*WARNING* This project was not as easy as I had originally hoped (Pain in my A$$ actually!!) and I ran into a few problems along the way. That's why I selected this project for my blog. I'll tell you what I did wrong so you don't make the same mistakes.
Ok, so I didn't have an old table just laying around so I picked up one of those click clack tables from a big box store that shall remain nameless because of what I will say later in my blog. It's the perfect size for Lil L. I sat on the paint aisle for 30 minutes trying to freaking decide if I was gonna go with acrylic paint or spray paint. (I never use paint for the house because I need so little of it and it's too expensive for one Pinterest project.) I wasn't so sure the spray paint would work on the table since it's not real wood so I asked the chicky at the paint counter what she thought. FIRST MISTAKE.
This self professed "paint expert" just went on and on about how well spray paint covers those click clack tables. "Oh yes! I spray paint over those all the time. Of course it works. I paint everything, That's why I work in the paint section. You'll be fine! It'll work great. So much easier than painting by hand. Blah, Blah Blah." I picked out the good stuff, the Krylon, a thing of chalk and checked out. I already had the chalkboard paint (2 kinds) from the Dollar Tree Tray fiasco, painter's tape and brushes so I was good to go. 
First I spray painted the legs of the table and let it dry. SECOND MISTAKE. The self professed "paint expert" from above was a LIAR!! That shiz did not cover and instead the chemicals in the dang paint melted the fake wood covering of my click clack table. UGH! I'm serious ya'll, I have a bad temper--like throw stuff, curse, slam things, stomp my feet, go off on a tangent bad temper-- and as usual I was PO'ed. I seriously wanted to drive to the big box store that shall remain nameless and PUNCH self professed "paint expert" in her ovaries! I couldn't take the table back and get another one just because the paint expert was a moron. I had no choice but to peel all that wood covering off the table. This was not as easy task. I had to use a knife, pliers, my hands and even my teeth to pull all that stuff off. I even got a nasty blister on my finger than got infected from the spray paint!! Seriously, PUNCH HER IN HER OVARIES!!! It took me about 2 hours to peel it all off. What's under the click clack table fake wood covering is this ply wood that looks like it has hair on it. I probably should have sanded it down but I honestly thought this project was DOA so I didn't.
Next I tried to spray paint the hairy wood. THIRD MISTAKE. That didn't work either!!! It soaked into the wood and looked like I spilled Kool-Aid all over the it. A Freaking mess. Very Unhappy Rayna! I refused to give up and let the "paint expert" win! Luckily I had some acrylic paint in pink leftover so I tried to paint over the hairy, Kool-Aid stained wood with that. It actually turned out pretty good and I was shocked and pretty stoked because I defeated the "paint expert" all on my own!!! Take that Beeeeyaaatch!!!
I then taped off the top of the table to create a border and then painted the top with about 3 coats of the chalkboard paint. I went with the Rust-Oleum brand since I have a HUGE can of it left (again from the Dollar Tree Tray fiasco.)
Once the chalkboard paint dried I painted the border a turquoise color that matches Lil L's room. Super cute colors fo' sho! I have no idea why the spray paint sucked so bad on this type of wood and the acrylic worked so well. Beats the hell out of me but I'm glad it did and glad I had extra paint on hand. I hate to lose if you can't tell. I'm like Monica from Friends.
Once it dried, AGAIN, I put the table together. Thought it looked pretty good.... only one problem. The hairy wood. LOL! Geeze Louise, kill me now already... This damn table was driving me nuts!! I tried to write on it with chalk and it worked but it was hard to write over the hairy wood. Luckily my husband convinced me to try sanding it. I was afraid it would take the paint off and all my hard work would have been for nothing but it didn't! It worked out perfectly!! Whoot whoot! Score one for Matt!!
Lastly, I thought the table needed something else. I grabbed a black paint pen and made different sized polka dots all over it.. Here's the final product! TA-DA!! Cute for a toddler's room right?
Final Verdict: All I had to buy was the table at $12.99 and a can of spray paint $3.99 so it cost me about 17 bucks. Since the spray paint doesn't work it should have been the 13 for the table and that's it since I had everything else. Not too bad.
But if you had nothing you'd have to buy the chalkboard paint (which you will use again) at $3.99 to $9.99, painter's tape at $2.99,a thing of chalk at $0.50 and then $0.50 per bottle of acrylic paint (I only used 1.5 bottles.) Total it would cost you between $20 and $30 bucks. Still not too bad in my opinion since the cheap Disney ones are like 20 bucks and they tear up so easily and aren't as cute. All in all this project took me about 2 days because I had to stop and start all over twice. Once I started using acrylic paint, it took about 2 hours.
Now here's my suggestion on how to get this done right the first time. For God's sake just use an old table you already have or hit up a thrift store or Goodwill for a super cheap one. Real wood works so much better and is easier to paint. If you just have to use a table like I did, sand it down before hand and then paint it with acrylic. Not spray paint!! And get it at Ikea or Target. It's a couple of dollars cheaper. Also, Target and Ikea have these click clack tables in colors like white, red, yellow, turquoise, purple, pink, you name it. You can totally bypass painting the whole table and just sand the top of one of those and use some chalkboard paint. BAM! You're done. Would save so much time!
You can also make adult versions of these using an old kitchen table. You then bring it out for parties and lay food or wine on it and write what you're serving in chalk. If you usually play hostess it's a great idea. I am so making one as soon as I find me a table.
Finally NEVER EVER EVER trust the over-confident paint expert at the Big Box store that shall remain nameless. Just trust me on that one....
Oh, one more thing.. Make sure the person you're making the table for lives with you or somewhere you can just deliver it to. I tried to mail mine to Lil L and it was going to cost me upwards of $50 dollars. What the What! Hell to the no! Now I have a child's chalkboard table in hot pink and polka dots sitting in my extra bedroom and have to buy Lil L something else for her Birthday!!! Isn't it ironic? Don't you think? ;)
As for next week's project I'm not too sure yet. I've got some other projects I've already completed but it's almost Fall and Halloween is coming up, and then Thanksgiving and then Christmas!! I'm thinking it's time to start trying out some of the Holiday pins. I've also started trying out some recipes on Pinterest and some aren't that bad.. Ok, more bad than good, but you guys need to know those too right? I'll start posting those in between projects a couple at a time.
Thanks for reading everybody! Keep an eye open for those recipes.
XOXOXOXO
The Posh Pinner
Love it!! I always wonder if the Pinterest stuff works. I'll be pinning the hell out of stuff so you can create it all for me!!
ReplyDeleteLoving this blog!!!!!
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