Welcome back to another edition of Trashy Treasures Tuesday, lovelies!! My addition to today’s trashy tour is a vintage folding game table makeover!

Here is how I found this unique piece at a yard sale this fall:

It was a bit wonky and had some wear, but for $10, I was willing to take it on!
What is so cool about this table is that the top twists and unfolds to turn it into a larger table:

Y’all may remember I redid a larger version of this one HERE back in August.
I mentioned this one was wonky. You can see that the top is sitting askew in the first before photo. I was able to tighten a screw on the inside to fix that.
But, it also had a couple more issues…
One of the legs on the pedestal base was coming apart, so I glued that in place and clamped it until it was stable:

Also, this game table was quite beat up…

I had some sanding to do to make that less of an issue…

Clean
After attending to those imperfections, I was able to move on to getting this piece cleaned!
For that I used my go-to cleaner for furniture pieces, White Lightning. I mixed one TBSP into a half gallon of warm water and gave it a good once over…

White Lightning is a degreaser and a deglosser and gloves are recommended. Be sure to swap your dirty water for clean water and give it another wipe down to remove any residue.
Paint
Then I was able to go straight to painting since I chose Caviar by Dixie Belle!

I really needed something that would help to camouflage the imperfections in this piece, and black was the best option.
Caviar is a perfect, true black:

Sand
I gave it two coats and once it was dry, I sanded to smooth and distress a bit using 220 grit sandpaper:

I always like to mention that your dark painted pieces will look terrible when you do this, but I promise sealing them will make them beautiful again.
I just like to sand to give them the smoothest finish possible when using chalk mineral paint.
Seal
I cleaned away any dust and planned to seal with Clear Coat in Satin, but for darker pieces, I like to add just a drop of paint into it:

It gives a much nicer finish and greatly reduces the “ghosting” effect you get when running your finger across a dark painted piece.
I applied it with the blue sponge applicator which makes it so easy!

Who else gets to work before even getting dressed??
Vintage Folding Game Table Makeover Reveal
This was the simplest of makeovers, but sometimes that is all a piece needs!

I love the sophistication of this beauty in its little black dress now!

So elegant!

In this state, it makes a great entry table.
The sanding reveals the wood beneath which I just love with black pieces!

It also minimized the many imperfections this unique game table had, especially along the edges of the top…


Here’s a better look at those areas…

Now it looks intentional.

I love how the top just twists…

And it can be opened up to reveal a larger table!

That was definitely $10 well spent!

Be sure to check out what my friends are sharing today!


One more project knocked off the list yay! I’m at the halfway point!

See anything you may have missed below!
Painting the Smalls #32
Longaberger Basket Makeover
Bunny Rocker Makeover
Small Glass Door Cabinet Makeover
Estate Sale Dresser Makeover
HUGE Estate Sale Tool Box
Estate Sale Mirror Makeover
$5 Yard Sale Night Table Makeover
Update a Thrifted Box for the Holidays
Black Painted Antique China Cabinet
Turn Old Frames into New Holiday Decor
How to Upholster a Louis XVI Armchair
How to Repurpose a Table Top (&bonus…see what I did with the rest HERE.)
Dated Bar Stool Makeover
Update a Yard Sale Tote for the Holidays
Painting the Smalls #31 (the dollar edition)
IKEA Bookcase Makeover
$5 Yard Sale Night Table Makeover
And if you missed the first game table I redid over the summer:

You can see how that one turned out HERE!
And I’ll be back with the second chair in this set on Thursday!

(See what I did with the first one HERE!)
And check out how Louis Chair #2 turned out HERE!
I hope your week is off to a wonderful start!
XOXO,
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Mary Kaiser says
Oh I love her in her little black dress, so elegant! She looks like a million bucks! That will sell so fast in your booth!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! Sometimes the simplest of makeovers does wonders! XOXO
Petra says
A very successful diy – looks fabulous and very cool under that amazing clock! 🙂
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend! XOXO
Jeanne says
She’s a beauty!
Christy says
Thank you, Jeanne! XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
What a beautiful and functional piece that is now revived.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Larissa! XOXO
Janice Redden says
Christy, love this makeover – simple elegance. You are right – there are times when it just takes paint and that’s it, done! And those leggings – so cute….
Can’t wait to see the chair – in the picture of the two of them, is one a little shorter in the legs or just the way it is positioned
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! Paint worked wonders on this piece for sure! The two chairs were redone to go together, but one was a newer reproduction and the other is much older with horsehair filling. I did the second one similarly but different! XOXO
Nana Diana says
The black takes it from boring to elegant. It turned out great.
Christy says
Thank you, Diana! I am always amazed at how elegant pieces become when painted black! XOXO
Pauline says
I am always intrigued by these folding game tables. Do your makeover of these sell well?
Christy says
Hi Pauline! I had never seen one before this summer when I found a larger one at a yard sale and I loved it! Then, not too long after, I happened upon this one. The first one sold within a couple of weeks. XOXO
Adrienne says
Ohhh! I love this one. I like most of the transfers, but this one is perfect with nothing on it. Well done!
Christy says
Thank you, Adrienne! I love that all this one needed was paint as well! XOXO
Cecilia says
Good morning, Christy! The table looks great in her little black dress. ????I think my favorite part is the distressed parts where the wood peeks through. It adds the perfect accent. Very pretty!
❤️Cecilia
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! Me too…I love how the wood peeks through! XOXO
Kathy W says
Good morning, Super-cal Gal!! ????
Beautiful!! Doesn’t the Caviar make everything look more elegant?? Question: When rotating the table, how do you keep the paint from having rub marks?? I painted and sealed (using Dixie Belle paint and seal) a table that opened and every time I opened it, I had rub marks. Just curious how to avoid that. Sorry ???? I ask so many questions!!!
Thank you, my friend, for sharing your expertise.
Kathy W
oxox
Christy says
Good morning, Kathy! Thank you! I love what Caviar does for the saddest of pieces. It takes the paint and sealer about three weeks to fully cure, so I’ll try to leave this one open (aside from taking photos) as much as possible so it can cure. Maybe that was the issue? And you know I never mind questions! XOXO
susan says
Like you said, it is so pretty and elegant in just the plain black! And I love the wood distressing on the black too!
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! Yes…this makeover was so simple, but that was all it needed! XOXO
Geri Davis says
The game table looks beautiful in black! I refinished one for a friend a couple years ago, they are really a neat piece!
Thank you for sharing your work! Just received my order from you….yay!!
Christy says
Thank you, Geri! I had never seen one until I found the larger one I redid this summer, and then I happened upon another one not too long after lol. Yay!! Happy creating, my friend! XOXO
Cyndi says
Another beautiful result! I love the way the distressing highlights the details, and the black paint is so classic. (I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve started working on a project before changing out of my jammies. Ha ha!)
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cyndi! Ha ha…sometimes we just want to get started right away! XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
Awesome makeover Christy, it looks so elegant and beautiful now! Pinned XOXO
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! XOXO
Jackie C says
Perfection!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Jackie! XOXO
Michele M. says
Oh, Christy! I love that table!!! She is something I’d happily have in my home. How awesome to get two tables in one, too. Whoo hoo. Well done.
She’s perfect now.
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! The convertible feature is so fun for sure! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
It looks so good now! Black is so elegant and classic. Love it! xoxo
Christy says
Thank you, Nancy! You just can’t ever go wrong with black! XOXO
Caye says
Another success! What a great improvement you gave the old boy! Great color choice, too.
May I ask, what kind of glue did you use on the gimpy leg? I usually turn to E-6000 glue (commercial grade) for those projects that will live outside. But, very soon I’ll be working on a cute little side table that has two gimpy legs–actually, they fell out as soon as I loaded them in the car. LOL! I wonder if there’s a better glue for indoor pieces.
I am glad to know that pieces that are to glide over another need a longer set time. Thank you for that info!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Caye! For the leg, I used Titebond wood glue. It works great! Funny/not funny that the legs of your table fell right out lol. At least you know you can fix it! And yes, just give those pieces that may possibly touch a bit more cure time. XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
SUCH A UNIQUE TABLE AND YOU GAVE IT NEW LIFE AND CLASS.
Christy says
Thanks so much, my friend! XOXO
Jeannette says
This is one of my favorite pieces! Just gorgeous and leaving the bits of wood peek through is beautiful. Why do you paint the brass caps? I would shine those beauties up!, ????????
Christy says
Oh yay! I’m thrilled you love this one, Jeannette! The caps were super rusted on this one, so that was the easiest fix. I did contemplate shining them up again with gold gilding wax like I did on the first one, but I decided to stay neutral. XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
I do love a game table and even though it had a few issues, you got a great deal, Christy! Of course, it looks so much better with the black paint. I thought the distressed areas on the base were metallic paint accents. I’m surprised you were able to restrain yourself from adding more pattern ???? although it is nice to have a less demanding project periodically.
Christy says
Thank you, Marcie! I had never seem one before this summer when I found the first one, and then I found another! I love them too. It is hard to restrain myself most of the time, but this one was just so elegant with paint alone, that I called it done lol! XOXO
Conna says
Now this is stunning. It is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of playing cards with my grandmother Mildred. Grandmother Mildred was born in 1903, and she was quite the poker aficionado! Thank you for that sweet reminder.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Conna! What a fond memory…I love that! XOXO