAGE A TABLE WITH WRAPPING PAPER
Step 1. I measured the side thickness of the wood table top and cut lots of strips from the gift wrap to that measurement. I then wove the strips together. Remember when you went to summer camp and you made woven pot holders – same concept but using paper strips and pins on my work table instead of a little loom. Place the printed side of the gift wrap down when weaving.
Step 2. Once I had a big enough woven section I spray glued on a piece of craft paper the diameter of the table so it would be easy to move. Flip it over and make sure everything is smooth and flat. Find the correct placement for it on the table and mark if needed. Remove
Step 3. Spray glue evenly over table top and then center and carefully place woven gift-wrap on table. Having the craft paper base makes it pretty easy.
Step 4. Glue the strips that go over the side to the side of the wood top. Make sure they are smooth. Cut if necessary to get each piece to lay flat. Once it is all smooth. Glue one long strip over the wrapped edge for a finished look. I then covered the paper with 3 coats of matte Mod Podge to seal it.
Step 5. I used the scraps of the gift wrap and cut them into small squares and then used Mod Podge to attach them to the tray. I originally painted the tray, but that is not necessary. I also sealed the gift-wrap on the tray with 3 coats of Mod Podge. I spray-glued a round piece of felt to the bottom of the tray to provide a barrier between the two Mod Podge surfaces.
The tray adds so much functionality to my table now – I love it!
Wow this is a nice post! Check out my before and after: http://www.marinasokolova.com/2014/10/painting-cupboard-before-and-after-pics.html
Diane,
Love your blog. It is my favorite and this table has captured my imagination as I have a few shabby furniture pieces crying out for a new look. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate Hatch 1648 anywhere. I fear it might be gone for good. Still waiting for a reply from Snow and Graham.
Keep inspiring us. Visiting your blog is always fun and get my creative juices flowing!
Diane,
You are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your talents. You have not done one project that I did not adore. I have some very old empty frames that were once my grandmother’s. They are in very poor condition (i.e. no backs, no glass, gold leaf mostly worn away) but I would love to turn them into something great! Any suggestions?
O. Leath
Thank you so much, Diane! I am gathering my courage now that I have a plan. I am ex-military; I have spent nights in bullet-ridden barracks in Kuwait where I slept like a baby, but the thought of tackling that Bjursta table with paint has had me quaking in my boots, lol.
Do you think I could do this to my cheap Ikea dining table? It don’t think I can paint it–it is a cheap veneer. I hate the finish but the set was on 50.00 on craigslist so I have been hesitant to replace it.
Hi Nia –
You can paint veneer -you just have to use a gripping primer. Glidden makes a good one and they sell it at Home Depot. It is called Glidden Gripping Primer. Ben Moore has one called Aqua Grip. I would lightly sand the veneer to roughen it up just a little. Nothing too drastic. Clean it with a tack cloth and then put on a light coat of the gripping primer with a good quality roller. Once that is dry apply one more light coat of the primer over the first. Let it dry and then you can paint it with latex paint. I would use a satin or semi-gloss depending on how much sheen you desire on the piece. Use a 1 -2″ Purdy angled brush to get into any crevices or small areas that the roller can’t get to. The key to painting veneer is all in the prep and primer. The mantel in my dining room was all veneer and I primed and painted it many many years ago. It still looks good. I hope this helps you.
This is fantastic! I am somehow just discovering you now and I think I have no less than 8 tabs open with all of your projects!! Each one keeps getting better and better! Definitely a new follower! You are a genius!
I absolutely LOVE everything you do!!!!! Hope to try this chandelier remake this summer!!!!
Diane, you are brilliant. I love this so much! The paper choice is awesome – and that tray . . . yay!
Hi Diane~ just hopped over from Bobbypins Boardwalk~ I love this creative project and have enjoyed reading your wonderful blog! I am a new follower!
Diane,
You know how much I loved this project! I have featured it on my blog as a “Boardwalk Bookmark”, with a direct link back to this post on your blog. You may enjoy taking a look at it and, of course, feel free to take a button. Again — I want to share with you my appreciation for your talent and creativity!
Ooooh ooooh ooooh. I saw this last week and I copied the image into my inspiration folder. You can imagine how excited I was to see it linked up to my Motivated Monday post at Becolorful. Love it. Thanks for joining in.
Pam
I’m in awe, Diane! I love everything about this! Genius touch with the addition of the tray on top…and the paper treatment…and the- Well, I could go on and on! It’s beautiful.
I trust that you’re feeling better and will continue to have good health as you return to work. :o)
Diane – This is simply gorgeous! I love the pattern. So clever and creative. Fantastic job! I’ll be featuring this tomorrow – Stop by and grab a featured button if you like. Thanks for linking to The Sunday Showcase – I greatly appreciate it! Hope you have a fabulous week! ~ Stephanie Lynn
WOW. Really, I’ve never seen anything like it, it is just fabulous! How creative~ I’m storing this idea away for future use!!
Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this done ever! It looks amazing!
I saw your link on Somewhat Simple and I love this project. Very creative.
Holy Cow that’s a lot of work! It came out awesome!
That looks really hip! Great job.
Amazing.
“Furniture” makeover
That’s gorgeous! I love that it’s wrapping paper- how creative! Thanks so much, I’ll be linking.
Wow! Now that is a fabulous transformation, that was a lot of work, but worth every minute!
Carol
Popping in from itsablogparty. Great post, the table has so much character now, and the fact that it’s so functional is the icing on the cake!
http://mommyonthebus.blogspot.com/2010/09/spooky-photos.html
Now, that is just neat! I never would have thought of doing that. You taught me something. Enjoy!
Oh wow. I want to try this since I’m sure you don’t want to give up that great table. :) This is a fun look and that paper is so perfect.
I want to share this with my readers. Would you consider linking up to one of my first linky parties at Becolorful?
Pam
http://becolorful.typepad.com
Wow love the transformation so nice! Great idea I would love if you linked it to my linky party!
http://memakingdo.blogspot.com/2010/09/your-so-very-creative-linky-party.html
Hi Heather –
I linked up to your party. Thanks for the invite.
Wow! This is a pretty dramatic before and after. It turned out great! La
Diane-I just love how the table turned out…now I’m inspired to create something from my Paris paper from Kate’s Paperie!
Hi Toni-
It will look divine in your kitchen, we will have to brainstorm through a few different ideas.
What an amazing transformation. The table and tray were cute before but now, wow!
Hi Pam –
It was a liitle difficult spraying the spray glue on the tabletop as the table was not ugly, just dark. Once I did that I was committed. The table had such nice lines is the main reason I bought it. The tray- a classic just needed some updating. Thanks!
It’s so cute! What a great idea. Great job!
Wow!! You did an amazing job, I wouldnt have thought it was the same table! Great choice of paper as well.
I wish we had a few shops like that here in Alabama.
Hi Stefanie-
It is a fun place to shop, but they do have an online store which I know isn’t nearly as inspiring as the actual store, but they do have some nice stuff online also – katespaperie.com and the gift-wrap can also be purchased from snowandgraham.com
That table looks great. I love the paper you chose. I don’t know where you get your ideas from. I’m still trying to spark my creativity.
I am impressed. I kind of liked the table “before”, then when I saw the “after”, I was amazed. I’m so curious as to how you came to the decision to “weave” the paper. It really worked beautifully.
Hi Jan-
I didn’t want to lay the giftwrap straight on the table – air bubbles and wrinkles always seem to pop up. Weaving strips of the wrap allows some air to get under the paper at every intersection of the weave and no air bubbles. The other reason was that I wanted to add texture to the surface. You can’t see it from the photos, but there is a slight texture raised from the weave which justs adds a liitle more interest. I was inspired to so this when I saw a floor mat that was made of woven leather. I just loved the look of it.
Wow! Great work! I never could have thought of that, and it all started with $2! That’s sooo cool!
PS…Glad to read you’re feeling better x
Hi Suz-
Thanks First day back to work was not too bad. Lots to catch up on and organize as I need to start putting the Christmas displays up on Oct 1!!!!
Hi D…thanks for the butternut Squash tip…still haven’t tackled it yet maybe today lol
WOW! what a fabulous table and dish ensemble hehe…stunning and thanks again given me another idea!
Hugs Suz UK
Hi Diane, I absolutely love this table. What a great idea. The tray fits perfectly on top and is a great solution to move stuff around . Looks like it was made for the table. I guess it was! Beautiful!
Hi Anita-
I was pretty psyched when I found the tray at a local retirement community. I didn’t want it to have handles and it needed to have a large enough diameter to be in proportion with the table. I had found lots of regtangular ones up unitl finding this. I always look at the lines of a piece and the tray was classic – just needed a update in color and design. Thanks for the compliment.
Diane- I love it. What a great looking table and tray. You outdid yourself with this project…and I love the basket weaving idea…especially on something round. Hope your first week back at work is a good one! Hugs- Diana
I love this!!! I have a table similar in finish and you are so right about the dust, drives me crazy!!! I may have to find me some paper to cover it with!
OH my! I LOVE it. How smart of you to think to roll it into a room with food on it with a tray! Grand idea, genius actually, I will have to remember that. You did a fabulous job on the weaving of the paper, it really looks beautiful.