Upcycling A Dated Coffee Table With Paint And Stencils

5 Materials
$50
4 Hours
Medium

Several years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to buffalo check decor. Now I love it too, and so does my youngest daughter. It's a perfect addition to farmhouse style.

My mom gave this second hand coffee table to my daughter when she moved into assisted living. I know oak lovers would not do a thing to it, but my daughter loves farmhouse decor, so I had a plan to give it a makeover.

After wiping the table down with hot soapy Dawn Dish Soap water and a rag, I applied two coats of Dixie Belle Paint Company's Boss. Boss is a great product for blocking stains and odors. I like to use it when I am painting a piece of furniture with white paint.


Next, I brushed on two coats of Dixie Belle Paint in Drop Cloth.

I then pulled out my very favorite stencil, Old Sign Stencils Medium Buffalo Checks.

I centered the stencil, on the diagonal, on top of the table and taped it down with blue painter's tape. It's very important to center the stencil so the partial checks on the edges of the table are uniform in size.


I used Dixie Belle Paint in Caviar to pounce on the checks.

My first stencil is complete.

I then carefully moved the stencil, up and down, and right and left, to cover the entire coffee table top. This gets easier the more you use this versatile stencil.

Remember, you can always paint over a boo boo, or sand off a very small stencil bleed with a folded corner of 220 grit sandpaper.

When my pattern was complete, I sealed the coffee table with Dixie Belle Gator Hide, a very water repellent poly product.

After I staged the coffee table in my den for photos, I passed the table onto my daughter. She loved it. See many more of my farmhouse projects in my daughter's townhouse HERE.

See a compilation of my buffalo check stencil projects (including this one) HERE.

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  3 questions
  • Joanie Joanie on Mar 03, 2020

    Has your Grandmother seen her table since she gave it to you?

  • Rory McBean Rory McBean on Mar 04, 2020

    Great job! What a change!

    Where did you get the pillow with the buffalo print of Minnesota? Did you make it? I'm originally from MN, and it drew my attention.

    Thanks so much!

  • Carole Oestreicher Carole Oestreicher on Mar 20, 2020

    I want to borrow your stencil?

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