Foiled sofa table

On the heels of my last post I'd like to share a new table with you.  I picked up this run of the mill pine sofa table last weekend because I really liked the clean simple lines.

It had some water spots on the top and it was, well, boring.  It didn't have any 'life'.  Hopefully, I've fixed that problem.

I used basically the same technique as this post but instead of modpodge I used this spray adhesive which I picked up at Michael's.  It's like Elmer's spray adhesive but WAY stickier.  I coated the table outside and then brought it in to work.  I also sprayed each individual piece of foil before applying them.  I had a small box that I used to spray in so I didn't get sticky all over my house.  {one tip - if you get adhesive on your hands use oil to remove it.  I used body oil, but cooking oil would work fine - soap and water are hopeless}

After the table was dry I did a three step wax process - clear, clear mixed with Graphite ASCP for an aged look, and then clear again.  It gives the foil this 'soft' look, not super shiny like foil normally is and the Graphite mixed with the wax gave it a well worn look.  Without further ado, here she is:

I stripped the top and stained it with Minwax walnut stain.  This is two coats and still not quite dark enough.  I will probably add another coat and then wax it with Hannants medium wax.  

I just finished it about an hour ago and was too excited to wait to share it!  I just love the way the foil and dark top play off each other.  What do you think?

faux silver leaf side table tutorial

What is faux silver leaf you ask? Aluminum foil, of course! :)

I picked up this table a while back for a steal!



and I wanted it to look like an old, worn out, well used, industrial table. Here's what it looks like now:



So here's a little tutorial for you.

Supplies:

table
spray paint (or paint of choice) I used Barn Red
foil - I've read some tutorials that call for heavy duty. I prefer the thin cheap stuff because it acts more like silver leaf.
modpodge

Step 1: Turn table upside down and spray paint the legs and any part that won't be covered in foil. I didn't get a picture of the table upside down and me painting it, you get the idea though, right? Here it is after it's painted and dry ready to be foiled!


Step 2: tear foil into little squares. For this table I used the tearing strip on the foil box, but since then I've just used a straight edge to tear the foil so you don't have to deal with the teeth marks. Tear a lot. Then tear a few more just in case. I just tore the strips in half for this table top. For a smaller project I'd tear them smaller - maybe 4x4. These were around 6x6.






Step 3: Start applying the modpodge in one corner and laying your foil down making sure to overlap the edges of the table.


I folded my corners nicely, like this:


Step 4: Continue adding glue and overlapping until the table is covered. You'll have to add modpodge on top of some foil so the overlapped piece will stick down.




Here's where I didn't take pictures. {sorry!} I repeated this whole process on the shelf as well. When the entire table was done and dry (a couple days later) I started the 'aging' process. Now, keep in mind I didn't do any research on any of this I was just flying by the seat of my pants. So, I poured some modpodge in a little bowl and added a little walnut wood stain. Sounds super intelligent, right? Exactly. It was...weird.

The stain sits on top of the modpodge (in the bowl) and I just went with it. I applied it like I would wax a piece of furniture. I got a rag and an old paint brush. I would get stain with a little modpodge on it and slop it on. Then very quickly I would use my brush to push it all around where I wanted it to be. If there was too much, I rubbed harder and not enough I did it again. I did this over all the foil on the piece and then when it was all dry I went over all of it with hard coat modpodge. I basically used the modpodge to 'hold' the stain where I wanted it to be then I let it dry.

That's it. Here's how it looks finished - again:





Enjoy!

fabulous french (ish) coffee table find

I found this amazing rusted and gross table on the side of the road one day while I was out driving searching for junk (ie. trash). And I just went searching for the before photos I took to show you but they are no where to be found :(

So, you'll just have to take my word. This thing was a piece of junk. All the tiles around the center are metal. They were rusted pretty bad, it looks like someone left it sitting outside maybe on a patio or something and the weather took it's toll on it. The wood was in decent shape, at least not broken or falling apart and the entire center of the table was missing. The metal legs were in great shape but were this hammered silver with black finish - not bad, but left a lot to be desired.

Despite all this I tossed it in the back of my van and scooted home quick before someone else decided it was something THEY needed :) Since then this table has just sat in my garage. It's not a small table - at least 3 foot square, so it's rather large to have to keep moving over and over again. One day I had an epiphany (I constantly work on problems like the center of the coffee table, over and over again until a solution comes to me) and realized I had recently picked up this nice square frame one day at GW while it was 30% off. Not a bad deal - frame and glass for $6. Once it was painted it would be great. I wondered to myself - "self, will that frame fit in the center of that coffee table?" so, I skipped slowly walked over to the table and held the frame next to it. Yup, looked close. Hmm...put it up against the back of the table...still close. Then lost all finesse and just crammed the frame in the hole. It fit!!! And it fit perfectly, you know, like it was made to go in that hole.

After dancing myself around the garage with happiness I got my super yummy chalk paint out and got to painting. I painted in in Old White and then black washed it and distressed it to no end. Waxed with clear and medium wax. When that was all painted I went to work on the image for the center. I went over to my favorite graphic website - the Graphics Fairy - and found a graphic I wanted to use. Then I enlarged it and did this fancy hold the fabric {drop cloth} on top of the paper and up against the window and trace technique. Worked like a charm. Glued it to a piece of foam core, put a couple coats of hard coat modpodge on it and then put it all together.

Here's the end result: (Don't mind the glare of the glass on the center)

Empire dreser emergency rehab

I found this dresser a while back on Craigslist. Yes, I actually paid money for her :) She is a small three drawer Empire dresser which I believe (research has shown) was built in the late 1800s.

I was told she came from a 4 generation farm and had been stored in an outbuilding for years. Now this, I believe, is very true. Let me show you.




(like the nice finger in that one? ;)

With a little lot of elbow grease, some paint, wax and new handles, this little Empire dresser has been brought back to life:





Here she is in her temporary home in my shop waiting to go to her forever home :) The awesome thing about this beauty is that she has a stamp on the back that says she was made in Galveston. She either has never been far in life or she's been around the world and back again. I'm sure if she could talk there would be some amazing stories to be heard.



Go forth and live in color!

50s dresser redo

Well, I promised last time that I'd take pictures of the round wall art with my good camera. Apparently, I lied. I haven't. I have been so busy! But, I will tell you that it's the top to a coffee table (minus the glass) that I picked up by the trash. All the pieces were there to put the coffee table back together, but all I saw was something to hang on the wall. So, there you go!

I am going to share with you a dresser that I did a while back. I bought a set of three beautiful ugly dressers to redo.

Here you go:


Yellow. Gold trim on the drawers. And really shiny. It had great clean modern lines but needed an update. Enter new paint and some stripes inspired by the many grain sacks seen around blogland lately. Now, I have this:



I mixed the white from a couple I had on hand. I didn't want bright white so I toned it down with a little tan. Then I meticulously taped off the stripes and painted them on with a piece of burlap. Removed the tape, let it dry and then waxed and buffed it. This one is not for sale. It likes it at my house :)


Have a great day and add some color to your life!



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