Refurb $8 Yard Sale Table

I found this little side table at a local yard sale for $8. Since this was my first sand and repaint job, I was hesitant to buy anything bigger & more expensive. This table looked like the perfect job. Call me, Danny Ocean. I've got the perfect plan and assembled the perfect sidekicks (aka spray paints).

I know what you're thinking, "Are those doilies?" Yes, yes they are. And they were glued down. Why someone thought that was a good idea is beyond me. What good do glued down doilies do? A 90 year old woman must've been afraid her doilies were going to run away. But I digress. I ripped the doilies off, used a knife to peel off the leftover glue, and sanded the whole table down. Here's where I am now:

I had the joy of wearing a mask and attempting to breath on this muggy February Florida day while sanding and spray painting this afternoon. Next up came priming and painting. I've been doing my research on spray painting versus brush painting, and spray painting is the best option to avoid lines (as long as you spray properly). I chose a cream for the table because I thought straight white would be too harsh and wouldn't fit in with my decor. I then created a floral stencil from an image I found online. Click here for the quick run down on how I managed this AMAZING feat. (Pretend you're impressed...pretty please?)

Here's my final product and the spray paints I used:

I actually think it didn't turn out half bad! I couldn't get all of the glue off from the doilies, so the spray paint is a little messed up, but it could be a lot worse. Now all I need to do is learn how to sew and finish reupholstering my favorite reading chair (It's currently in pieces strewn about our back patio), so I can pop this little beauty in my reading nook.



Here's a breakdown of my costs:

Table: $8 (It's probably worth less, but the sale was for a local charity, so I didn't feel right bargaining them down)
Spray Paint: $8 (I used primer & two mini spray paints that I had from my Painted Geese project)
Stencil: $0
Hobby Knife: $3
Mask & Safety Goggles: $9
Lowe's cheap-o Tool belt: $.98

Total Cost: $28.98 (Loving the 10% military discount at Lowe's right about now!)

Now that I'm accumulating various assorted DIY accessories

Where Have I Been?

Dear Blog Readers,

My apologies for pulling a Harry Houdini on you. I'm back now with a new attitude, a new house, a new kitten, and a new DIY/baking/decorating obsession.

I know many of you have been wondering where this obsession desire came from. I can narrow it down to two key factors; cable television and our new house.

Until January 2011, I had lived without cable for over a year, and not felt like I was missing out on much. When we moved into our new house, we opted into cable tv, and I haven't been able to pull myself from HGTV. Glorious! As for the new house factor, this one has a much better layout and color scheme than the old one (brown walls and dark purple carpet don't brighten anything up). I could wax poetic about our new place for hours, so, instead, I'll show you a few of my most recent projects that it inspired, from completely from scratch cupcakes to chair reupholstering!

Valentine's Day Cupcakes (2.5 hours to bake & decorate with my new Wilton cake decorator!!)

Brass Spray Painted Geese, adding bit of color to my bookcase (I'm sorry, dear audience members, but I forgot to do a "Before" shot).

Before: Craigslist chairs ($50 for all 5!)

After: Reupholstered and lookin' good. Think I'll leave the wood as-is for now, though. Thoughts?

I have new projects on my To Do list, and will update my blog with them and many of my other life observations as they arise.

Stay Tuned!

**I'm officially on the hunt for new refurb/DIY ideas, so if anyone has something they've repainted, reupholstered, refurbished, handmade, poured their hearts into, I'd love to see it! And any blogs, websites, magazines, etc that can offer inspiration or how-tos pass along my way. One of my current faves is Young House Love. (Thanks to Stacey for sending YHL to me!)

Yay Heart Health!

I swear a new (real) post is in the works and will be posted in the next couple of days!