Project: Tabled

This project has been in the works, seemingly forever! I saw a table in a local artisan shop on our travels that inspired me. The artist had created designs with a wood burning tool, and then painted, or  more likely stained the table in different colors. The colors were soft, and in my favorite autumn palette. I probably saw that table 3 years ago... maybe more!

I thought about it, 

a lot! 

I decided I wanted to make one, myself! 

I looked around for tables at antique stores, junk emporiums, resale shops and thrift shops. I never found any that appealed to me, at a cost I was willing to pay, knowing that I was going to try doing something to the table that might ruin it. So there I sat, drumming my fingers on the kitchen table. An old table. A cheap table. One we had purchased 30 years ago, paying something like $79 for the table and four chairs. You've all seen them... they had dark green or white legs and a blonde top. The chairs had the natural colored seat and white or green legs and back. 

Yeah, something like this picture from a catalog...

So there I sat, as I said, drumming my fingers, thinking.... and the thought I was thinking was, what's the worst thing that could happen? I could ruin our almost ancient, cheap, scarred, kitchen table. It was already kinda ugly..... why the heck not?!

I sketched a half dozen ideas out on paper. I searched online for other ideas. I finally decided what I wanted and enlarged the design, sketching it out on pieces of sketch paper taped together. Then, I folded it up and put it on a shelf, where it sat for a year or so. I was only a bit intimidated by the next step!

My son gave me a wood-burning tool. He knew that the plan for my table had been sitting on the shelf for months. OK, said I, let's try it. I grabbed some scrap pieces of wood and practiced wood burning. Oh, my. My attempts were horrible! I tried some more. I wasn't pleased. 

Here is one of my experimental boards

I considered other alternatives, but always came back to wood burning. I liked the look. I practiced some more. Slowly, my attempts came close to being acceptable.  I sanded the table. Oh, and I sanded some more. And now have discovered.... I didn't sand enough!! But, this is what the table looked like after hours of sanding.

I used large graphite paper to transfer my design, and I began working with the wood burning tool. My table lived under quilted table cloths,

for months!!

My next step was coloring the leaves. I experimented with colored pencils and water colors on my practice boards. I preferred the shading I could get with water colors, but I was concerned that the color might run when I applied the finish. I tested on my sample boards. It seemed to be OK. But.... I put it off for a few more months. I guess I just didn't want to know what might happen!! 

I ran out of excuses! 

We weren't on the road. The garden is planted. My dad is doing OK. 

It was time to stain the table and apply the finish so my project could be finished!!

It was time to seal the table so I didn't have to worry about 

what might happen if we spilled liquids on it. 

It was time!

I pulled out the wood conditioner and stain and went to work. 

I appealed to Mr. Dreamy, who used to repair furniture for a living.

He helped me apply the top coat. 

Oh, my.....

I LOVE my project!

I can only wonder why it took me this long?!