Long time, no see!! After what seems like an eternity, I have finally finished my next project for you! After spending hours...er..uh..a little while on Pinterest, looking at home decor ideas, I kept seeing coffee tables that look like farmhouse tables. I love farmhouse tables. So much so that we ordered a farmhouse table from James + James that will be delivered next week (!!!!), so while I was seeing all these matching coffee tables in gorgeous living rooms of homes that I will never be able to afford, I felt my envy growing. Especially since my feet were propped on our $20 IKEA table. It isn't the worst coffee table we could have; it does serve it's purpose well and looks half decent. However, we are in the process of trying to make our home feel more like the home we really want (so we won't be mildly embarrassed to have company). Here is what I'm working with: See? Not terrible, but not really the look we are going for. Since the kitchen table we ordered has a white base, I figured I could build on what we have - we are all about saving $$ where we can! I measured the table and took my terrible, childlike drawing/diagram to Lowe's to get some lumber. I got three 1x4s my first trip (for less than $2 each, y'all 👍). I had seven pieces cut to 29" and two pieces cut to 24". I got home and sanded all the pieces, then laid them out how I wanted them on the table........ And THIS happened. 😡😤 27 ≠ 29. That's what happens when the old guy that normally runs the saw isn't there and there's a teenager in his place. That sentence made me feel old. BACK to Lowe's. Got another 1x4 cut to the correct 29", sanded it, and replaced the short piece. When it came to choosing a stain, I was overwhelmed by all the choices. I had picked out a pretty color and was about to accept it and walk away, when I saw this out of the corner of my eye. Our kitchen table top is being stained "Dark Walnut", so I just could not pass this up. The picture makes it look like a big can, but it's only 8 fl oz. This was about $5. I bought a package of foam paint brushes from Walmart in the craft section. A package of twenty 2" brushes for under 2 bucks? Yes, please. Instead of trying to clean the stain out of the brush after each coat, I could just toss it in the trash. No futile efforts to clean oil based stain out of a brush sounded good to me. Seriously. Have you tried to do that? It's evil. And pointless. I needed a big work surface that could be left there for a few days while the staining and sealing process happened. Since we use both sides of the garage for cars, that was not an option. I decided to use the kitchen "table" (it's actually about the size of a desk, hence the reason we ordered a new one). I covered it with a tarp and a towel to absorb any messes. Since only the edge pieces have a chance of being seen on both sides, I only stained the top, ends, and edges of the rest. Brush it on, let it sit for a few minutes, wipe it off. Easy peezy. No wood would be ready to become a coffee table without being properly sealed. This can of polyurethane was about $8 at Walmart. There was a smaller can, but I opted for this medium size because I plan to use it for other projects. There are other finishes like gloss and semigloss. I chose satin because that is the finish our table will be. That is totally up to you which one you want to use. I did two coats of this on the bottom because it should all be sealed, even if you won't see it (helloooo spills!). Make sure to let it dry and sand all over between each coat. I waited a full 24 hours to let it fully dry before flipping over all the pieces to seal the tops. Then I did three coats on the top. NOTE: Don't be like me and forget to check for drips of the poly. When I was doing the backs, I accidentally left some drips on the edges that pooled up underneath, leaving a thick, dark glob on the front. If this does happen to you, just take a razor blade and GENTLY scrap off the dried glob. Put a little stain on your finger and rub it on the spot if you scrape off a little too much. All that's left is to put it together! I was all ready to start drilling screws in when my brother-in-law suggested drilling holes first to keep the wood from splitting. Duuhhhh Casey. Thanks, Dillon! After texting multiple pictures to my dad of the different drill bits we have, I finally decided on this one. This is what took me so long to finish this project. After drilling about 6 of the 50 holes I needed, the drill battery died. Could I find the charger? Nope. Could hubby find the charger? Nope. Did we order a new one? You betcha. So after waiting a few days for the battery charger to arrive, I was FINALLY able to finish my beautiful new coffee table!! It isn't perfect, but I am pretty darn happy with it! While waiting for the polyurethane to dry and for the drill charger to arrive, I had some time to work on a couple other projects. This one used to be an old window frame. All the little pieces that held the panes of glass in place had fallen out, leaving just the three long pieces. I painted it a pretty turquoise blue and distressed it with some sandpaper. Add some eye hooks, jute twine, clothespins, and photos and it's good to go!! I love how this turned out! This next one is one that I have been wanting to do for a very long time. I have been dying to have a coffee bar. Well, a couple weeks ago, my wonderful and amazing husband bought me the perfect cabinet for it!! I was finally able to make the coffee and tea sign that's been in my head for so long. To do the letters, I printed off what I wanted it to say, placed the letters where I wanted, and traced over them with a ball point pen - HARD. That left an impression in the wood that I was able to use as a guide to paint. I still have a few signs I'd like to make to put above the coffee makers to give it some color in that gap between the shelves, but here it is!! I. LOVE. IT. Well, K's nap time is very apparently over, as evidenced by the pterodactyl-like screeching I hear coming from her room, so that's all for now! I will post a before and after of our eating area as soon as our gorgeous new table is delivered!!!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Casey, I am a wife and mother, and I think you should always believe that something wonderful is about to happen. Archives
April 2017
|