Refinished Wood Plant Stand With A DIY Vinyl Clock Tabletop

Laura
by Laura
5 Materials
$30
4 Hours
Easy

I picked up this old plant stand from my local thrift store several months ago. It’s been in my front room waiting for a makeover. I figured the glass insert was a nice feature and I could do something creative with it.

Here is the before and after. Now it has a fresh finish and a modern farmhouse vibe.

DISASSEMBLE THE PLANT STAND


I always start my furniture makeovers by taking them apart. I find it easier to disassemble any removable parts. It requires less taping, gives me more flexibility and helps prevent mistakes (drips). I always put my hardware in a small cup or sandwich bag so I don't misplace it.

Spray Paint The Hardware


It's helpful to drill some small holes in a scrap board for the screws and thread them in the board to keep them upright. Then place the board in a cardboard box and take it outside to spray paint.

SAND THE WOOD


I knew I wanted to re-stain the top of the plant stand, so I sanded the old finish off. I used a 60 grit paper to remove the varnish then finished with a 320.

Next, I roughed up the surface of the base with a medium grit sanding sponge and a piece of sandpaper. I always vacuum and wipe down the surface to prepare for paint.

PAINT THE BASE


At this point, I did the unthinkable. I painted the base with latex wall paint. There I said it. Do I recommend this? Not really. But, I was out of white furniture paint and chalk paint. It worked out O.K. for this project, since I was only painting the base. It did dry too fast and left more brush marks than I would like. Wall paint also doesn't have as hard of a finish once it's cured. I would not use it for an expensive piece or for a tabletop. But, for a $3 thrift store find…it works.


I ended up doing two coats of paint and primer in one. I will say the paint adhered very well, because distressing it later was quite difficult.

STAIN THE TABLETOP


To stain the top I used Varathane, Early American. You’ll want to wear gloves for this part. I used a cheap dollar store foam brush to apply the stain. Then I wiped it off with blue shop towels. It was a little lighter than I wanted, so I did a second coat. Let it dry completely. Then, add a protective top coat with two coats of Krylon Crystal Clear spray paint.

Give The Paint An Aged Look


This is a new paint hack I learned. Did you know that you can use stain like glaze? I’m fairly new to this technique, but it worked well on this project. I applied the same stain from the tabletop all over the white latex paint.

Then I wiped it off with shop towels. It left the white paint with a beautiful creamy antique white look. If you look at the table legs in the image, you see the original color of the paint. The pedestal and circle have been coated in stain and wiped down. It was so easy to do and it really makes the table.


I haven’t tried this with other types of paint yet. So if you plan to use a different type of base coat, try it on a piece of scrap wood first.

CUT OUT THE VINYL CLOCK FACE WITH A CUTTING MACHINE


You can snag the cut file for this clock image (and over 60 other free files) at Heart Filled Spaces. You'll need to subscribe at the top right sidebar. Then you will receive an email with the password and instructions to download your free files. Once you download the file, you’ll need to cut it out on your Silhouette or Cricut cutting machine. Then weed away the extra vinyl until it looks like the image above.

Then grab a piece of clear transfer paper and remove the backing. Place the transfer paper over your clock image.


Rub the transfer paper with a credit card or bone folder. You want to concentrate on the areas with the clock image, like in the picture above. Then peel off the backing from the vinyl.


For my project, I placed the vinyl clock on a piece of off-white card-stock under the glass on my table. I used my cutting machine to cut the card-stock in a circle the exact same size as my glass.


Then I took the transfer paper with the clock image on it, centered it over the card-stock and pressed it in place. Once again, go over the image with a credit card, then peel off the transfer paper. Now you can place your card-stock image under the glass.

Reassemble the table and you're done. This plant stand is a useful little table and makes a beautiful accent piece. Do you love furniture makeovers? Check out this stunning corner desk makeover.


Hopefully this updated plant stand gave you some inspiration for your own project.


Blessings,

Laura

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  • Mary Porod Mary Porod on Aug 07, 2021

    Can’t wait to try this on a small table that’s been waiting for some Inspiration!!! Thanks!!! It looks great!

  • C Kellems C Kellems on Aug 07, 2021

    I have been hanging on to a big ol' wall clock for a diy project. Gonna use the clock face and seal it. It will be perfect for my screened in porch! 👍️

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