Two Bit {Coffee} Tables

Welcome to my first {blogged about} furniture makeover -- a set of nesting tables that I needed to put to use.
I found these girls at a garage sale at least 15 years ago and I only paid $15 for the pair (I remember it well).  The nesting tables are basically wrought iron bases with a solid piece of wood on top.  At the time, I added a bit of molding to the edges of the wood to accentuate the curves of the base and painted the tops gold with burgundy & evergreen details -- hey, it was stylish at the time!

I actually choose the pattern from a piece of fabric from the room they were going in.  

Fast-forward to 2012, and these tables were in our guest bathroom downstairs underneath a stack of linens.  Ignored.

I had no idea what I wanted to paint on them, other then getting rid of what was on them.

So I took them out to the driveway and gave them a good sanding.

SunShine?!  Is that SunShine?!  We haven't seen the light of day in years!!

After they were cleaned up, I decided to give them a makeover and place them in our game room next to the denim sofa.  There was a trunk there now (also in need of a makeover) and tables would be a welcome change.  We spend more time in the game room in the summer -- not just because school is out, but it is a walk out basement and is rather cool during the hot Texas summers!

I wanted to try my hand at painting or transferring a vintage label and starting searching the web.  I love Americana, old advertising and signs and ran across these Coffee Labels at World Label.  Great Resource! I'll be back for more goodies -- I found them through Cathe Holden at Just Something I Made (Thanks Cathe!).

source ::: World Label

I don't drink coffee, but my hubby does and he can often be found in the early morning drinking his coffee with his laptop on the sofa.   I loved the United Home Grocer and Two-Bit Coffee Labels and knew I wanted to include some color on these tables -- AND, I knew I wanted them to have a distressed finish.

Sooooo I gave the table tops a few H E A V Y  coats of Annie Sloan's Primer Red . . . 

. . . and then a good coat of Annie Sloan's Country Grey . . .

Can you see the texture?  hope so :)

. . . and then printed out my Coffee Labels from World Label and pulled out my handy Tracer Projector.

Since I was attempting to recreate these labels in color, I planned on painting them on.  And the Tracer Projector made it easy to transfer the image -- it basically enlarges any image from any printed source (magazine, book etc.) without having to scan it and print it out on a transparency like you would for an overhead projector.  I picked it up from a craft store with a coupon years ago and it was handy for this.

My hand wasn't shaking, it is the texture of the table top I swear!

Once I transferred the images with pencil, I proceeded to paint.  Yippee -- THE FUN PART!!!

I added a bit of Annie Sloan's Arles (yellow) to the Emperor's Silk to warm up the red a bit.  Not necessary, but I like mixing colors :).

The Two-Bit blue is straight out of the can Annie Sloan's Aubusson Blue.  

I purposely left off the tiny writing on the Two-Bit Coffee Label -- it was getting tooo small for me!

Once I was satisfied with how the labels looked painted.  I gave them a coat of clear wax and let it dry.

Then . . . I distressed the table tops by hand sanding them to pieces!  Yay!  Muscles getting a work out!

I wiped them down and added the table tops back to their respective bases.  Then I waxed them some more!  This time with a combination of clear and dark wax . . . 

Comparing tabletops since I started applying the dark wax to the Two-Bit  top.

. . .  until I was happy with the result.

excuse my {needing a pedicure} tootsies and slipper  :p

Me Likey! 

What do you think?  Hard to call them updated with a Vintage Label painted on them isn't it?

After they were wiped down and dry I placed them in their new home . . . downstairs . . .

The Teddy Bear is for me :)

They will definitely get more attention (and sunshine!) now :)

Coffee is now being served.

I must say -- I LOVE the distressed color combination of the ASCP Country Grey over the Primer Red.  It is exactly what this pair was needing.  

Not a great shot -- but you can see a bit of the texture of the table here.
That is a Texas Ranger Bobblehead in the corner -- eerie!

I'm tickled with the finish.

The wrought iron bases are fantastic, so even if we remove these 'tops' and hang them as signs in the pantry, we will have some great bases to worth with.  

I realize this post was long {sorry}, 

and no worries, I will never be offended if you 'skip to the end'.

Thanks for stopping by!  It always THRILLS Me to read your comments -- Thanks so much!

I am Linking Up with :::

•  Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

•  The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday

•  Stuff and Nonsense's Friday's Unfolded

•  Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence

•  Liz Marie's Link Up with Me

•  Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

•  Vintage Inspiration at Common Ground

•  ReDoux's What Have You ReDone?

•  My Repurposed Life's Catch as Catch Can

•  Decorating Insanity's Furniture Friday

•  Chic on a Shoestring's Flaunt it Friday  

•  Friday Flair Link Party at Whipperberry

•  Mod Vintage Life's Mod Mix Mondays

•  Brambleberry Cottage's Time Travel Thursday

•  My Turn (for us) Freedom Friday

•  Party Time at 36th Avenue

•  Blissful & Domestic's Friday Linky Party

•  No Minimalist Here's Open House Thursday

•  Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special

•  It's Overflowing's It's Overflowing with Creativity

•  From My Front Porch to Yours' Treasure Hunt Thursday

•  My 1929 Charmer's Sundays Best

•  Petite Hermine's Sunday Linky Party

•  Mom on Time Out's Taking Time Out Thursday

•  It's a Hodgepodge Life's Hodgepodge Friday

•  Bloom Designs Link Party

•  What's Cooking, Love's Showcase Your Talent Thursday

•  Sweet Anne Designs' Sweet Sharing Monday

•  Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday

•  Show Me What Ya Got on Not Just a Housewife

•  CedarHill Ranch's Cowgirl Up Party

•  DIY Home Sweet Home's More the Merrier Monday

•  Home Stories A to Z's Tutorials, Tips Linky Party

•  Tatortots & Jello's Weekend Wrap Up Party

•  Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T

•  Today's Creative Blog's Get Your Craft On

•  Skip to My Lou's Made by You Monday

•  Homework's Inspiration Board

•  Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday

•  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia's Tuesdays Treasures

•  A Stroll through Life's Tabletop Tuesday

•  Claiming our Space's Tout it Tuesday

•  The DIY Dreamer's from Dream to Reality Linky Party

•  Shades of Amber Annie Sloan Link Party