Paint a trestle table

Give an old trestle table a new party purpose!

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 09

Finished project

You will need: Painter’s masking tape, Pencil, Resene Lumbersider (waterborne low sheen) in Resene Quarter Spanish White 500ml Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat 500ml Resene testpots in Resene Vitality, Resene Rapture, Resene Ruby Tuesday, Resene Fresh and Resene Dawn Chorus, Ruler, Sander/sandpaper or Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer depending on the table top surface Testpot brushes (Sarah used two, washing in between different colours).

Finished project

Upcycling for good

Step one
To prepare this old table for painting Sarah gave it a quick sand first. As the table top had a laminate finish Sarah decided to apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer to ensure the paint would adhere well. Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is ideal for preparing hard-to-sand surfaces like this.

Step two
Apply Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat to the table top. Make sure you always wait until a coat of paint is completely dry before continuing.

Step three
Once the primer is dry, apply two coats of the chosen table colour. Sarah used Resene Quarter Spanish White.

Step four
To turn this drab old table into a statement party piece paint some stripes on the table in different colours and patterns. Sarah chose a selection of bright testpot colours: Resene Vitality, Resene Rapture, Resene Ruby Tuesday, Resene Fresh and Resene Dawn Chorus.

Step five
Measure out even spaces across the width of the table and then mask out five different striped patterns, one for each colour paint. You could mask out any designs you like, or use Sarah’s as inspiration. Apply two coats of each colour.

Step six
Once the stripes are dry, find the centre of the table and from there, mark out a circle. You could do this with either a compass or a large round dinner plate or similar as a guide. Mask out the circle with painter’s tape by cutting nicks into the tape with scissors. This gives the tape enough flexibility to curve around the circle shape. It’s important to press the tape down firmly so the paint doesn’t run underneath.

Step seven
Paint the circle shape with Resene Blackboard Paint. Apply two coats of Resene Blackboard Paint. Once completely dried, you can carefully remove the masking tape.

Step eight
Use white chalk to write a party message in the blackboard circle. The great thing about decorating a table like this is that you can change the message to suit any event. Just wipe the chalk off and start again every time! This time, Sarah wrote “Happy Birthday” but the possibilities are endless (depending on how many parties you throw of course)! A party table like this will add fun and colour to any event.

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints (Australia) Limited – www.resene.com