3 Creative Ways to Update a Table

This weekend I took my son to do some vintage shopping at a market close to our house. I usually leave him at home and go with my sister, but he was so fun to shop with and well behaved, I think this’ll become a tradition for this market! I let him pick out one item (he got a dinosaur book) and I got a table for $35!

This purchase was pretty exciting for me because I have some new methods I’ve been wanting to try out! The table has beautiful details, so I wanted to enhance those and have a little fun. For this table, I decided to try out molds, transfers, and glaze. And spoiler alert, the table turned out so cute!

3 creative ways to update a table- SUPPLIES

• Fluff chalk paint
• Van Dyke Brown Glaze
• Satin Clear Coat
• Flower and Leaf Molds
• Modeling Material
• Flower Transfers
• Boss Primer
• Paint Brush

step 1

Start by making your molds. Pull out some of the modeling material and knead until it’s soft. Then put it in the mold of your choice. Smooth the back so it can lay flat. As soon as it’s flat, pull the molded clay out of the tray and lay it on a piece of paper to air dry. Repeat for each mold you want.

step 2

Next, start painting your piece of furniture. I used Fluff white chalk paint. This was the first time that after 2 coats of paint, the original wood was still bleeding through. It’s a little hard to see, but here’s a picture-

So I used a coat of Boss primer and then let that dry before doing a final coat of Fluff. The primer worked like a charm and I now had a blank slate of a white table.

step 3

And now, it’s transfer time! If you haven’t heard of transfers, it’s like a temporary tattoo for furniture. Except it’s not temporary! They come in a ton of different patterns, and I went with a set of flowers. I started off by cutting out the ones I wanted (making sure to keep the backing paper with the transfer paper).

Next, I put them on the table in the pattern I wanted. I used rocks because I was working outside. Side note, sometimes with a little kid at home, it’s easier to work where he wants to play ;). 

Once I had the pattern I wanted, I pulled the backing off one flower at a time and used the wood piece (included with the transfers) to transfer the flower onto the furniture. I went slow, but still, it was a super fast way to get such a pretty pattern on the table!

step 4

Once the molds were dry, I used construction adhesive onto the piece of furniture. This was so fun! It was instant character!

I gave the molds a quick coat of paint to match the rest of the table.

After that paint dried, I decided to test out glazing. It is similar to using wax on furniture, but you apply it with a paint brush. After I put it on, I used a wet wipe and wiped off most of the glaze. I wanted the glaze to add an aged feeling to the mold and the turnings on the legs.

Finally, I finished with a clear top coat. This will protect the table, seal the transfers, and make it easier to clean down the road.

after

Here is the table all finished! I really, really am happy with how it turned out! It definitely is different from my normal style, but it was really fun to try something out!

I honestly can’t decide if I like the molds or the transfers better. They both added beautiful details. I just love the possibilities with the molds! 

The transfers are the pretty detail. They look hand painted, but with 20 minutes of work 🙌🏻. There are a ton of different options on transfers (here’s a bunch) and they’re made to go on furniture. 

This little table is going out in the She Shed for how. Doesn’t she look right at home amongst my flowers?! I’m definitely in love and can’t wait to use these methods again!

Which of these would you want to try?

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