Would you rather…
We sure do use tables and flat surfaces for a lot of things. While they clearly help us to accomplish myriad tasks, they also make family meals and relaxing pastimes a lot easier, while also bestowing the rooms throughout our homes with decorative panache. Alas, tables can often be rather pricey, especially if you are in the market for a trendy new design, but in the mind of an avid DIYer, budgetary restrictions can often become the impetus for creative innovation. Revamping an old table by removing its pre-existing finish and applying a new, improved topcoat is certainly a viable option. Although the process is typically is time consuming, there are tutorials that demonstrate how to pull an entire table facelift off in just an hour. Then again, maybe you are looking for a one-of-a-kind, homegrown table-building technique that offers significant impact without a lot of heavy lifting. Whatever your fancy, you will experience a creatively inspired eureka moment by the time you finish reading this article.
- … eat a salad while standing up in front of a sink or while comfortably sitting down at a table?
- … arrange the pieces of a recycled dishware mosaic on your slumbering dog’s belly or upon a solid work surface in your crafting room?
- … mince a medley of garden-fresh veggies directly in your lap or on a cutting board placed squarely upon a countertop?
- … write out birthday cards against a wall, or… you can probably see where this is going.
Resurface an old table with…
- … paint chips from a home improvement store.
- … a colorful mosaic made with thrift-store dishware.
- … potted plant cutouts for a lush display any old day.
- … a living, breathing miniature garden, complete with soil, stones, trellis, moss and assorted decorative accents.
- … reclaimed signage.
- … wallpaper.
- … dominoes or plastic LEGO toy building bricks.
- … aluminum beverage cans.
- … sisal rope.
- … copper pennies.
- … vintage print-shop wood-block letters.
- … an assortment of old record album covers.
- … resin-covered metal beverage bottle caps.
Create a new-to-you table with…
- … half a wine barrel for a convenient side table! Tip a half-barrel on its side and top it with a flat sheet of wood for a larger coffee table, or place an oversized wall clock on a full wine barrel.
- … oodles of reclaimed table legs.
- … a salvaged door. Try using a solid surface door or an old, five-paneled door modified with decorative paper and a tempered glass top.
- … paperback books that are strapped together with recycled leather belts.
- … a stack of hardcover books crowned with a small wood-framed glass window.
- … a bakery’s worth of stale baguettes — yes, really!
- … old computer parts.
- … newspapers.
- … five wooden planks “sewn together” with durable cording.
- … glass beverage bottles.
- … a big, fat tree stump. (Even if you’re not a hardcore DIYer, the process is rather easy.)
- … motley bits and pieces of reclaimed construction wood.
- … a vintage wooden crate.
- … an oversized garden planter or decorative urn.
- … weathered, salvaged planks.
- … an old drum trimmed with LED lights.
- … fanned-out magazines shaped in a notched, floralesque display or a cluster of old telephone books with a Plexiglas topper.
- … salad? Yes, totally edible, good-for-you greenery! Outfit your living room with a salad table for fresh, flavorful, year-round on-demand leafy greens.
- … a dumpster-rescued glass table and aquarium tank combo.
- … uniformly bunched tree branches or carefully arranged twigs.
- … an inoperable pinball machine.
- … a wood-framed glass window.
- … wooden shipping pallets (which can be modified to include a built-in succulent garden).
- … reclaimed deck wood.
- … several vintage suitcases stacked on top of one another. Try augmenting one case with legs and a base or outfitting it with a complete sound system for a more elaborate but über-crafty option.
- … a wood plank with a deep split. Take advantage of the imperfection by creating a grassy green peek-a-boo table runner just by sliding a seed-filled (recycled) house gutter underneath. Water regularly and enjoy your lush green interior accent, which can either be artfully hand trimmed with scissors or judiciously pruned courtesy of a hungry household rodent or kitty.
