Learn how to take an old rundown table, and refinish it into a beautiful farmhouse table with this tutorial for beginners!
After we moved into our house earlier this month, I was on the hunt for a new dining table and chairs, since our HUGE octagon dining room table wouldn’t fit. I already had visions of farmhouse tables dancing in my head….but was unwilling to pay the price tag for one at the store.
Enter Facebook Marketplace! Seriously, it’s the new Craigslist. I found this round table with a leaf for cheeeeeeeeap and decided to “farmhouse” it myself.
Y’all, I’m super Type A when it comes to most things in life. But when it comes to DIY projects, I get so excited that I kind of just “go for it”…..armed with just a couple inspo photos and just a basic idea of what to do.
Because of this, I ended up making a mistake that set me back several hours (more on that in a minute) and had to make multiple trips to Home Depot.
Don’t let this scare you off!!! I still consider myself a beginner at most of this stuff, and this project was NOT hard at all. I hope that by reading this you’ll learn from a few of my mess-ups (which I’m more than willing to point out), and be encouraged and motivated to try it yourself!
Here’s What You’ll Need
Take it from me: gather ALL your supplies before you start. Otherwise, you’ll be stopping to make 3+ trips to your home improvement store in the middle of your project. Not fun…
Table Top
- Electric sander: I use an orbit sander, and it gets the job done. You can rent a sander, but honestly…sanders are pretty inexpensive, so you’re almost better off just buying one.
- Sandpaper: Get sandpaper specifically for your sander. Since mine is an orbit sander, my sandpaper needed to be round. You can buy them in individual packages, OR I found the one above that includes ALL the different grits you’ll need for this project. Holla!
- Wood stain: I used Varathane Wood Stain in Dark Walnut. Also, this size ended up being WAY too much…I had so much left over! So you can definitely go with the small can.
- Polyurethane: I used an oil based poly: Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane in a clear, semi-gloss finish.
- Staining sponge
- Tack cloth
- Poly brush
Related: How to Frame a Bathroom Mirror (And Get Around Those Pesky Mirror Clips!)
Table Base
- Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint
- Walmart sells this in the craft section, and it is such a steal! At under $10 for a large bottle or $5 for a small one, I use it for most of my small-medium chalk paint projects.
- Wavery Inspirations Clear Wax
- Paint brushes: I just use the cheapest paint brushes I can find….you can find this variety pack on Amazon! They DO sell specific brushes for chalk paint, but they’re more expensive and I’ve honestly seen no real difference in the finished product. Plus, since they’re so cheap, you can just toss it when you’re done instead of cleaning it.
- Staining Sponge: (used for waxing)
- You can also buy a brush specific for waxing, but a staining sponge works just fine.
- Tack Cloth
- Sandpaper or Sanding Block (optional)
- Use this only if you plan in distressing the base
Get the Stuff
Ok, Now Let’s Get Started!
Now comes the fun part….actually getting started! Just think: in 24 hours, you’ll be sitting at your beautiful new farmhouse table that you refinished like a boss!
Start at the Top….
Sanding
Ok. So let’s just throw this out there so we can acknowledge it and deal with it: sanding sucks. And there’s just no way around it. BUT it can suck alot less if you have the right tools and especially the right kind of sandpaper. If you buy the “variety pack” of sandpaper like I did, it has 80, 150, and 220 grit….and that’s all you really need.
1.Start by sanding the entire top with 80 grit sandpaper (or 60 would work a little better if you have it). This step will take the longest because you’re trying to get through the current finish on the table and down to the original wood. But once you finish this step, it’s smooth sailing from here. You can do this!
2. After you’ve sanded down to the original wood, now sand it again with 150 grit sandpaper. This smooths the table out a little more. And it won’t take NEAR as long to do because you’ve already sanded through the finish on the table.
3. Now you’re ready for your last leg of sanding….woo-hoo! Use 220 grit to make it ultra smooth, and again….you’ll zoom through this part.
4. Wipe off the surface with some tack cloth (I recommend this over just a regular rag because the tack cloth is kind of sticky and picks up all those dust particles).
5. Now reflect on your master sanding skills and realize that it wasn’t that horrible.
Staining
*Disclaimer* I decided to take a short cut and use a stain+poly combined product…even though it sounded a little too good to be true. It had good reviews so I decided to go for it. I don’t know if it was operator error, but I brushed one coat on half of the table and immediately knew something wasn’t right. I waited to try 1 more coat….to see if that would even it out, and it looked even worse! SO I had to end up sanding that whole half of the table again!!! No joke. 😭 I did call Rustoleum customer service, and they happily gave me a refund. So I went BACK to Home Depot and got a separate stain and poly, and it was smooth sailing from there.
1. Wipe on your stain with a staining sponge (or old T-shirt) in long sections going with the grain, and then wipe off. Work your way across the table.
2. Let the stain dry, and if you have it outside in the sun…it’ll dry pretty quickly. I’m super impatient so I only waited like 30 minutes between coats.
3. I applied about 5 coats on mine (letting each coat dry in between). That sounds like a lot, but it was the easiest part. Each coat took less than 5 minutes to wipe on and off.
Polyurethane
I’ll be honest: I had no idea which polyurethane to use. And I wasn’t going to take a chance guessing after my mistake earlier. So I loaded up and went to Home Depot, yet again, and asked an expert there what to use. He pointed me in the right direction for the poly and brush that I needed and they worked great for this project.
1.Apply your first layer of poly with a polyurethane brush, and then go catch up on your favorite TV show while it dries.
2. After that, apply a second coat, let dry, and then a 3rd. The kind I used recommended 3 coats, so that’s what I went with.
*Some tutorials say to lightly sand the top between each coat of poly, but I think you have to have a SUUUUUPER fine grit for that. I did no such thing, and my table still looks great!
…and Work Your Way Down.
Painting
First off: you DO NOT need to sand the legs before chalk painting. Yippy! You’re done with sanding!
You’ll be painting the base with chalk paint, and you can actually do this while you’re waiting for the polyurethane to dry. I’ve gone into more step-by-step details on chalk painting on this post if you’re new to it. But don’t be intimidated…this is the easiest part.
1.Apply the first coat with your cheapo paint brush. Don’t worry about brush direction since it’ll be covered up with a second coat. You can see how I did it on this dresser.
2. It takes no time for chalk paint to dry, so you can apply your 2nd coat pretty quickly. Pay more attention to brush stroke direction on this coat (especially if it’s going to be your final coat), but you’re more than welcome to go for a 3rd coat too.
3. *Optional* If you plan on distressing after your final coat dries, now would be a good time. Just take some sandpaper or a sanding block and sand the areas that would naturally see wear and tear. Be sure to wipe it off with tack cloth when you’re done.
Related: DIY Chalk Painted End Table
Waxing
Don’t be intimidated by waxing…it’s not hard! If you’ve never waxed, I go way more in my post: How to Chalk Paint the East and FAST Way!
1. After everything is dry, take your staining sponge and wax over the chalk paint.
2. Ideally, you’re supposed to wait overnight before you apply a second coat of wax, but again….I’m impatient. So I only waited a few hours.
Girrrrrrrl, Look at the Beautiful Farmhouse Table, You!
You’re done, so do a happy dance and spend the next 24-48 hours just staring at your beautiful table. Then begin obsessing about what you can refinish next, am I right?
And if you’re wondering where I got those awesome metal chairs to pull the look together, check out this STELLAR deal on Amazon!
Complete the Look:
Bonus: Do’s and Don’ts
I am gonna leave you with a few do’s and don’ts to hopefully prepare and encourage you to try this on your own.
DO’S:
- DO get all your supplies before you start. I don’t know if you were counting, but I ended up making 3 trips to Home Depot in 2 days because I did NOT take inventory of what I needed before I started.
- DO this outside….and try to be in the sun. It helps everything dry much faster.
- DO buy or rent a sander…don’t try to do this by hand!
- DO use the right grit of sandpaper. Using the wrong grit to remove the layer of finish can really slow you down. 80 is good….60 is better.
DON’TS:
- DON’T use and poly+stain blend if you’re a beginner….in my opinion. It’s not very easy to work with.
- DON’T be afraid to ask your home improvement store for help picking out supplies. They’re the experts!
- DON’T worry about sanding the base before chalk painting….it’s not necessary!
- DON’T overthink it…just go for it! It’s almost impossible to mess your table up. If you do something you don’t like, you can always sand it off and start over (but hopefully you won’t have to 😉).
I would so love to know if you’ve tried to farmhouse your own table and how it turned out! If you have a photo and you’re on Instagram, tag me at @herhappyhome….I’d love to admire your table!
Hello your table looks great but I am inquiring about the chairs? I want to repaint them. Do I need to sand them first before applying the chalk paint? How many coats of chalk paint do I need and what exactly do I paint over the chalk paint?? Thanks so much for the advice 😉
Kelly
Thanks so much
Hi Kelly! I would paint your chairs the same way I painted the base of the table. Hope this helps!
It looks great! I am getting ready to tackle a table this weekend. I am wondering why you used chalk paint versus regular paint?
Thanks
I have a table I picked up on Facebook Marketplace that I want to do this to. I may have missed it, but how did you treat the part of the table underneath the edge of of the top before the white band? Did you stain that also, chalk paint it or leave it alone entirely?
OMG I did the same thing with the stain poly mix only on a dresser top ! It looked terrible, I lightly sanded it even though it said not to and put another coat on it . Luckily it didn’t turn out to bad but will not buy that stuff again! Glad you
Could rescue your table top, looks great.
It’s a mistake I won’t make again!
I have a question regarding the sanding of the top edge of the table. It’s all rounded and very difficult to get to. Did you hand sand that? I’m all done with the top, but really having trouble with that little lip on the edge.
That part is tedious! I tried to get as much as I could with my sander, and then sanded by hand a little bit. I decided the time and effort I was putting into that part of the table just wasn’t worth it, and I stained over it anyway. I tried to make sure I at least got the top layer off. I used a dark stain, so in the end I really couldn’t even notice. I’d suggest sanding it as best you can, then try applying stain over it in a small section to see if you like the way it looks. If not, you might have to spend a little extra time sanding by hand. I hope that helps!
I followed your instructions to the ‘T’!!! My 1st DIY & definitely not my last!!!
Oh yay! I’m so glad it worked out for you!
I recently redid my kitchen table. It was the very first piece of furniture my husband and I bought together 30 years ago so I didn’t want to get rid of it! I’m not super happy with the grey color of chalk paint I used so I’m planning to repaint it white. Other than that I love it. I used your tutorial and boy did it help!! I was going to send a picture but I’m not sure how:) Thank you!
I’m so glad this tutorial was helpful! Thank you Robbi!
Hi what is we are using regular behr paint & a primer on the legs??? Do we still use wax after??
You could do a wax or a matte polyurethane. 🙂
I’m so happy I found your page! I just received an older table, chairs and barstools that I want to refinish. This will be my first big DIY! 😜 Question, can I use the chalk paint on chairs/barstools also? I have 10 of them to redo and really don’t want to sand them! 😂 Thanks!
Hi! You will do great! My chairs aren’t chalk painted, BUT I have chalk painted chairs before and they do fine. You’ll just need to make sure to put several coats of wax or a matte polyurethane on them.
Hi! I’m currently using your method to refinish a table…slowly but surely. I just finished sanding. I am just wondering about waxing the legs. Do you think that’s super necessary? And would the polyurethane work for that or no? Thanks ❤️❤️
Hey Kyra! The legs definitely need some sort of seal. If you don’t want to do a wax, you could go with a matte polyurethane. Just make sure to do several coats. 🙂
What a wonderful tutorial I needed this so much about to do the same and need some inspiration. Thanks!
You’re so welcome! So glad this was helpful!
I’m so happy I found your post! I’ve done some other projects like this but none as large as a whole table. I got a tip from a furniture flipper at a flea market. He said between poly coats you sand with a paper grocery bag. It makes the final product BUTTERY SMOOTH! Thanks again for your post! I can’t wait to get started on my table now!!!
That’s a great tip! Thank you!
Hi! How much did all of the supplies cost you, not counting the table? 🙂
Hi there! Your instructions make me feel like I can really do this! Quick question, how much of your Walmart chalk paint did you need for your table? Taking your tip to gather all supplies first very seriously! Thanks you!!
Hi Amber! Ahhhh, I wish I could remember exactly how much chalk paint I used! I would grab at least 2 of the 16oz bottles of the Walmart chalk paint…I don’t remember having to use more than that.
Did you sand the table legs too? Currently in the middle of my DIY farmhouse table.
No, you don’t need to sand before chalk painting.
Hello! I cannot wait to refinish my table! This post is so helpful. Quick question! Did you sand the legs of your table before chalk painting?
Hi! Thank you so much!! And nope-no sanding before chalk painting! 🙌🏻
Thank you for this post! I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time but I am a diy fail on most occasions but my table came out beautifully! I appreciate the easy instructions it made it much less intimidating to tackle this project.
Oh yay! I’m so glad this was helpful for you! Now you will be wanting to chalk paint everything! 😄 I’d love to see a picture of it! Send me a pic on Instagram (or here ☺️) if you can! ❤️
Darn it! I’m not on Instagram and I can’t seem to figure out to post it here but I would love to share it with you.
You can email me at [email protected] 🙂
Is there a link to the metal chairs?
You can look in the “Shop the Post” slider at the bottom of the post ☺️
Just picked up the exact same table yesterday. Can’t wait to get started. Thanks for your tips.
Oh, you’re so welcome Krystie! If you’re on Instagram, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see the finished result! @herhappyhome
Does the chalk paint easily scratch off? I have dogs that lay against the the table base and I don’t want my paint to scratch off and have to fix it all the time.
Hi Alicia! The wax is what protects the paint on the base, so I would make sure to put several coats of wax on yours. 🙂
You didn’t send the table legs or anything did you? I have a table and chairs that I want to do, but I need to repaint the chairs and bottom of the table, they are already white and I will be repainting them white. Should I sand them first? And if so, what grit?
Hi Erin! Nope, I did not sand the table legs. That’s the beauty of chalk paint…no sanding required! 🙂