Napking decoupage table-top makeover

Continuing on with my trusted table...today I wanted to show you how I finished it: Including how I transformed the table top from plain to extraordinary...

I will also show you how I made a new drawer pull...

Unfortunately, the Hemp oil I have ordered to finish off and protect the paint work has still not arrived as I write this...I will just have to update this post to cover the application of the Hemp oil at a later stage....apologies!

So with my table finished painted, I did a quick wax and buff using my clear finishing wax....just for protection...Milk paint has a tendency to dry out and start peeling (even more) if it is not sealed and protected....

 

Then I got on with my table top transformation....

But before I show you what I did, I will show you how I sealed and finished the paint job...(because my Hemp oil finally arrived today....just after I published this post this morning....typical, isn't it??)

I decided to use some Miss mustard Seed Hemp oil , because as well as sealing and protecting the paint finish, it will feed the dryness of the milk paint and prevent it from further flaking...

If you are in the UK , like me, you can get the MMS hemp oil from beautifully boho ...

It is really easy to use, and a great alternative to finishing wax....especially over raw wood and over milk paint , as there is no need for buffing...

Simply wipe it on with a soft rag...

I applied 2 layers, leaving 3 hours between coats...

It didn't really change the appearance of the paint finish other than taking away the dryness, so if you are after a sheen to your finish, stick with wax...

Now, for the table top transformation:

Like I said in the previous post, I have had a plan for this table for a while...

Over a year ago I found these beautiful napkins in TK Maxx, and immediately thought they'd look great on this table....Hence the colour choice for the paint finish....

 So, using mod podge I am going to show you how I decoupaged the table top:

First I laid out the napkins on the table top, so I could see how they would best fit...

Then I peeled off the extra layers of tissue on the napkins, so I was only left with the printed sheet....

this is very important to minimise air bubbles and wrinkles....

Working at one small area at the time, I painted a thin layer of mod podge directly on to the table...

I found it best to do this in straight lines, the length of the napkins, approximately 1-2 inches at the time...then I carefully placed the whole sheet (usually when decoupaging you will tear your tissue in bits and apply bit by bit, by overlapping...) of the napkin on top.....smoothing it down with my hand... 

Working like this....little by little....I continued to apply the mod podge, by folding back the napkin, applying the glue, then smoothing down....pulling the napkins gently into position....

I used the whole sheets of the napkins because I liked the kaleidoscope-effect it created when I butted the napkins up against each other....making sure the pattern in the napkins matched up as best as I could....

( this could be quite tricky, as the napkins will stretch and crease a bit when they are glued down....just take your time!!)

I didn't, as is usual when decoupaging, immediately cover the napkins with mod podge on top, because I didn't want it all to be sticky mess...and I found it easier to work this way....

The mod podge will dry quite quickly, so make sure you work swiftly and systematically, until the surface is completely covered with napkins....

 

I then used a metal ruler and a sharp scalpel to trim back any excess and neaten up the edges...

...don't do this whilst your napkins are still wet with glue, as you can risk tearing the napkins, but wait until the mod podge is just starting to stiffen...

...when I'd covered the table top, I pained a layer of mod podge all over the surface to seal it in...

 

As the napkins I've used, have a bit of writing on them down the sides (as you can see in the picture below), I decided to use some suitable images from my my stash of "glansbilder" (old fashioned glossy decoupage images) to cover this......

....and they were also useful for covering up any little tears and imperfections in the napkins....

You can of course  also cut out some images from you napkins to do this..

Again I used some mod podge...

I simply painted a layer of mod podge  onto the area I wanted to cover...

chose and placed some images that blended in with the pattern in the napkins on top, and painted another layer of mod podge over...

Then I used my fingers to smooth down...

I kept going back over the images to smooth them down, as they kept lifting off a bit at the edges, until the mod podge was almost completely dried...

Here are some pictures of the surface areas that I covered to get rid of the writing in the napkins:

     

 Not only did this cover the unsightly writing and any other blemishes in the napkins, but it also created some more interest in the surface...

When the mod podge was fully dried....

I applied 3 coats of polyurethane clear varnish....making sure each layer was completely dried before applying the next...(It said on the tin to leave 6 hours inbetween coats, but as we are having a heatwave here in the UK at the moment, I found that 3 hours was sufficient for the varnish to dry...)

I used Polyurethane varnish on the table top because it is very hard wearing and durable...

...and it also created a nice sheen to the surface...

Making a new drawer pull...

Some time in between us moving house, and me digging this table out from our shed to do it up, the knob/drawer pull hag gone missing....

So I decided to make a new one to match the surface....

I used some oven bake Sculpey....

I got this shape by simply rolling a ball of the Sculpey on my kitchen table with the palm of my hand...

...then I put a light pressure on it to create a little flat surface on the underside, so it will sit flush against the drawer...it only took a minute!!

Then I cooked it in my kitchen oven for 1/2 hour at 130 degrees Celsius..

When it had cooled down, I drilled a hole in the back of it...

...so that I could simply screw it on to the drawer...

Then I cut a circular shape of my napkin to fit, with little "darts" cut in, so that I could easily fold it around the knob...then I simply decoupaged it on...

When the mod podge was fully dried, I varnished this as well...

 

This has been one of my favourite projects so far....a lot of hard work for sure, but I think the end result was worth it....

 

What do you think?

I am now ready to enjoy my day in the sun...

...so I wish you all a great weekend!!

xxx

June