Easy Chalkboard Table D.I.Y.

We have this wonderfully classic and beautifully shaped coffee table, that I have refused to part with, despite its all around shabbiness and the fact that it is slowly falling apart. We lugged it across the country, not doing it any favors, and relegated it to the kid's room, sometimes pulled out and used as a kid's table during family gatherings.

It was at the most recent gathering that one of the kids got sick, and a well meaning guest sprayed the coffee table down with bleach, destroying the laminate. It finally looked like it would be the end of my beloved coffee table, but then I remembered my good friend, chalkboard paint, that has resurrected many things in my life from certain death.

This d.i.y. took me all of half an hour, and virtually no money because I had all the supplies on hand. Although if you you didn't already have wood glue, chalkboard paint, and spray paint, it would probably cost no more than $15-$20.

Because it was laminate, I didn't have to sand the top to acquire the smooth surface required for chalkboard paint. I simply spray painted the legs with a metallic paint, then applied two coats to the top and edges. After allowing it to dry for a full 24 hours, we brought it inside and quickly began using it as a checker board.

Before:

See how it's falling apart? Not to mention it was covered in spotty bleach stains.

After:

Afterwards it looked like an actual piece of furniture again, instead of a piece of trash. I'm even toying with the idea of keeping it in the living room full time now.