SCORE!..This table 'lettered'!

 I bought this little table off of Craigslist. Actually, I bought a different table, and when I went to pick it up the girl asked me if I would just take this table too so she wouldn't have to move it. The original table I bought was $20. So, I suppose you could say this one was $10, if we divide the sum in two. And of course the table did not look like the above picture at the time. No indeedy. Instead it looked just like the picture below. Only a little more dust.

 When I bought the (sad) table, I had never heard of Chalkpaint. (That tells you how long the table has sat in my storage.) BUT, I did know instantly that I wanted to paint it red and I had great plans for that piece of glass and very shallow (probably about half an inch) shadow box of a top.

 So I brought the tables home and my Hubby did one of those growly-roll-the-eyes-thing as I unloaded the two prizes. And then the tables sat. And sat. And sat. Then we moved. Then I heard about chalk paint. Specifically, Emporer's Silk, a groovy red paint.

 That's when my growly little freebie (or $10) table "lettered"....in "oh-so-coolness".

 JUST as I was putting the first paint touches on the table I remembered to get a 'before' picture. This shows a tad-bit of the red paint. It shows the scratches on the table. And although you cannot tell, that is a super-bright-faux-brass-frame around the inside of the shallow shadowbox. (Now you see why my Hubby was a growly-eye-roller.)

 I painted the inside of the 1/2 inch shadow box (which was cane, by the way), and the cool-brass frame in Old White chalk paint. Then I painted the entire table in Emporer's Silk.

 The red goes on almost pinkish at first. It did worry me. But as it began to dry, it began to turn a rich red. (And I LOOOOVVVVEE red). I gave the table two coats of red.  I only gave the 'shadow box' one coat of white. I did very, very minimal distressing. I gave it a coat of clear wax and very minimal dark wax. Talk about an easy table to make beautiful!

 Then I changed my mind from my original (year ago) plan. I knew as soon as I saw the table I wanted it red. And with that glass insert and uber shallow shadow-box I envisioned a large photograph inserted under the glass. (The glass is a smokey glass, by the way). My idea was to take one of my many pictures of the football stadium at the University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner), blow it up to the size of the square and feature that under the glass. (Which would go perfectly with the red color of the table.)

 But then I started---and finished--painting this table late at night, and I did not have the football-stadium-photograph blown up yet. And being the impatient soul that I am, I wanted to see how the table looked "really" finished. I thought about putting ticket stubs to ballgames under the glass. I thought about putting pictures of my own three sons and husband all in their football-playing-days under glass. I thought about putting old programs under the glass. Those are all great ideas, but then I remembered my box of old chenilles. I sent my son to get the box of chenilles. We began to pull some from my stash and I knew we had a winner! Score---This table had "lettered"!

 The table has a small drawer, which I lined with cover copies from old programs to Sooner games. The drawer is perfect for keeping remotes in place.

I have chenilles in every color imaginable. I kept the ones under the glass in a color pattern that was harmonious with the table and with the room the table will be used.

 In our new (old) house we have a small media room that the boys are using for all their ESPNedness as well as video games, poker games and ballgames. (Yes, my girls are welcome in the room as well). The table will be in that room.

 So the chenilles will go perfectly with the decor. They have found a new home. No longer am I planning on putting the large photograph under the glass, (although it would have been cool too.)

 The handle on the small drawer was an antiqued brass. When I took it off to paint the table I was originally going to put a new handle on the table. Then since I was doing it at night I put the original handle back on. I have decided it does not look bad and in all honesty, since it is the table for the kids room the handle will probably stay as is!

 And how did I get so many chenilles????? (Because I used only a few of my stash!) Well, one day the Letter-Jacket-Salesman came to the high school where I was teaching to sell his jackets. I went to him and asked him if they ever had any old chenilles I could buy.....I figured there were some "mistake" chenilles here and there. He said he would look and asked for my address.

 About a week later a big box arrived at my house. I opened the box and there were every kind of chenilles imaginable. There are football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, chorus, band, speech, names, ball team names, numbers, awards....Well you get the idea. And he gave them all to me!

 I have used the chenilles on pillows, a chair and even in tablescapes. Now a stash of them have transformed an old table.

The rest of this room is also decorated in vintage sports memorabilia. I will show you the whole room later. (If you looked in the background you could see the room is still being unpacked!) In the meantime, I say, "SCORE!! This table has lettered!"
Disclaimer!!--Blogger was having some kind of issue when I was trying to upload my pics. So I had to use nighttime-taken pics, as well as daytime-taken pics. Basically I had to use whatever I could get to upload!...And it still took me over two hours! rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

I am linking this to Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures. I have also linked to Wow Us Wednesday's with Kim. As well as the Open House Party at No Minimalist Here. And Miss Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Friday and Show and Tell Friday. And Funky Junk Interiors. Please go by and check them out!