Sage Green and Bamboo Side Table

Hi friends, today I’m back with another side table makeover straight from the thrift store. Was I on the hunt for a side table? No. Do I need another side table? No.

So why did this little table find it’s way into my cart? He was only $5.

And he could use a makeover. Or at least a new paint job.

He’s been sitting in my workshop for about 6 months and I only decided to tackle him after I’ve gone on my sage green kick over the last month. I’m thinking he would look good in green as well.

The top was in the worst condition. Those 2 black squares are pieces of velcro. Gotta wonder what thing was velcroed to the top of this table so it wouldn’t slide off.

That’s all I know about him, now on to his makeover.

Other than my normal woodworking tools, for this project I’ll be using my sage green paint, Danish oil, 4 light wood legs and some bamboo sheets. These were all leftover from my bookshelf from about a month ago.

Other than this bookcase, sage green was also the background color, for my child’s table and chairs and a Peter rabbit inspired rocking chair.

That quart of paint is getting low, so I might just have to move on to another color. But not just yet. 🙂

But for now, sage green it is.

Prepare your piece for painting. Since I’m matching the color and style of the bookcase, I’ve removed the bottom front piece, the one with the little arch, and I’ve also removed the top. The top was already coming off on it’s own and it will be easier to remove all it’s paint away from the base.

In place of the arched bottom piece, I’ve inserted a scrap piece of wood between the two side walls. Use finish nails to nail that piece on from the sides. This piece will eventually be painted the sage green like the rest of the cabinet.

If you have slick, glossy paint, you’ll want to lightly sand the finish to get it ready for painting. This is also a good time to sand down any drips from a previous paint job. Just sand until they feel flat to the touch. I prefer my orbital sander with a 120 grit for this job.

I’ve also sanded the top, removing any traces of the white paint it started with.

An orbital sander is so much easier than hand sanding.

Remove any sanding grit with a lint free cloth.

My little side table is now flipped on his head and this is the view from the rear.

What I’ve done is added more scrap wood to the bottom. This will give me something to nail my new skirt to.

The majority of the table has now been given 2 coats of the green paint, with the exception of anything that will be left a natural wood color.

More 2 1/2″ scrap wood left in a natural color. is nailed around the base for the skirt. Sand the corners.

Two coats of clear Danish oil seal the bare wood. Buff in between coats with fine steel wool.

You could also use tung oil, polyurethane or a clear wax.

For the front door panel, I’m adding a bamboo strip panel attaching with Liquid Nails.

These legs are the cutoffs from the bookcase legs. Rather than just throwing away the excess, I knew I would find another use for them.

Double ended screws attach the legs to the side table. Make sure you predrill both the side table and the leg and you’ll be able to screw those legs right on.