Christmas 2003: We buy this folding table and chair set for the girls - just two of them at the time.
Fast forward 4.5 years and the table has faded and been ripped and abused like nobody's business. I have gotten sick of looking at the pink-instead-of-red chair and the huge gash on the table top that's been taped up.
I find the table to be dumb for kids since the top is padded with foam and now it's bowed in the middle; the kids can't eat on it and they can't color on it. It's a poorly thought out child's table. I find card tables in general to be a little pointless. What's with the foam? Aren't tables supposed to provide a hard surface for you to "get stuff done" on? Anyway, especially for children, this little card table is a waste of time.
I find the table to be dumb for kids since the top is padded with foam and now it's bowed in the middle; the kids can't eat on it and they can't color on it. It's a poorly thought out child's table. I find card tables in general to be a little pointless. What's with the foam? Aren't tables supposed to provide a hard surface for you to "get stuff done" on? Anyway, especially for children, this little card table is a waste of time.So I decide to give it a face lift. It was supposed to be an easy project but apparently this kind of stuff never is...especially when you live in Florida and are trying to do this during the rainy season...and you're using spray paint. And you can't really do it all yourself because you're pregnant. Sigh.
Anyway, Del and Pastor Ronnie did the table top. Pastor Ronnie has all sorts of woodworking experience and tools so Del took it to his house and he mitered the trim corners and nailed the trim on for us and gave Del lots of advice. Then Del primed and sanded and primed and sanded and painted and sanded. Me and the girls and my mom stenciled the top and then Mom and Dad finished the top off with some polymer...stuff. It's dried to a hard surface now and the kids can draw on it and have tea on it no problem.
For the chairs and the table legs/support, the kids and Mom and I sanded them and washed them and then my dad spray painted them.
I really like how it turned out. It's pretty darn cute, eh? The only down side is that we probably would have saved money if we had just bought an entirely new table considering that this one only cost us $25 in the first place and we spent at least that much and more fixing it up. Oh well!!!
There you go Meagan, you happy now? :)
7 comments:
WOW! That looks absolutely beautiful now! What a great project to have everyone working on, even the little girls! It does'nt matter that you could have gone out and bought a new one for less, what matters is that it now is a labor of love and you will have many more happy memories on that little table! Plus I LOVE all the pretty stenciling on the table!!!!
OMG! I cannot express enough how amazing I think it looks! Lots of people would pay way more than $50 for that table! It's perfect! Can I have it?
I don't even have kids and I wnat it too! I just don't think my booty would fit in those adorable little chairs!
lol... yes, I am happy now... with you. I do however know that there is another person holding out on us with her postings.... I will not mention who.... but there is something about picture frames and ribbon striped candles and bridesmaid dresses.... okay so the last one isn't truely a homemade craft..... but *ahem* I expect to see some pictures up Missy!
Okay now that I have that out of my system I really like the table and chairs. The table top turned out even better than I thought it would. You and Ella did a fabulous job. I bet the girls absolutely love it. Maybe I should do some stenciling on the top of my kids table when I finally get around to redoing it again.
It was more work than I thought it would be, but I really enjoyed doing it. If we ever live in a real house I want to do lots more of it.
Very nice, Joanna! I am nearing that point with our little table. Ours is wood, painted white, yet permanently stained. But it only has two chairs to begin with and since we know we will have four kids, I wonder if it is worth giving a face lift to anyway. Not that Aaron, at age 8, will probably want to sit with his 1 year old sister at a little table...I guess I'm just talking in circles now. That's what happens when you have to sit on the couch all day - you get really tired. How does that work, anyway?
That table looks so beautiful. I think that is so much more worth it than purchasing one. Looks like you all had fun making it.
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