Home Repair Minimalist: A little French Chocolate

I will admit it. I am ridiculously excited to share my latest project! It turned out just like the picture in my head--and that does NOT always happen!

I started out with this:

It was a very beat-up garage sale table, but I loved it the moment I set eyes on it. All the chains, screwdrivers, and hammers in the world can't recreate that perfectly "naturally distressed" look like this table had! And I loved the industrial feel of the iron base.

And here's what I turned it into!

I wanted the table to look like it had been made from an old shipping crate...and I think I succeeded pretty well.

Here's how I did it:

I started by looking at clipart from The Graphics Fairy. Once I found this French Chocolate ad, I didn't have to look any more! It was...the picture in my head.

I sanded the old finish off the table, but I didn't worry at all about smoothing out nicks, dings, or scratches. I wanted 'em all!

I printed off my clipart, and then took it to Office Max and had them copy it onto an overhead transparency sheet. That cost about $1. I had sent out a Facebook plea to see if anyone had an overhead projector, and one of my friends DID! I wasted no time in getting over to her house to borrow it. (And she may never get it back! Sorry, Marci!)

Then, after I got all my little kidlets to bed, I set up the overhead projector and the table on the floor of my kitchen!

Then for the next two hours, I looked like this:

and this:

and this!

(and yes, my back REALLY HURT by bedtime!)

But this was the result of my work:

I was so happy;
I made my husband get off the computer and come admire it with me!
(That didn't make him so happy.)

The next step was to sand and distress the letters down a bit more. Then I used a cheap chip brush to brush on a coat of Minwax Antique Walnut stain, wiping off the excess (I didn't want it to look too smooth and perfect). Finally, it got a couple of coats of Minwax hand-rubbed polyurethane, and then I played with a few accessories that didn't distract from my beautiful "antique" French chocolate table!