$50 Dining Table Before And After (Plus DIY Tutorial)

Our Craigslist dining table before and after, plus a step by step tutorial so you can makeover a table too, because I discovered that painting and refinishing is not hard!

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When we needed a new dining table (we had been borrowing one for years), I turned to Craigslist because I wanted a quality table and I knew I wouldn’t find it new for anything we could afford.

I found this classic double pedestal table on Craigslist – complete with a hidden leaf – for just $50:

It had obviously been well-loved but I had high hopes for how it could look after a makeover.

A small problem, however, was that I’d never actually refinished anything before.

I’d finished new wood and of course had painted a lot – I’ve even lightly sanded and refinished a surface without fully taking the first finish off (this vanity top).

But I’ve never attempted to try to completely remove the previous finish and start new. So this DIY was a challenge and learning experience for me.

I could’ve just painted the whole thing, but I wanted the look and easy care of a wood top (no more tablecloths all the time!).

Since the base was turned and fluted I did decide to paint that, so the only refinishing was the top which (spoiler!) turned out to be not hard at all, thankfully.

So, without further ado… here’s the table after:

I LOVE how it turned out – the darker wood top with the contrast of the creamy white base looks dreamy to me. The paint seemed to really bring out the details of the pedestals, too.

However, I am having to embrace imperfection here, big time – there are little white flecks in the finish and even a small fiber of some sort. I thought I wiped and cleaned before each coat of polyurethane, but I did it in the garage and there must’ve been stuff floating in the air.

But what I’m really embracing is the fact that no one will probably notice these flaws but me! (Update: I even have stopped seeing these ‘flaws’ and only remembered them when reading back through this post a couple years later!)

Now that you’ve seen the finished product, let me to take you through the step-by-step process so if you find a sweet table, you’ll be able to redo it, too.

Dining Table DIY Tutorial

Step 1: Remove Finish & Sand

• Remove existing finish – only where you want to refinish, in this case the top. Paint the finish remover on, wait the specified time, and strip it off with a putty knife, according to the instructions. This really wasn’t hard, but you’ll want to do it outside for ventilation (I did it in our garage) and because it’s a messy job. I used Citristrip and it did fine for the top.
• Wash the top with mineral spirits and steel wool and then sand it with an 80-120 grit sandpaper (which is the stage at which the above picture was taken).
• Base and table top skirt – if you’re painting the legs and skirt like me, just sand them as well as you can with the same sandpaper. Some, like my base, are full of crevices and bumps and hard to reach, so do the best you can. If you want to refinish them, you’ll have to use the finish remover on them, too, and use a wire brush to get into the crevices.

Step 2: Prime the Base

Note: I read a number of blog tutorials about refinishing prior to this project and one said they wished they had painted before finishing the top, so that’s the order I chose.

• Cover the top with plastic taped underneath the table top to protect it from the paint. I also covered the metal base feet with masking tape.
• Paint the table skirt and base with a flat finish primer (one can covered). I chose to use spray paint since I thought it would give a smoother finish and be a lot easier. And it’s true! It’s not as frugal as painting with a brush, but, oh the time it saves – I was seriously wondering why I had never done this before. That said, you can brush paint on as well.

Step 3: Paint the Base

I used a paint I had read about, too, Rust-oleum’s Heirloom White. It really is a great color- just the creamy white color I like.

• Spray the table base with two to three light coats. Move quickly with light coats to avoid drips. To make it easy on your hands, use this spray paint can gun – I love it!
• It took one full can to do one coat and I did two coats.
• You can also brush two coats of paint on.

Spraying vs. Painting TIP: While you’ll pay between $4-$6 for each can (so again, not the most frugal), I think it took a quarter or less of the time it would’ve taken to brush on paint. I think the smoother finish is nice, as well, so this is one area where it makes sense to pay a bit more.

Another TIP: I used a 80-grit sandpaper block after the paint dried on the base to distress the legs and pedestals a bit. I did this so that when our feet hitting the base inevitably chipped the paint, it would look like it was meant to be that way! Just an idea.

Step 4: Sand the Top Again

• Sand – after letting the base cure a few days, remove the plastic covering from the top and give it another light sanding with 180 grit sandpaper.
• Wipe it down thoroughly with a tack cloth (this really does collect the dust better than a regular rag).

Note: The leaf on my table above is a different color because it was darker when I got it from not being used as much as the main table. Removing the varnish did not even out the color, and I don’t know how long I would’ve needed to sand to get down to the wood, but I decided it wasn’t worth worrying about, and I will just use a tablecloth whenever we use the leaf. (Update: you’ll see below it’s not that noticeable and I often use it without a tablecloth!)

Step 5: Use A Wood Conditioner

• Brush a water based pre-stain over all the areas to be finished, according to the package instructions. This will help the stain go on more evenly.
• Let the pre-stain dry at least 30 minutes before staining, but not more than 2 hours.

Do you really need this step?

It’s always recommended, especially if you’re dealing with a soft wood like pine or fir. While this is hard mahogany and I don’t know what it would’ve looked like without it, I can’t tell you if it was absolutely needed, but this was a large surface and I wanted to get it right, so I didn’t take any chances.

Step 6: Stain The Top

• Apply your chosen stain to the top and edges according to the directions. I used Minwax water-based stain in ‘American Walnut.’ You can use gloves and a rag to apply or use a disposable foam brush, which is what I used.
• Use as many coats as needed to get the look you like. I applied two coats (over a couple of days) on the leaf and three on the table to get the look I wanted. This really helped to lessen the difference between the darker leaf color and the main table top.

Step 7: Protect With Polyurethane

• Apply three to five coats of water-based polyurethane after letting the stain dry completely. DO NOT sand before applying the poly, just wipe with a tack cloth to remove any dust. I applied five coats because I wanted the top to be very durable.
• Let the poly dry thoroughly between each coat. You can sand with a very light sanding paper (280-320) or not – it’s up to you and how the top feels. It’s usually recommended, but I didn’t as it was smooth in between the coats (maybe because I was using water-based products?).
• Let the top fully cure according to directions before using, usually 5 days to a week.

TIP: I learned three things applying the polyurethane to the table:

1. Always use a wide foam applicator instead of a brush. I had brush strokes from a natural bristle brush in the middle of the table in the first coat that I spent the next four coats trying to minimize.
2. Do long strokes with the grain from one side of the table to the other, not from one side to the middle or you will have a line.
3. Start in the middle of the table and work towards you (yes, I have a shirt with poly on the bottom of it now…).

So, there you have it- all the steps I took to bring this table from a Craigslist throw-out to a dining room beauty.

I didn’t keep exact records, but all the materials probably amounted to about $25. So for a total of $75 dollars, I’ve got a great looking table that fits our needs and most importantly doesn’t need a tablecloth. Yay!

What do you think- did I get a deal or do you think I went to far too much trouble?

Oh – and see the chairs with the table? Those were $5 each (!) – here’s how I painted them and here’s how I covered the seats (so easy!).

If you use this tutorial to redo a table or piece of furniture (it would work the same for side tables, shelves, and dressers) please let me know – I’d love to see it!

This tutorial has been updated – it was originally published in October of 2010.

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