Each piece of furniture in your home should speak a language to you. One that makes you feel like you’re home. If there’s an item that doesn’t bring me joy or doesn’t feel like it quite fits my style, I try my best to make it work for our home. That was my inspiration for this old end table makeover I did for two tables in our living room.
These tables were given to me when I purchased my first home and they were such a blessing to my broke 23-year old self. I’m now married and living in another home. I brought these tables with me, but I always felt they looked outdated and out of place.
I wanted to give these tables a little facelift, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on it and I wanted them to last. Every DIY project I do, I try keep it as budget friendly as possible and I strive to be resourceful with the things that we already have.
Typically when painting furniture, you want to use chalk paint, but it’s expensive and I had old paint samples from when I did our hallway makeover with paint. So, here’s what I did for this old end table makeover to make the tables durable without using chalk paint.
Old End Table Makeover
What you need
- An old end table
- Paint (I used old paint samples)
- Paint Brush
- Sander (You can sand by hand if you don’t have an electric sander)
- 100-Grit Sandpaper
- 220-Grit Sandpaper
- Clear shellac sealer
Step One
The first thing you’ll want to do is prep the table by sanding it down. This step is really important to help the paint bond to the wood better.
Depending on the stain or paint that’s currently on the table, you might be able to get away with a light sand. You want to sand the table enough to remove the varnish.
I sanded my tables down a little more than necessary because I was curious what the wood looked like under the stain. I wanted to see if it was worth it to try and stain it again, but with a different color. It wasn’t in the best condition, so I stuck with my original plan of painting.
Start by using a medium-grit sandpaper to strip the old varnish. Medium-grit sandpaper ranges from 60-100-grit. You don’t want anything too coarse or it could damage or strip the wood more than you want.
I used 100-grit sandpaper using my electric sander for the top and sanding by hand on the legs.
Can you just sand by hand? Yes, because you don’t have to strip all the stain off completely. Just a light sand to make the table feel a little rougher will do.
After you’ve sanded the whole table with 100-grit, switch the sandpaper to a fine-grit. Fine sandpaper ranges from 120-220-grit. Fine sandpaper is going to give you that soft finish on your table. I used 220-grit sandpaper and did a light sand on the table. This gave it a nice, soft feel and got rid of any small flecks of wood that were standing up.
Step Two
Wipe the tables down, clearing away all the dust from sanding. I took out vacuum and used the brush piece to get all the dust that had settled into the cracks in the table.
Now, you’re ready to paint.
I did 2-3 coats of paint on each table, letting them dry in between each coat.
If you’re using a paint brush, brush along the grains of the wood. That way, if your strokes are visible, they’ll look more natural if they’re going with the grain.
Chalk paint is typically ideal for painting furniture. It’s known for its easy prep and durability. However, it’s expensive and you don’t have a wide variety of color options.
I didn’t want to spend the extra money on chalk paint when I knew I had paint at home.
One of my tables had a drawer and I wanted to get a little creative and modernize it a bit by adding a pop of color and updating the pulls. The color I used was actually another sample I had. It’s the color I chose for our interior doors in my hallway makeover.
Step Three
This step is also very important in this process. You’ll want to seal the tables.
Adding a clear sealer will make the table more durable, last longer and give it a glossy feel.
I used this shellac sealer. Paint a light coat of the sealer on with a paint brush and let it dry for about an hour.
The instructions suggest taking 220-grit sandpaper and doing a light sand before adding another coat. I tried this in one small patch and it stripped the paint.
If you’re staining your old end table, then I would suggest sanding in between coats, but I skip it when I’m using this over paint. I also used this on natural wood on my kitchen table makeover.
After you’ve let it dry for an hour, go ahead and paint another coat on. If you do another coat after that, make sure you wait an hour for it to dry again before adding the last coat. I only did two coats, but if you feel like it’s not thick enough, add another coat.
After you’ve added a few coats, you can try sanding it down with the 220-grit sandpaper again to make the end table smooth. With the extra sealer on top, it might not strip the paint. Always try a small patch that’s hidden first to make sure.
I did this outside purely out of convenience. Typically some sealers have a strong odor and have to be done outside, but the clear shellac sealer that I used doesn’t have a strong odor and can be done inside if you have to. My tables also never carried a strong scent in with them. Highly recommend this sealer.
After the last coat of the sealer is dry, you can bring your table inside and decorate it!
Conclusion
You might have to put in some extra work for this old end table makeover without chalk paint, but it’s budget friendly and so worth it for the results.
I finally feel like these tables belong in this space and am so happy to have them brighten up the space a bit.
Does this inspire you to do your own budget friendly old end table makeover?
