Coffee Table Makeover, Part 1

The other day as I was running out to the market, I saw a sign that I just had to follow..."Garage Sale -->." It was calling my name I tell you! (they often do..ha!) Anywho, I was sort of in a hurry, so I browsed quickly. About three minutes later, I was walking away with this beauty I got for a steal- just $5! It's solid wood (perhaps maple or cherry?) with fun, curvy lines and no structural problems. Yay! All it needed was a little paint to give it a face lift. :) I have been wanting a coffee table for our living room so I could put my "Hope Chest" in a different location which currently serves as our coffee table, so this really was a great buy!

Fast forward a week and a half and it was time to start revamping my new find. After some researching on the internet and several failed attempts at sanding it by hand, I decided it would be wise to invest in an electric sander. After a trip to the Home Depot, I was able to find a superb (and fairly inexpensive, only $30) electric sander. I knew this would prove to be invaluable for all my future home projects.

Back at home I got right to work. Step one: sanding. I started with a 60 grit sandpaper, then 120, and finally to 220 working in a circular motion. FYI, the higher the number, the finer the grit. The progression of different grit papers made the wood super smooth to the touch when I finished. I sanded the detailing and legs by hand. If you use an electric sander for these, you will end up with squared off legs..and that would not be good!

After sanding (which was such a breeze! It took less than 30 minutes), I wiped the entire table thoroughly with an old cloth. This ensures you're not getting dusty grime in your paint when you move onto that part of the process.

Step two: priming. I did this very quickly, brushing with a soft 2" brush because the primer I was using dries fairly quickly. I wasn't worried if it didn't look perfect, I knew I could come back with the sander later and smooth out any uneven areas.



About an hour and a million mosquito bites later, I was finished with the priming and happy to push the last steps to completion for another time. I was getting eaten up! Tune in next time for Part 2, it's gonna look awesome!