DIY Bedside Tables on a Budget- Trendy and Easy to Do

Well y’all. You wanted to see it. So J and I documented every step (and back-track step) of the DIY makeover of our bedside tables. Just as a forewarning, I know we may look just like them, but we are no Chip and Jo. But this project turned out really good. Sometimes we surprise ourselves and things look amazing.

So, here’s what our bed side tables looked like before. This is Jackson’s setup, notice the beer. J bought this sander because hand sanding these would be a biscuit and we got down to it with the rough sandpaper (60 Grit). Fun fact, the lower the grit, the rougher the paper. J didn’t feel the paper before we bought it so we had to go back for paper that didn’t feel like a tissue, literally.

Here is the table after we sanded it down. You can see where some of the stain lifted completely which is fine. We also filled in the drawer holes with wood filler.

We took the legs off the tables to make it easier to sand and paint.

The Fun Stuff

We used this paint in the color “My Lorgnette”, but you can get it customized into a bunch of different colors. We’ve used it on another DIY project before and it’s just a perfect, light gray color.

So, this is where we totally weren’t thinking. I started painting and we realized we didn’t create the new holes for the drawer pulls. Whoops. We went with these drawer pulls in the extra small size and we love them.

Anthropologie always has different drawer pulls and knobs on sale. They’re a fun and super easy way to change up your furniture without any painting or power tools.

After J measured out and drilled the new holes, I finished the first coat of paint. I always do two coats, but I did three on the top. Just because I knew it would be the most used surface and I didn’t want to risk it chipping or getting stained.

I know this picture looks super scary/weird, but it was the only way I could prop the legs up to dry. It worked like a charm too. I just flipped over a patio chair and stuck them in.

There is a matching seal that goes with the paint we used, but it’s not my favorite. I’ve used it on projects before and it wasn’t as sturdy so I went with the heavy-duty stuff for this project. It only takes one coat, which is such a time saver. I went with the semi-gloss, but it comes in different gloss shades and again, I did two coats on the top just to make sure it was basically bullet-proof.

If you’ve met J, you know why I did this. He is the definition of “bull in a china shop”, but you gotta love him.

Just follow the instructions on the sealant and make sure you use a good brush so you don’t get any bristles stuck on your project. Let it dry, add your hardware, and enjoy. Just like the instructions on a Lean Cuisine, y’all. Easy peasy.

I had to show y’all my table while it’s still clean. I have my favorite ring dish, my Louis Vuitton book from our trip, a picture of J and I, and my fav candle. Also, we’re getting new lamps soon (thank goodness).

P.S. Volcano is everything.

My ring dish is sold out, but this one is super similar and on sale. It’s SO stinkin’ cute.