It’s Called Using What You’ve Got

Happy New Year everyone! I didn’t work too much over the Christmas holiday, but I did get this easy project done… and while I realize that most people may not have two vintage Singer sewing machine bases on hand, we did… actually I only had one, but I found an exact match at an auction and snatched it up in order to do this project!

We (really me) wanted to make a table for the kids playroom… I had just bought a low vintage chest that I’m repurposing as a window seat (with storage!) and I wanted a table to sit in front of it for the kids to play with their houses etc.… They love building towns and frequently have their “towns” setup all over the floor and will play with them for days!

This is the story of the build… (it TOTALLY looks like SAH is doing all of the work in these pictures, but he’s not… someone has to take the pictures right?)

We used 3 6×10 pine planks and lined them up on a flat surface.

We attached the planks together with 3 pieces of 1×2’s using 2 wood screws in each plank. We drilled pilot holes prior to screwing… very important or else the wood can split!

We left a gap between each plank, using a paint stir stick as a template, very hi tech!

We sanded the top and sides of the planks with 150 grit sandpaper and took all of the pieces to the playroom to assemble. We attached the top to the bases with wood screws and set the table in place.

I stained the top of the table in place, I REALLY should have stained the planks first because I had to use a teeny tiny brush to get the stain in between the planks… I will remember this for next time! The stain is “Kona” and I only applied one coat as it is a very dark color.

I’m so glad I had all of this help

I knew I wanted to do something else with the top and this is what I came up with… The stencil shape just happens to mimic the shapes in the sewing table bases…

I used the same used the Moorish Trellis Stencil from Royal Design Studio I used on the stenciled bookcase transformation and some Benjamin Moore paint I had color matched to Provence ASCP… just a quick roll with the sponge roller, seriously it took maybe 10 minutes to do…

After the paint dried I applied a coat of Briwax Dark Wax to the surface which toned down the blue and gave it an aged appearance, it also added a beautiful richness to the finish…

After the dark wax had dried I applied a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax, making sure to rub it in really good. The next day I came back with some 0000 steel wool and buffed it… what a gorgeous sheen!

This is the perfect place for the kids to sit and play now! They can play board games or setup their LPS houses or whatever! My oldest daughter doesn’t understand why we went through the “trouble” of making this table look nice as she is certain the kids will “mess it up” but I have some faith…

Anyway here is the breakdown of the costs & time in case you are interested:

Sewing table bases: $24 for both (what!, I know…)

Wood: $44

Total = $68

Total time = 2 hrs.

I think that’s pretty awesome for a one of a kind table that is custom made for the space!

I’m super excited and I hope the kids will enjoy using the table! I’m also hoping that the extra storage added with the bench will help the playroom stay more organized but I’m not holding my breath! I still need to make a bench cushion, but I tend to procrastinate when it comes to sewing projects so it may be a while before I get to it…

What do you think… is the table just too nice for the playroom?

As always thanks for stopping by!

Until next time…

Linking to these parties!

Domestically Speaking, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch to Yours, My Romantic Home, Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, The Dedicated House, A Jennuine Life, Miss Mustard Seed