Upcycled Stenciled Tabletops

Have you ever bought something because it was "a great deal," and 24 hours later realized it was NOT a great deal because the item you purchased was soo ugly?  Not a fun place to find yourself.  When my parents bought a local steakhouse and needed to outfit it with 10 booths, they could not believe their ears when they heard $10,000 was a fair price.  My mom being the deal hunter that she is went searching.  She found and purchased booths and tables from a restaurant that had closed.  She was so excited to show me her exciting find.  However, I was speechless at the sight of these ugly and outdated tables.  How could anyone take their business seriously if they looked like they were collecting things from the trash?  

Before - Hideous Old Tabletops

So, here's where my skills came into play.  I, too, like my mother, have a talent for finding things.  I searched Pinterest.com for ideas.  I adapted what I found for our uses and went from there.

Materials:

- Old Tabletop

- Oil Based Paint Light in Color

- Oil Based Paint Dark in Color

- Painting Supplies (I used a 4 inch roller and a paint tray)

- Stencil ( I used "Paisley Allover Stencil" from Cutting Edge Stencils           http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/paisley-allover-stencil.html)

- Painter's Tape

- Sealer for Oil Based Paint

After - Stenciled Tabletops

Steps:

- Apply 2 coats of base color. (I used the lighter color.)

- Apply painter's tape for a crisp edge.

- Position your stencil (I started in the upper right hand corner.  I worked across and then began the next row being sure to line up the shapes on the stencil.)

- Gently roll on the the darker color (once the stencil has been used a bit you can be less careful).

- Let the paint dry.  (I waited 2 hours.)

- Reposition the stencil and continue the same process.

- Once the whole piece is covered with the design and dry, remove the painter's tape.

- Coat evenly with 2-3 coats of sealer.

Although it took me all weekend to complete this project, I am so thankful that my parents took the risk of letting me "upcycle" these tabletops.  They get comments all the time about how beautiful the tables are.  I love this project because for less than $100 I turned trash in treasure.  I hope you will do the same!