Is there a cost effective way to re-do my portable island top?

Hi Sharon, without knowing the dimensions, I found this great wide pine board at Lowe's. It's pretty inexpensive, $10.95 or so. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Common-1-in-x-16-in-x-4-ft-Actual-0-75-in-x-15-25-in-x-4-ft-Edge-Glued-Finger-Joint-Pine-Board/1000088887

Here's a link for some other ideas: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Common-1-in-x-16-in-x-4-ft-Actual-0-75-in-x-15-25-in-x-4-ft-Edge-Glued-Finger-Joint-Pine-Board/1000088887

Could you get some free wooden pallets? And make a slatted wooden top for it? This person made an island all out of pallets, maybe you could use this just for the top:

http://www.hometalk.com/diy/build/furniture/how-to-make-a-pallet-kitchen-island-for-less-than-50-dollars-5764484?expand_all_questions=1

Like the above poster, without dimensions it's hard to picture. If you need a short term solution, ceramic tiles are pretty & surprisingly durable. You could measure out your island top, adding your overhang & build a wooden plank surface inside a wood frame. Staining the inside light & outside frame dark would add punch to the island. Protect it with sealer. You can also get a sheet of stainless steel & have it bent & shaped to your top - but it does scratch after time. Concrete looks good & stands up well, but it might be too heavy on a movable unit. Just be sure to brace your overhang REALLY well - metal L brackets & wooden corbeils to hide them are a good way to go.

Put a larger piece of plywood over the top and screw it down, then tile it. Since it is a small area, it shouldn't cot too much to tile.

Cute island! Take a trip to your local Habitat for Humanity Restore and see if they have anything that would be suitable that's in your budget. Also look for old cabinets or tables that you might be able to deconstruct and re-use the top for your island.

Hi. I had the same problem in my kitchen years ago and the same budget LOL.

I went to Home Depot and ended up purchasing a half sheet of birch plywood. It's very smooth and nice looking. I also purchased some iron on birch tape to finish the edges. I got home and made sure there was a one foot overhang for where my seats would be, and one foot on the sides, and six inches on the side where I would be standing to chop or whatevs. I ended up having to cut six inches from one side in order for it to fit my dimensions. I cut the board (if you can figure out what you'd need before you get to home depot, they can cut it for you for free. ) I put construction adhesive on the island, then carefully placed my new top on. I didnt use screws but I did use some finish nails on the corners. I waited a day for it to dry. Then I used my regular iron to iron down the birch edging tape. It looked great. I used some navy blue stain that I had leftover instead of trying to match my cabinets (they sell tiny containers of stain at craft and home improvement stores). I sealed with an oil poly but you could use water based. I was glad I used a colored stain so that I could update my stool seats to match. Anytime you can add color to a kitchen, it's a good thing. LOL. It ended up being great for my kids to help prepare meals. Good luck!

Thank you! That's a great idea!

If you want to add some color buy broken plates or Mexican tiles and mosaic the top.

Do this right. Have a piece of linoleum counter top made to fit what you need. It is very inexpensive. You may even be able to find one already made in a big box store, or a 'second/left over'from a linoleum counter top business for $50.

I would check out thrift stores for old tables. their tops can be removed then reused for many other things including your island top..

I bet if you went to Habitat for Humanity Restore, you could find an old bi-fold door that would fit great for around $20. or get a door and cut it down.