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    Home » Furniture Makeover » Sewing Table Makeover

    Sewing Table Makeover

    Published by Gail | Published June 22, 2012 | Updated June 28, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Sewing table makeover using paint, a carbon traced Graphics Fairy image, painted with a paint pen. Old sewing table into a great new piece! Love the blue drawers. #MyRepurposedLife #repurposed #furniture #sewingtable #diy via @repurposedlife
    Thanks to Deanna for sharing her  Sewing Table Makeover with us!!
    Its-Just-Me-Sewing-Table-Makeover
    Pin it!
     Hiya guys ...
    I'm so excited to be guest blogging here at My Repurposed Life. Thank you Gail for giving me the opportunity to share my lil' blog with your readers.
    My name is Deanna, nice to meet ya : ) I'm a mom of 2 girls,  a grandma to 1 lil' 3 month old grandson (who is possibly the best baby in the world) and a wife to a man who patiently puts up with my ongoing craziness creativity. I started It's Just Me almost 2 years ago after reading so many other blogs that were doing what I do and said "Hey, I can do that". I know that I'm not a writer, I tend to write like I talk, but I'm honest, I love what I do and I LOVE junk!
    Anyhoo, today I wanted to show ya a cute lil' sewing table I picked up at a garage sale for $10. Yeah, I know, it looks good just as it is but there's just something in me that makes me wanna put my "touch" on it. You know,  I always say, "Let's see what THIS can become"

    How to do a Sewing Table Makeover

    So, I decided that I wanted a light gray homemade chalk paint with distressing showing black under it. But,  I also thought a great graphic on top would finish it off.
    I started by lightly sanding all the edges. Since I was using chalk paint, I knew that I wouldn't have to do much sanding or priming on the rest of the piece so I concentrated where I would be using the black paint. After I sanded I used basic black craft paint. I didn't worry if it looked good because it will be painted over.

    Add Black Paint on Edges

    I had been wanting to try the Vaseline distressing method and thought this would be an easy piece to try it on. If you've never tried this method, it's where you put Vaseline where you want the bottom paint color to show through then after you paint your final coat of paint you sand it off to reveal the color underneath. Make sense? You wanna make sure that you don't put it on thick. Actually it works best in thin layers so I just applied in lightly on all the edges.

     

    Apply Vaseline for Paint Resist Technique

    Now onto mixing my chalk paint. I got my supplies together ... sample flat paint, Plaster of Paris, water, and a plastic bowl.
    I mixed about 5TBL. of Plaster of Paris with about 1 ½TBL. water till everything was smooth

    Chalk Paint for Sewing Table Makeover

    DIY Chalk Paint
    Then poured in about ½ a container of flat paint and stirred well.
    DIY Chalk Paint
    After mixing it thoroughly I applied 1 coat of paint.
    Using vaseline to distress
    Let it dry for about 2 hours then applied another coat.
    sewing table makeover
    Again, I let it dry about another 2 hours then got to distressing. This was the easiest distressing job I've ever done. I just used a piece of 120 sand paper. You could kinda tell where the Vaseline was because the paint was all crackly. I really like how the black shows through. It has a real "peeling paint" effect.

    Wipe Paint Back to Reveal Black Base Coat

    distressing with Vaseline
    Now for the top. Like I said, I knew I wanted a graphic. Something feminine. I didn't really want anything French since I tend to do that a lot like on my French Beachy Table or my Postale Box. So while cruising around Graphics Fairy I found the perfect picture.

    How To Image Transfer

    easy image transfer
    Traced it out using carbon paper. Painted it with a Elmer's Black Paint Pen and presto,  prettiness!
    I lightly sanded the graphic then waxed the whole piece with Minwax's Dark Wax. The hardware was sprayed with Rust-oleum's Hammered Satin Finish. I just had a can of it in the garage. Don't cha' love when that happens?

    Sewing Table Makeover | Paint the Drawers

    I decided to paint the inside of the drawers to finish it off so I went with Hosta from Martha Stewart.
    sewing table makeover with blue drawers
    peeled/aged distressed paint with vaseline
    sewing table makeover
    distressed table with vaseline & DIY Chalk Paint
    I love taking an old dated piece of furniture and bringing it current.
    Before & After sewing table
    She sure doesn't look her age now. She has some serious character and I think she's ready to hold some wonderful goodies.
    Thanks Gail for having me   : )
    See More Sewing Cabinet Project Ideas

    sewing cabinet project ideas
    /div>

    Deanna—I’ve done a lot of sewing table makeovers. BUT, I LOVE the look of your table. It reminds me a lot of a $7 nightstand I did for my bedroom. My most distressed piece. I love the look but I have a hard time achieving it. I must try this technique! Oh, and I love the blue drawers! Thank you for sharing this post with my friends!
    Now, y’all hop on over to give Deanna a visit, k?
    gail
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    About Gail Wilson

    Hi, there! I’m Gail, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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    1. Robyn

      June 23, 2016 at 8:52 pm

      OMGSH!!!! This is beautiful!! I have two sewing cabinets that I want to do similar to this. Going to try the carbon graphic application. However, seems like a lot of work with all the tracing. But it looks awesome!!!

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        June 23, 2016 at 9:23 pm

        Thank you, I'm sure that Deanna appreciates your comment. I appreciate you stopping by to check out the project.

        gail

    2. Selena Lee-Murphy

      May 12, 2016 at 7:37 am

      How lovely! I must admit I am anxious to try the Vasaline method for a project and this post gave me a little "push" to go for it. Thanks.

      Reply
    3. Paula Hany

      November 13, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      I just tried to mix the paint mixture and I think there's an error in the amount of plaster of paris. I think it should be 5 teaspoons, not tablespoons (not if it's supposed to be a smooth mixture as pictured). 1 ½ tablespoons of water is not enough for 5 T of plaster of paris-it makes a big stiff blob.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        November 13, 2014 at 5:29 pm

        Paula,

        I apologize for that. This is not my recipe, but from a blog friend of mine. You can see my recipe for diy chalk paint here: https://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2013/08/diy-chalky-paint-recipe-makes-a-great-primer.html which uses 2 TBS of Plaster of paris with 4 tsp of water mixed into 1 cup of latex paint.
        I personally use this diy chalk paint recipe on almost everything I paint.
        Let me know if you have any further questions.
        gail

    4. Kristin

      November 06, 2014 at 1:01 pm

      Lovely transformation. I appreciate your simple unburdened concise tutorial. Too many seem to have as much "fluff" as "stuff" these days! I feel confident I can easily give this refinishing method a whirl. Thanks and once again, a lovely job!

      Reply
    5. stephanie

      November 06, 2014 at 12:46 pm

      Loved the redo as well as the original. But the graphic is what throws me off. Seems too much and something I could not display with children in the home or anyone for that matter. But that is the conservative in me. So much out there with great beauty without exposure. I know everyone will scream but it's art....just not for me or my home! Love the tips tho!!

      Reply
    6. Christine moore

      November 06, 2014 at 4:45 am

      I relly liked it better the origonal way, but that's just my taste x

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        November 06, 2014 at 10:12 am

        Everyone is allowed to their own opinion, but thanks for sharing it in a kind way. 🙂

        I think a lot of us are just so over wood tones. There are painters and non-painters. The good thing is it's just paint....nothing that can't be undone in the future when a wood tone lover gets hold of it. I'm hoping that people can learn from Deanna's tips when they find a piece that can't be saved.

        gail

      • Kali

        November 06, 2014 at 10:58 am

        I agree. Its a lovely antique piece of furniture and now that original finish is ruined. The old wood finish, if in good condition, can't touch the products we have on the market today for a beautiful finish. The fact that you used plaster, you've ensured no one will ever be able to restore this piece to its original beauty, sad

      • fethiye

        November 06, 2014 at 11:46 am

        I am totally with you. I do not understand this "distressing" business, and I think it ruins a pretty good piece of furniture.

      • Mike

        May 12, 2016 at 8:48 am

        I do not understand taking a beautiful piece of furniture and literally destroying it. It was built as is and had a long life. It appears to be in excellent condition and now it looks like a pop art.

      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        May 13, 2016 at 8:35 am

        Mike,

        To each his own, I suppose. Deanna lives in Florida, and the folks in her area apparently prefer an updated painted look to a dated wood tone piece of furniture.

        Thanks for your input!

        gail

    7. Carolyn G

      August 16, 2013 at 10:10 pm

      The table looks great also I wanted to know where you can buy the plaster of paris? Can't wait to make my own chalk paint.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.net

        August 17, 2013 at 8:40 am

        Carolyn,

        I believe you can buy it at any store. It's probably in the craft department. Mine looks like an old fashioned milk carton with the "open this side" type of cardboard.

        I LOVE making my own chalky paint!

        gail

    8. Deadhead9

      October 23, 2012 at 4:56 am

      LOL!!!!! I had that exact same sewing table for YEARS! And--it was painted in a creamy off white and was "distressed" by having been used for YEARS! I recently donated it to a thrift store because it was just not being used in my life. I loved it but----Someone else can love it more now!

      Great ideas tho! Will be checking back to see what else you love!

      Reply
    9. I Play Outside The Box

      June 24, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      Deanna....what a great deal you got on that sewing table...and what a fantastic job you did on transforming it into a beautiful work of art!! Thanks for sharing your project!!

      Off to check out your blog.

      Reply
    10. Doreen

      June 24, 2012 at 5:07 am

      That sewing table transformation is absolutely gorgeous! You have inspired me....

      Reply
    11. {northern cottage}

      June 23, 2012 at 4:18 pm

      yay! this project is gorgeous - love love the color of those drawer insides (& everything else!) xo

      Reply
    12. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      June 23, 2012 at 2:18 am

      This is a great project, Deanna, and a wonderful tutorial!

      Reply
    13. Shirley

      June 22, 2012 at 4:55 pm

      THIS has got to be the best looking distressing I've seen in a long time. Thanks for the step by steps. Beautiful graphic too not common and not the "usual" french style.

      Reply
    14. Kate

      June 22, 2012 at 3:31 pm

      Hi Gail
      So nice to meet you and your lovely blog! I am a big fan of Deanna's blog. That table transformation is amazing. Have a wonderful weekend.

      Warm wishes
      Kate @ Salvage Dior

      Reply
    15. Franziska San Pedro

      June 22, 2012 at 1:06 pm

      Oh my what a little gem! Really turned out beautifullly, lovin it 🙂
      I know the feeling of excitement when I have a new treasure in my garage; I usually can't wait to put my hands on it and turn it into a new beauty.

      What I love is how you colored the inside with a different color. Have you tried pink? I have just used a very dark pink on one of the dressers I restored, looks gorgeous!

      Great job, always love your new posts -and you're so good at always taking photos (sometimes I am so excited that I forget to take pics of the in between steps...),

      Franziska
      @ Flavor Designs
      Renewable Lifestyle

      Reply
    16. Terri

      June 22, 2012 at 12:19 pm

      This turned out to be a darling little table. Thank you for sharing all your fun techniques creating this. I learned three things to try on my next project!

      I have never heard of Elmers paint pens so will be looking for those as well. I find that occasionally when I do this transfer technique and I sand the piece...it tends to smear a little. I don't see any of that on this table!

      Just bookmarked your blog so you will be "seeing" me around!

      Reply
    17. Kathy@ Gone North

      June 22, 2012 at 11:33 am

      Nicely, nicely done!!
      Thanks for all the tips on the how-to....

      Reply
    18. ✿ⒹⒺⒺ✿@ A Lapin Life

      June 22, 2012 at 11:30 am

      Hi Gail,

      Deanna did a fabulous job on transforming the table. Even the inside is pretty.

      Dee

      Reply
    19. Sue

      June 22, 2012 at 10:16 am

      what a beautiful piece, I really like the way it turned out!

      Reply
    20. jeanetteann

      June 22, 2012 at 7:14 am

      Nice to meet you, we all write like we talk,too fast,too much but hey who's complaining,it's nice to talk to like minded souls. 🙂 xx

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

    More about me →

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