“Ugly Christmas Sweater” Tilt-Top Table Gets a Makeover
Hi everyone! I hope you had a nice week-end. I didn’t get in a lot of vintage shopping, but I still have some vintage finds to share with you tomorrow, because I’ve gotten behind a bit in sharing them with you. So stop back tomorrow for a look. On Saturday my sweet husband and I toured a local historic site, a Dutch farm, where we enjoyed a private tour (we were the only ones there!) and learned SO much about local history. We loved every minute of it. Soon I’ll post about our special day together, but today I have a small, dramatic makeover. It starts with the furniture version of the ugly Christmas sweater and ends with a simple, but attractive piece that I think anyone would be happy to have in their home.
Turning something ugly into something attractive gives me a thrill.
I’m sure we can agree that this piece is “U-L-G-Y, you ain’t got no alibi” ugly. And you can’t even really call it a vintage piece, unless you use the practically all-inclusive Etsy definition, which considers anything older than 14 years “vintage.” I’d say this Christmas Tree Shop-style table dates to about 1990 or 95. Just guessing. I picked it up at a flea market for $5.00.
First I gave the entire piece a coat of Americana “Rustic” chalk paint, followed by a second coat around the edge of the top. (I’m a Deco Art blogger and they sent me some paint to use for this project.)
Over the brown, I gave it two coats (the second was light) of Americana Decor “Timeless” chalk paint.
I distressed the edges lightly, which is why I started with the brown chalk paint. If I hadn’t, I would have been sanding down to the original green paint, which was not the look I was after.
The paint cracked a little where the leg meets the central post, but it’s the sort of cracking that would occur with age, which of course is the look you’re going for when you distress furniture. Not perfect, but not terrible, either.
The aim is to distress where a piece would have likely been rubbed or nicked over a long period of time, like edges and legs. After allowing the paint to dry over night, I gave it a coat of paste wax and then buffed it to a nice satin finish.
Did I mention that it tilts? Handy to set out of the way while not using.
I thought I would enjoy it with a stencil on top, but I tried two different ideas and didn’t like either. So I painted over them. Perhaps it’s too small for a stencil, or perhaps I needed to try a smaller stencil? I still might give it a go–later.
For now I’ll be satisfied with its simplicity.
Adding decorative pieces like vintage clocks and nests may be all the decoration it needs. What do you think?
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Very nice makeover. You can never go wrong painting an item a light color. And you couldn’t beat the cost for that cute little table.
It turned out great. If you had a silhouette you could make your own stencil. Ha ha. I think some type of fleur de lis stencil in a simple white would look pretty. Good job. Thanks for sharing.
Mandy
What a cute tilt top table. They can come in handy when having guests over.
I have a tilt top table that I need to get painted into my booth. You inspired me to get busy on it this week.
Very pretty! I love the two colors you used!
Diana, That was a great make over. Now the table can be used all year long and looks much better. Tilting out of the way is very good. Thanks for sharing. Sylvia D.
Gee whiz, I LIKED the snowmen design on the table…LOL, but have to say it looks better now, and you can use it all year round. I found a tilt stand in somebody’s trash, but it needs a little repair. It has little paintings on it, and I like those too. Oh well, guess I’m a little crazy, huh?
Ha, Ha, I use to teach tole painting and that table is something I surely would have painted. However, I like it much more the way you have it now. My tole loving days are behind me. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
You definitely turned an UGLY duckling into a swan – great job!
Thanks for sharing with SYC.
Hi Diana, Coud you spray the top white, lay a crocheted doily over the top, then spray with a similar gray to get a silouette of a doily? Otherwise, I think an oval ivy/floral motif is the only other kind of stencil that comes to my mind. I liked the snowmen. But simple is good, too! I have a friend whose husband has BANNED her from Christmas Tree Shoppes as she has blown the budget there several times before! I try to go only a few tmes a year so the place remains a huge novelty!