Thrift Store Table Makeover

I have a rectangular shaped eating area off my kitchen.  My round table looked fine in it but I knew a rectangular table would just look so much better.  I love the rustic farmhouse tables that are popular now but they are so expensive and I don't know how practical they are when cleaning up and wiping them down.  So for awhile now I've just been keeping my eye open for something inexpensive that might fit the bill - either a project or something completed.  Out of the blue, on the way back from chaperoning a field trip to Boston, my good friend Lauren texts me this table she discovered at Savers and I said, "buy it!"  So for $10, this beauty was delivered to my door.

I contemplated and pinterested and then just dove into the project.  First step I always take is CLEAN it really well.  These second hand items always have a thick layer of grime and just this easy step makes a big improvement (and I think is what scares most people away from purchasing things like this to begin with).

Next, too eager to wait for a trip to the store and too cheap to buy real paint, I gave it a shot painting a leg with cheap craft paint in aqua.  It looked good, so I continued.

Another visit to pinterest for where to go from there and I decided to brush on a coat of walnut stain, which I then used paper towels to wipe off.  This changed the color to a darker green and gave the table just the aged look I was hoping for.  For this I used Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut (8 oz jar was plenty).

And finally, to finish it off I brushed on polyurethane.  I used a small (8 oz) jar of Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Clear Satin.  I put on at least 3 coats (patience here), letting it dry well in between coats and letting the final coat dry about 48 hours before using the table.  

Now after spending under $30 (paint, stain, poly, brushes & table) for the entire project, I was not about to blow the budget on chairs and let's face it, chairs are usually the priciest part of any dining set.  I've been collecting the chairs slowly from Goodwill, making sure they are sturdy (look for 1/2 off days for an extra good bargain).  I've spent $3, $2.50 and (splurge) $6 on the chairs.  I would like to find a small bench for my remaining seat.

I think it looks great in the space.