Old Table With Letters From the Past

Susan K Mullins
by Susan K Mullins
5 Materials
$25
2 Days
Medium
Love me some good yard sales! Great yard sale find, $2.00 for a small, vintage table. Not sure what I will do with the table, but in my car it goes. When I get home the table is stored among other pieces waiting for the perfect project.
I have my great grandmother's autograph album. This vintage book has autographs dated back to 1881, when my great grandmother attended Athens Female College. The college is now named Athens State University. My great grandmother, Mammie, and I graduated from the same college. My grandma gave the album to me not long after I married. The album has been kept in a dark box to help preserve the old autographs and writings. I wanted a way to share the album's contents with others. I decided to transfer some of the beautifully written pages to the small $2.00 table.
Beau our bird dog overseeing my work
The table had a veneer top, so I carefully removed the veneer.
Veneer removed
Next, I lightly sanded the top with a hand sander.
Silvey checking out the paint
I painted the table with DecoArt Chalk Acrylic in Primitive, ADC 26.
Painting the top
The painting is almost complete.
Ready to copy words onto table
After making copies of the pages I wanted to use, I laid the paper on the table and taped each piece in place. Then I used graphite paper and transferred the writings to the table top.
Beautiful handwriting
I traced each word carefully. Years ago, pretty handwriting was a sign of high intelligence and a good education, so people took great pride in personal handwritings. As you can see, the handwriting is very intricate and detailed. It is so lovely. I tried to follow each letter as perfectly as I could.
Short video of completion of transfer of writings. The video is only 13 seconds long, but it is slow to start.


The glaze
I sprayed the table with a clear sealer, then I applied the glaze.
Glaze goes on smoothly
Using a small brush, I applied Folk Art Glaze in Cafe' Noir, 5799. I let the glaze sit for about ten minutes and then I wiped it off, using an old white tee shirt. This worked well.
Completed project
I added the front cover of the album and the page that has the name of the album on the shelf below the top.
If you look closely you can see the dates on some of the autographs. One thing I think is unique is that my grandmother, my mother and I all signed the album. Mammie took very good care of this book. I am so proud Grandma gave me this family heirloom to care for and treasure for years to come. I have fond memories of Grandma and Mammie reading the pages to me. I drew and scribbled in it a couple of times, but Grandma never fussed at me. She just told me in her sweet words, not to draw in that book to use my paper. I never drew in it again. She also told me that because I loved the album and reading the pages so much, that the book would be mine someday. She kept her promise💞...
Picture of autograph album
This picture shows the old album laying on top of the table.
The only colored page is the intro page
This picture shows the first page in the autograph album. It is the only colored page in the book.
Now I can share the beautifully written words from the vintage album with all who enter my home. Such a treasure! I am also trying to decide if I want to add the decorative piece to the front of the table. I will make up my mind soon. This was a tedious project, but it was fun. I am very happy with the final results.
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  • Gloria tulip Gloria tulip on Feb 24, 2019

    How did you make copies of he pages you wanted? I was fearful that you had removed the pages that you wanted to use. Terrific job with much love put into the project. I have tried to get copies of pages with a camera, but it is difficult to put the album/book/bible in a good position to take the picture.

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  • Gloria tulip Gloria tulip on Feb 24, 2019

    Oh, I did a similar job by using sheet music. Removed the old veneer from a bedroom table bought for me in the early 1940s and decoupaged the top.

  • Susan K Mullins Susan K Mullins on Feb 24, 2019

    Sheet music, great idea! Thank you for commenting! My mom loves her table.

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