What do you do with an old table that is missing its extension leaf and whose top is chipped, warped, peeling and completely unrestorable particleboard? If you're the folks from Shabby DIY, you use plywood, old window blinds, paint, epoxy, and 3,500 pennies to give it a million-dollar makeover!
Alright, that makes it a $35 makeover, plus supplies. But the result -- a durable, high-gloss finish on a table that can now actually be used for something -- is definitely worth a million bucks! Take on this project and add your own personality with bottle caps, poker chips, artwork or anything else that can essentially lie flat. You make it special, and the epoxy makes it possible.
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The first part of this project required removing the outer trim, then giving the entire table -- top, sides, underneath -- a good sanding.
Even with sanding, this tabletop was uneven and in such bad shape that Shabby DIY decided to create a whole new top from a piece of 1/2" plywood. After tracing and cutting a new circular top, it was glued then nailed into place.
Recycled window blinds were used to create new trim around the top, leaving a lip for the pennies to rest against. After the lip was placed, they caulked any holes and seams, then painted the whole thing -- satin black on the top, and white on the bottom.
Then it was time for the pennies! The Shabby DIY folks lined the outer edge of the table and worked their way inward, without gluing the pennies into place.
When the pennies were all in place, the two-part epoxy glaze coat was mixed and poured onto the table. Shabby DIY advises pouring some in the middle first and letting it self-level for a minute before then pouring some around the outside and evening it out with a plastic scraper. Two pints of epoxy were used for this table.
Tip: when mixing this epoxy, stir slowly, not aggressively; you don't want to create bubbles in the mixture. When used properly, the result is equivalent to seventy coats of varnish!
Please share this story and add your comments below -- what would YOU do to make this table your own?
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