The Rounds of the Night Table

At the end of Friday’s post here, I showed you this vintage table that I found at the Restore for $5… marked down from $10.

I couldn’t believe my luck. She was in great shape, but really needed a makeover.

She was just the table I’d been searching for, but I quickly found out why nobody else had taken her home.

This table can talk… and we’ve been going a few rounds.

Why? Because I refused to listen to her.

But I didn’t like what she was saying. Considering she looks pretty straight laced (and boring) she is pretty darn sassy let me tell you.

She’s been sitting in the living room at the bottom of the stairs since I brought her home, and every time I walked by I would stop and ask her what she wanted to be.

Did she want to be classy? Or sassy?

“I want to be pink,” she would say, over and over.

“But I don’t want a pink table,” I’d answer, again and again.

And round and round and round we’d go. Well, she is a round table after all.

Shock of all shocks! This “pink” girl didn’t want a pink table. What?!!!

For some reason in my mind it just wasn’t right for her, or for her new home in the waiting-in-line-for what-seems-like-forever-for-its-makeover master bedroom where she will be a night table.

I just didn’t want to be predictably pink.

I knew I wanted something else, but I didn’t know what… until it hit me like a stack of books.. A stack of books of poetry.

Like the ones that fill my current and super ugly night table

Well, they didn’t literally hit me, but they should have… to knock some sense into me.  I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.

I’ve read and written poetry since I was a little girl, and I keep many of my favourite books by my bedside to grab whenever the need strikes me… and it strikes me often.

Poetry helps me try to make sense of this crazy world that we live in.

So for me, a table decoupaged with poetry is perfect.

I’m a regular reader of several Canadian literary magazines so I went through my stash and found some issues that I was finished with.

Room is a monthly magazine published by women, that publishes women.

Instead of recycling these issues like I normally would I decided to use them for my table.

First I spray painted her with 2 coats of Kyrlon Dual White primer and paint.

She looked so much better already, but she wasn’t happy.

“I don’t want to be white,” she complained.

“Just wait… I’m not finished yet.” I said.

I tore pages out of the magazines and used Mod Podge to decoupage them on to her top.

I had to work quickly because the pages are very thin and if you brush them too much with the MP they will start to break up.

I just wanted to get the base layer on.

“What are you doing with those pages?” she asked. “I don’t want to wear those.”

“Just wait,” I said. “I’m still not finished yet.”  Geeesh… so impatient.

I made all the pages vertical to the front of the table so I can read any of the poems if I choose to, plus for me it just looks neater.

It was pretty wrinkled in places at first, but most of the wrinkles came out as it was drying.

Then I took the pages of some of my favourite poems from the magazines and tore them gently all around so they were different shapes and sizes, and then I randomly decoupaged them on top of the base layer.

I didn’t think about it too much… I just put them where I thought they looked good.

I don’t have a photo of this, but after the pages were completely dry I used an exacto knife with a fresh sharp blade to remove the excess paper from around her.

“Hey, be careful with that thing,” she snapped.

If you try to do that while it’s still wet it will most likely be a disaster, and you will have one unhappy table. Trust me… I know this from past experience.

Then I used acrylic black paint and painted the edges of both her tiers.

So here she’s looking pretty classy… (hopefully)

and SURPRISE!!!

Here she’s looking pretty sassy.

Did you really think I was going to leave her pink free? lol.

Now she’s happy, and I’m happy.

I might not see it every day, but I’ll know it’s there… and that will make me smile.

Since my master bedroom is a mess right now because I’m trying to start its makeover this is my attempt at styling her. Our lilacs are in bloom right now, and they’re just gorgeous, and they smell heavenly.

I’m currently reading Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwen… again… for the umpteenth time. So I thought it appropriate that she be given centre stage.

So here’s another look at my sad but sassy little table before.

And here she is with her new look… and filled with many of my favourite books of poetry that change on a rotating bases because I have way too many favourites.

Now instead of complaining to me, she’s reciting poetry. lol.

She has two coats of MP on the top, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to do one or two coats of a sealer spray paint when I get a chance… just to be sure there’s enough coverage to protect her.

And I might still do her second tier with some pages as well, but I’m not sure about that because they’ll always be covered with books anyway. We’ll see.

This could easily be done with any pages from any books, magazines, music pages, children’s art…. whatever… anything that you can decoupage really. And it didn’t take very long… just a couple of hours.

I can’t wait until I can use her in the master bedroom, which is w-a-a-a-y overdue to be repainted. But, my gosh, when the weather is this gorgeous I just can’t be stuck inside.

Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!