Recycling and renovating are the pleasures of DIYers across the country, and there are always new ideas to try. Revamping old furniture is one of them.
It seems every garage sale and swap meet offers loads of wooden furniture in various degrees of disrepair. From kitchen tables to consoles, there is nothing more rewarding than bringing back to life a piece of pre-loved, or downright old furniture.
What You’ll Need:
– an old table (flat horizontal surfaces are best for a beginner)
– a sheet of metal, aluminum based is perfect, that’s bigger than the tabletop
– liquid nails
– a centre punch
– small wire nails
– metal tin snips
– small electric drill and 1/16th “speed tips
– paint, stain or chalk paint
– rigger’s gloves
What you’ll need to do:
- Depending on the state of the table, clean and lightly sand down. You won’t have to do much to the top of the table but do make sure it’s flat and level.
- Measure your tabletop. Measure your sheet metal. Size the metal so there is an overhang and clean fold-over on the ends of the table. You don’t want sharp edges where people can scratch themselves. Ensure there is enough extra metal to fold over and under the lip of the table top.
- Generously squirt a zig-zag of liquid nails all over the top of the table
- Place the metal down on the tabletop leaving equal space for overhang on each side.
- Place a large towel that’s bigger then the tabletop on the floor
- Gently flip the table over (you may need a buddy to help) so the table top is on the towel and the legs are sticking up in the air
- Let the table sit like this for a few days to ensure the glue adheres to the metal
- Paint the underside and legs
- Flip upright after a few days. Put on your rigger’s gloves and gently bend the metal over and under the lip of the table
- Use your centre punch, pre-drill a hole with 1/16” bit and hammer in small wire nails. Trim any excess metal with wire snips
And there you have it! A revitalised piece of furniture, for a fraction of the price of buying something new, with added character.
