Sewing Spaces: Tables

Many of you sew on the dining room table or some temporary table, so I can't help you much with that. But if you have an old (or new table) that you'd like to spruce up, why not try the 1970s classic: Mod Podge.

When I started to assemble my studio, I didn't have much money, so I made my own tables with hollow core doors and IKEA Vika Kaj adjustable table legs.

By making tables myself, I could ensure that they were at the correct height and could handle the weight of the machines. I quickly learned that hollow core doors (like many folding tables) bounce when the machine vibrates. So I glued a piece of particle board to the top. The tables no longer bounced but I had a new problem: rough edges.

The solution came to me when I was handed a box of old patterns. I bought myself several containers of Mod Podge and immediately went to work gluing them to the table tops.

Nothing particularly difficult here - I primed the tables first, then ripped up the patterns; I dumped the Mod Podge on the tables and took my roller and spread it around.

Next, I patted the patterns on the tables, pulled them down over the edge, and glued them to the underside of the wood.

I didn't care if they tore or wrinkled. I overlapped them, some are wrong side up. I was in a big hurry (I was opening my studio in three days!), so my focus was to simply get the job done.

Once the Mod Podge dried, I did a light sanding to work down the wrinkles. I applied one more coat. The final coat was water-based polyurethane. 

Add some stickers!

I recommend using real Mod Podge and polyurethane. These tables take a lot of wear and tear and they've held up; I think that's due to the quality of the products. And, unlike with some home-made products, the finish hasn't yellowed or cracked at all.


I get a lot of comments on the tables; my next project will be to cover a dresser that's in the studio!


Tomorrow it's on to cheap project boards!