DIY :: Coffee Table Do-Over

 

I'd like to introduce our first DIY furniture makeover we did last spring!

This table belonged to my husband and his college roommates, and who knows who had it before that. It went through food falls, beer spills, stinky man feet and so much more. I then added to the destruction when my nail polish remover landed a spill of its own. It was time for a makeover!

With a gift card in hand, we headed over to Lowe's where we purchased everything we needed. A circular sander, primer, paint, brushes and topcoat. It was a bit of an expense up front, but it was worth it. After a few projects, you will find that you've acquired all the basic necessities for all your future DIY endeavors.

We set up shop in the driveway and got to work. For a fast and easy fix, we used the super gritty sand paper (60 coarse) and it got the stain and grime off in record time. The great thing about an orbital sander is it doesn't require a lot of pressure or force; however, my hand tends to cramp up from the gripping and vibrations, so Marc usually does most of the sanding.

Using a utility rag, I wiped the entire table free of saw dust. If you use a damp cloth, make sure that the wood is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

We then took the table out into the yard and primed (as renters, we couldn't afford to risk getting paint on the driveway. Better safe than sorry!). We did one even coat of white primer using a can of Zinsser Bulls Eye All Surface Primer. After letting it dry for about 30 minutes, we got to work on the paint!

I laid an old sheet down in our kitchen and brought the table in for painting. We ended up letting the first coat dry over night and applying the second coat the next day. A couple layers of polyurethane, and we got ourselves a beautiful table. Not bad for our first DIY project!

What we used...

• orbital sander (we bought a DeWalt 3-Amp Orbital Sander from Lowes for $79 and used 60 coarse sand paper)
• spray can of white primer (we used Zinsser Bulls Eye All Surface Primer)
• white paint (we used Olympic Premium Semi-Gloss Latex Paint)
• polyurethane (we used Minwax Fast-Drying Clear Gloss Polyurethane) 

What we did...

Sand the stain away...

until it looks something like this.

Evenly apply a coat of primer.

Apply a thin coat of paint and let it dry completely.

Repeat if necessary, then add a topcoat or two.

And then you're done!

Some amateur words of advice from my first project...

• Let the primer, paint and top coats dry completely before applying second coats or moving to the next step. Think of it like painting your nails!
• Sanding isn't always necessary, especially if you're painting instead of staining. If you're looking for a super quick do-over, refer to Pinterest or Google to find out if you absolutely need to sand. Depending on the piece of furniture and your desired results, you can maybe save yourself some time and effort!
• Most importantly, have fun!