same table, different styles

hey, i thought i'll try some thing different. instead of just randomly posting hacks, i've grouped them together according to their range. the first to get this treatment is the lack range - which has expanded way beyond the $12.99 side table to include tv benches, wall shelves, bookcases and even lamps.

but today, our spotlight is on the sturdy lack tables. they are as basic as basic can be and it is always interesting to see how others have taken the ubiquitous tables and made them their own.

fabric top lack side table
am loving what melissa has done to hers. the fabric is simply sweet.

she says, "the tops of two dark brown lack tables are covered with fabric. i cleaned and sanded the tabletops. then i stuck on the fabric using clear acrylic artist's medium and applied a few more coats on top for a hard, easier to clean finish. i flipped the tables over and used a blade to cut the fabric exactly straight on the edge of the table. then i used a little more acrylic medium to seal the edges and make sure there was no fraying cloth."

the lack decoupaged!
amit from israel gold leafed and decoupaged his hers. (oops, sorry amit)

mini kid's art table
molly turned hers into a kid's art table.

she says, "lack tables are nearly hollow, so they are really easy to cut into. we had a small table for our kid to color at and i wanted to add features. i cut a piece out of one edge of the table, about 1.5 inches high and 10 inches long, and scooped out some of the corrugated insides to make a cubby where i can stash a pad of construction paper or similar.

then i cut a 5 inch circle straight through the tabletop and dropped in a pail, where i keep markers and crayons.

super easy, i did it all during naptime. if you are neater than me it could even look nicer. the hardest part was scooping out enough of the paper honeycomb to make room; i ended up using long kitchen tongs to get in there (my hands are too big to really reach inside)."

diana's paint chip table (added 4/4/2008)
love love love the colours on this table.

diana says, for this hack, "it requires a quick trip to home depot or neighborhood paint store where you won't actually be shopping for paint, just collecting a few paint chips. i like the Ralph Lauren paint chips because they're square and they come in a few textures, especially metallic.

take the paint chips home and arrange them anyway you like on your lack. you can cover the top, sides and legs if you want to go all out. use a strong glue like Elmer's Ultimate that will bond with the table's shiny surface. when the glue's dry, cover the paint chip area with a few coats of water-based polyurethane. once the first coat is solid, subsequent ones dry quickly and it serves to smooth out the table top. then you're ready to play checkers, invent a new drinking game or make up better names than some that are on the paint chips. this piece works great in a dorm since it brightens up any cinder block and the screw-on legs make it totally portable."