Salvation Army Saves the Day!

Edited to also link to Kimba's DIY party over at A Soft Place to Land!

When Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick Announced that she'd be having a Goodwill Party, I knew exactly which project I wanted to feature, and I started rushing to finish it in time. I'll apologize now for the long post, but I have a LOT of pictures to share of my first big makeover!

If you've been reading my blog for a long time, or if you know me, you know I started searching for the perfect desk way back last Fall. We added onto our home, and I had a spot in the back hallway for my own, personal craft and work space. My "own, personal" meaning that it would be my own and personal until one of the children decides to commandeer it for their own purposes.

I searched high. I searched low. I was looking for something that was real wood with lots of storage. I needed to be able to paint it, and it couldn't be too big because it was going in a hallway, after all. In short, I was searching for the impossible dream.

On my 546th trip to Salvation Army, my eyes fell upon something that I wasn't at all expecting. As I gazed at the hideous, glass top, metal table, I remembered a post I'd seen from a fellow blogger (I THINK it was The Nester!) who used a homemade skirt to disguise her storage area underneath a table or desk. I knew what I wanted to do! After offering $8 for the $15 table, my dubious husband loaded it into his truck for me and we brought it home.

No one believed in me, I tell you! T knew better than to say anything, and to her credit, my mom clamped a hand over her mouth after she started to say something objectionable about my find.

It didn't matter. I've read enough fabulous blogs written by talented ladies to know that I can at least try anything. Good grief, at least I'd only be out an $8 table, right?

So here's the BeFoRE shot again!

Pretty bad, huh?

Here's an AfTeR!

Voila! I think it's pretty cute for an $8 table!

Wanna know how I did it??

First, I went straight out and bought a couple of cans of $0.97 white spray paint at Wal-Mart, a spray primer, and a Krylon clear sealer so the top wouldn't scratch up.

A couple of coats later, and I could still see hints of metal popping through. It drove T nuts, as he is a perfectionist with projects, but I just kept repeating "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!" (Hmm, wonder where I've heard that before?) After that, I sprayed a top coat of Krylon clear sealer, and it was finished (enough). I learned that I am very impatient with drying spray paint. I made a mistake on one leg, but just decided to put that side against the wall.

Next was the glass. I peeled off all the price tags and Windexed it really well to get it ready for the treatment! (Doesn't that sound fancy?)

I made T spray several a coats of frosting to what I decided would be the underside of the table top (so it doesn't scratch off when I'm working). I made him do it so I would have someone to yell at if it didn't turn out right. Amazingly enough, it turned out great! Not quite as heavy a frost as I'd like, but pretty durn good. Here's what it looks like from the top. (Sorry for the weird flash circle).

I got the clear fleur de lis to show through by making a sticker for T to spray over. When I peeled the sticker off, the fleur de lis was still there, but the rest of the table top is frosted!

My friend Meri gave me some cut-outs from her Cricut and T copied the fleur de lis onto Fed-Ex shipping labels at work. A razor cutting tool was all it took for me to cut the "sticker" out! See?

Then came the sewing. Lots and lots (and lots) of sewing. I chose muslin because I liked that I could match it pretty closely to my Target drapes. It doesn't hurt that muslin. is. cheap.

I"ll just be honest and say that if left to my own devices, I would have stuck the fabric on that desk with a glue stick and some Scotch tape. But I am lucky enough to have a friend, AT, who just opened her own sewing business. She came over and did ALL the measuring, cutting, and pinning of those darn pleats because my math skills are pretty much non-existent. Because of AT, I ended up with some lovely pleats. My seams may be crooked linearly challenged, but it's close enough for me!

AT and I decided on Velcro to attach the skirts (there are actually 4 panels) to the table. I found this "decorator" Velcro at AC Moore. It's pricey, but I had a 40% off (!!) coupon. I'm glad I went with it because it is super-strong. Much better than a glue stick and Scotch tape.


See? It peels right off the table if I need it to!

I felt like the plain muslin was a little bit too blah, so I picked up some black ribbon at the craft store to trim up the skirts since I did the same thing with my drapes I got on clearance at Target last Fall.

I started by sewing one end of the ribbon to the back of the skirt to anchor it. This was difficult for a girl who is new to sewing. I had to try very hard to not sew through my finger.


Fabri-Tac is my new BFF. I had almost a full bottle left after trimming my drapes and roman shade in the Fall. After I hunted it down, I got to work trimming the top of the hem line on each panel.


I like this photo because it shows what the skirt looks like with no top trim vs. trim on the top. I think I'm glad I did it at the top too, but what do I know?


This is a view down the hall from the open part of the addition. You can see the trim I did on the roman shade. That door will open up to our deck if I can nag convince T to get started on it in the next few weeks. The laundry room is the door to the left.

I used my left-over Fed-Ex sticker paper to make a stencil! I had some black matte fabric paint, so I added a fleur de lis to the bottom of the front panels. Not exactly centered, but whatever. I eyeballed it. That's what I get for short cuts. But you know what? I bet no one will notice it. Except you now. And everyone in the 'Burg that reads this blog. Oh well....



I used some more of the fabric paint (since that's all I had) to add a stencil to this planter I got at SA last week. It's the new home for some of my bigger "tools." The little Southern Living at Home vase thingie I'm going to use for my pens. I got it for $1 a few weeks ago. That's all I have on the desk for now. I was hoping to find a lamp to redo this weekend, but I may just go to Wally World and check out their Better Homes & Gardens line. I'd love to have your suggestions for how to dress this area up! I have one of those "Create" wall sayings from the Stampin' Up Decor Elements line, but not much else. I was thinking about maybe doing a fabric bulletin board in a cool frame too.


This is storage bin I have under there so far. I scavenged it from Michaela Byrd's closet. I think you can also see Natalie's foot. Sorry.


Just to show what I have to live with down the hall in the addition, which is also undecorated. I do have some plans in the works!!! It does not include the girls' dollhouse collection!


Here they are, already plotting to destroy something. That's what they do! But they're so stinkin' cute, I can't stay mad.

Hope you enjoyed my first big furniture makeover! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. I was so inspired by my favorite blogs! I kept telling myself that if Sarah can learn to use powertools herself, and if The Nester can figure out a way to make a door on a wall gorgeous, then surely I can come up with something for a nasty old metal table!

{Happy Bargain Hunting!}