I'm sure everyone has been enjoying this warm weather. I know my husband and I have. We finally got our back porch cleaned off! We have a great space that we never really used. Our back porch is covered and extends the length of the house. We have doors leading out to it from our living room and master bedroom. It's awesome, but for some reason it just became a storage area instead of us actually using it. Well that has changed. My husband cleaned up all the stuff that had piled up out there, swept off the leaves, and washed off the swing we rarely used. I finally found some reasonably priced cushions for the swing (only $12.99 each at Aldi's!) My husband has done a lot of yard work and planted grass seed in the back yard and it feels like a whole new area. We love it and have been spending some quality time just sitting on our swing enjoying the weather. A few weeks ago, I realized that if we were going to be spending more time out there we would need a table to sit drinks on and for storage. We looked at the outdoor tables at a few stores and I couldn't find anything I liked and it all seemed way too expensive for something that would be sitting outside all the time. So of course, being the thrifty gal I am, I headed to the thrift store and found an awesome table just like I had in mind.
Here is the table (while it is still in the thrift store actually).
Only $10! I checked it out before buying it. It's wood, stable, and clean.
There were a few spots on top that looked like rings from candles or something.
I liked the 'stripe' look and it made me thing of the stripes on my new swing cushions.
Once I got it home, I rinsed it off with the garden hose- looking back, I should have taken a cloth and really scrubbed it- there was some gunk stuck between the wood on the bottom.
I found some paint at Wal-Mart (on clearance- one bottle was $3 and the others were $2).
Away I went with painting. I decided to paint a pattern on the stripes and I alternated so each shelf has a different pattern. After the first coat, I decided to paint the sides that I had left with the brown paint so it all 'flowed' and looked the same.
The blue was a little too bright but the beige (that I thought would be too light) turned out perfect.
The first picture is after one coat and the legs/sides aren't painted.
(Sitting the table on top of a card table was a genius idea and saved my back- thanks hubby!)
The second picture is the final product.
Before this, I had never considered myself a painter, but I have to admit, I kind of liked it! I know I'm not the best, and the color ran down the sides in a few places but I don't care and really who is going to be looking that close to notice anyways? :)
The table is the perfect height to sit beside our swing and hold drinks on top, our radio in the middle, and pool supplies on the bottom. For items that are going to be outside, exposed to the elements, don't worry about spending a lot of money. This table is going to get covered with wind-blown dirt, leaves, bugs, and lots of other 'stuff.' No need to spend a lot, plus a quick rinse with the garden hose and it's back in business.
I think I'll be looking for some more goodies like this to paint. It was fun and cheap- my favorite! :)
