I found this perfect side table in the trash! Can you believe it? Yes the neighbors trash. So pitiful. I waited till dark to sneak over and snatch this baby. The only thing wrong with it was a nail polish stain, other that that it was in really good condition. Now its sitting pretty in my casa! Life is good!
Step one: Find a cute petite table at a Goodwill or in the trash.Step two: Sand it down with a fine grain sandpaper, remove all bumps, the reasoning behind sanding furniture is to create a surface that the spray paint can stick to. And believe me that it makes a huge difference in the longevity of a paint job.
Step three: Spray a few coats of primer, I used white because I wanted the gray to really pop. If you are going to paint furniture a bright color a primer is a absolute must. It makes the colors so much more vibrant. If you wanted the design you cut out to be a different color you would spray the table with the new color and wait a while before moving on to the next step.
Step four: I looked high and low for a cute stencil and I could not find one that I liked. Then I came across a tutorial where they used painters tape to make patterns!
Step five: Cut out the pattern that you want to be on your table. I chose to cut out tiny triangles that took forever to cut out. But it was worth it.
Step six: Make sure that your primer coat is completely dry! If it isn't dry you risk the painters tape ripping off the paint and you would have to start all over! Place your painters tape design where you want it. I chose to make the triangles trail down the leg of the table, but you can do anything really. Make sure, and I can not stress this enough, the tape is affixed to the table! When I took my tape off at the end a few of the triangle edges had gotten a tad messy because the tape wasn't completely stuck to the table. I would use a card to rub over the tape to really get it on there.
Step seven: Now spray the table with the top color you picked out. It is easier to spray multiple coats rather than being impatient and getting drips everywhere. Spray painting is a really Zen craft. Take your time, relax, enjoy being outside! Just think, if you take a few minutes now, later it will pay off!Step eight: Spray a top coat of clear lacquer. Don't skip this step or the paint will be so easy to scratch off.
Step nine: Peel off the tape to reveal the design!
Step ten: Stare at it and make your neighbor jealous that you took their plain old table and made it beautiful!
Here it is in my room! I think it looks pretty good for something that came from someones trash. I saved this table from a life in a landfill! So when your walking around a thrift store or a flea market don't think about what it looks like now. Think of what you can make out of it!!!!! And a little side note, don't throw good stuff like this out. Its so wasteful and bad for the environment! Donating it so someone else can get use out of it is so much better than just chucking it. Right?
