Hello beautiful friends! Today I’m sharing a child’s night table that may or may not have been originally intended for a child. It’s also a great piece to show that even the most plain of pieces can be made super cute!
My back is definitely on the mend, so I hope to have a brand new makeover for y’all on Tuesday!
I passed on this night table when I originally came across it priced at $29.95, but when I returned a week or so later, it had been reduced to $20:
There’s a shelf that looks like it’s missing, but it is lying on the bottom there. I’m not sure why, but I was drawn to it for some reason. Maybe because it was a really nice quality piece.
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Because it wasn’t very tall, I immediately pictured it as a sweet piece for a child’s room.
The top had some damage to it:
SAND
I knew I would need to sand it smooth so I decided to sand the shelves as well using my rotary sander…
I started with 100 grit and finished with 220 grit sandpaper.
My inspiration
I pulled my inspiration for this night table from this cute table and chair set I redid a few years ago:
The top had a white-washed look to it.
I love the effect of white-washing and it is SO easy to do! My preferred method is with water-based Voodoo gel stain in a gray color called Up in Smoke and watered down chalk paint.
How to Whitewash Furniture
I shared how I do it on a stool in this quick how-to video below:
If you have trouble viewing, find it on YouTube HERE.
Paint
When that finish dried, I painted the rest of this table in a simple, clean white.
I found this whale image in the Silhouette Store here and cut it out using my Silhouette:
This color is Inked in satin by Behr…just look at that crusty can. It was a super old can of paint I had left over from Brennan’s nursery! I had to add a bit of water to this one and mix it really well.
I gave it two coats and then removed the outer piece as soon as I applied the second coat. I used this tool to help remove the smaller pieces, but I let it dry for about 10 minutes or so before removing them so I didn’t mess up the finish.
I then added the stripes just like my inspiration piece. I used parts of the whale cut-out so the stripes wouldn’t quite meet the blue:
I used my favorite FrogTape, and even reused some of the pieces.
Seal
I lightly sanded everywhere but the blue areas with 220 grit sandpaper and sealed with two coats of Dixie Belle’s Satin Clear Coat using the blue sponge to apply it.
The After
Fun, right??
I added the racing stripes to all three shelves…
This whale is just the sweetest!
You could pair this with solid white furniture or even blue or gray furniture!
And here it is naked so you can actually see it!
With stuff…
And naked:
I love creating pieces for littles. You can have so much fun with them.
I’m so glad this piece was marked down on my second visit!
This little fella belonged to Jack when he was a baby. Using these sweet things to stage brings back so many memories.
And now he’s in his third year of college!
This was a fun one to look back on. I hope y’all enjoyed it!
Don’t forget to check out the On Sale tab in my Etsy Shop HERE.
UPDATE: See what I did with it HERE!!
XOXO,
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Mary Kaiser says
Oh, so adorable! I love how that tuned out! I remember the table and chairs set that matched this. I have 8 grandsons with # 9 grandson on the way, due in Feb ’23. I also have 1 grand daughter with another grand daughter on the way, due Nov ’22. Total of 11 grand children, so I love it when you do childrens furniture. I had 4 children of my own, but when they were little I didn’t have time to make over furniture, but now grandma does! Keep childrens furniture coming as I still have grand children coming!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Mary! Wow you have been very blessed for sure! My younger sister and I have five boys between us, and no girls. We just found out that her oldest, who got married back in February, is expecting a girl! We are so excited lol. I just ordered a transfer that has the cutest children’s characters on it, and I can’t wait to use it! Hopefully I’ll get the chance in the next couple of weeks! XOXO
Janette says
Absolutely stunning and I just love how you dressed it up with all the sweet toys from the past.xx
Christy says
Thank you so much, Janette! I always get a little nostalgic when I pull out those toys lol. XOXO
Carla says
That’s adorable!
Christy says
Thank you, Carla! XOXO
Denise Cox says
It’s darling!! And I was admiring how perfectly those stripes were curved around the whale stencil. WOW! Right on the mark you were… perfect curves…lol!!
Christy says
Thanks so much, my friend! Using part of the rounded edge on the cut out from the whale made that area work out so nicely! XOXO
Janice Holt says
I got it, I got it. Thanks so much for all the trouble you went to; it means so much to me. It’s in my junk file but that’s ok; it’s here. Love the table and staging with Jack’s “stuff” it looks so cute. Thankfully we are not in the path of the hurricane here in NW Alabama. Have a great week-end.
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! Yay!! It was no trouble at all. I’m so glad you got it! And thank goodness you are not near the hurricane. We will get the remnants of it, but it isn’t suppose to be coming directly for us on the coast of VA from what I can see so far. Enjoy your weekend too! XOXO
Karen Moore says
That is absolutely adorable.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Karen! XOXO
Gin says
Wow!
It looks great and your staging with the gray boxes and Jacks baby toys completes the look. Did you paint the boxes for this project?
Christy says
Thank you so much, Gin! I found the boxes at TJ Maxx when Brennan was little. 🙂 XOXO
Cecilia from Georgia says
That whale table is what caught my eye when I first got the furniture painting bug! That is how I found you! I loved it then and now the night stand is adorable! I hope your back feels better but you must be careful! You, as a nurse, know that it is never completely healed so you must be careful and not strain it more. You have to be in top shape to start decorating for Halloween!!
Christy says
Oh that is so funny! That table is probably my favorite child’s piece that I’ve done…of course I loved it so much, I recreated it with this table lol! And yes, I do need to be more careful with my back for sure. This back has to last me and it has to get me through Halloween decorating season ha ha!! XOXO
Brenda says
So adorable!
Christy says
Thank you, Brenda! XOXO
Ashley says
Hi Christy! What an adorable piece! ❤️
Christy says
Hello, my friend! Thank you!! I hope this storm isn’t heading to close to you! XOXO
Amanda says
Love this! Furniture for children is just the sweetest! Hope your back heals quickly! <3
Christy says
Thank you, Amanda! I agree and it is so fun to do! I appreciate the well-wishes! XOXO
Sue Mellette says
What a sweet makeover. Yes, the whale is the cutest addition. I love the color and the stripes. Adding Jack’s toys really brings this staging to life! Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your weekend.
Christy says
Thank you, Sue! It’s a great excuse to pull out the baby toys lol! I hope you enjoy your weekend too! XOXO
Niki says
So cute! 🐳 I’m not good at stencils at all, but you make it look so easy and always have crisp lines. This little night stand will be a fun addition to a nursery/kids room.
Christy says
Thank you, Niki! Absolutely! XOXO
Sharon L Austin says
OMG That is so adorable!!!!!!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Sharon! XOXO
Eileen Conklin says
It looks like you whitewashed the top, the middle shelf and the bottom? Was the wiping of the bottom surface hard to do since it was enclosed? Any tips?
Christy says
I sure did, Eileen. That bottom shelf wasn’t too bad at all. I came from the sides towards the center for that one instead of going all the way across. Even if it doesn’t come out as perfect as the top, it will be mostly covered anyway. 🙂 XOXO
p says
That is so so cute !
I wasn’t sure I loved that end table – But it looks amazing now 🙂
I’m luck to have 3 grandkids, 1st one a girl. 🙂
You are so fun – I’m sure you’ll be a fun grammy too.
Thanks for sharing.
p
Christy says
Thank you, P! After bringing this table home, I too had my doubts! But luckily, I figured out what to do with it. You are very blessed! I can’t wait to be a grammy!! (Well, my son’s gotta get through college first at least ha ha!) XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
Great use of a small stand! You do such wonderful work!
Christy says
Aww I appreciate that so much, Rose! XOXO
Linda Hickey says
Love your painting projects, they all look wonderful.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Linda! XOXO
Petra says
Aw I just love this piece; the whale, the stripes, the colours, and Jack’s toys are adorable 😊. I haven’t done a child’s piece for so long but you’ve inspired me! xo
Christy says
Aww thank you, Petra! I love that! I love doing children’s pieces but don’t come across good candidates too often…mostly just rocking chairs! XOXO
Satah says
Great makeover, as always, Christy. Children’s pieces are so adorable! Don’t overdo your back too quickly.
Love from Sarah in Brisbane Australia 🌞
Christy says
Thank you so much, Sarah! I love working on children’s pieces! And yes, that is very good advice! I am back to work but sticking to smaller projects for now. Back trouble is no joke lol! XOXO
Kathy from Jax says
Hello Christy,
Glad to hear you’re on the mend. This piece is so darling and perfect for a child’s room or play area. Don’t those special treasures bring back such fond memories? If you come across another one of these you could use it as a vinyl record storage. Just an idea to keep in mind. I love your ideas and your willingness to share. Please keep those in Florida in your thoughts and prayers. St. Augustine and Naples got hit really bad. Hope y’all are spared. Get your projects ready just in case.
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy! Oh yes…I feel very nostalgic when pulling out these treasures for sure! This would make excellent record storage. The damage from this storm so far is just awful! We are right on the coast here in VA, so every time there is news of a hurricane, we all go into panic mode. Lot’s of wind and rain here today. XOXO
Patty says
It’s perfect, Christy!! Any little one – boy or girl would love having it in their room 🙂 Can hardly believe Jack is in his third year of college – time passes by so quickly!
In Winston Salem, waiting to see what Ian brings our way. Winds are scary part here – so many trees around us. Keeping all who are in it’s path in our prayers. Breaks my heart to see the devastation so far.
We lived in VA Beach for a short time many years ago – keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for safety through this storm. XO
Christy says
Thank you, Patty! I know, right? His college days are already numbered lol! Hoping you did ok with the storm. We had lots of wind and rain and lost power for about six hours or so last night. It’s lovely today, although it could turn and head back this way! Keeping those more severely affected in our thoughts and prayers for sure. XOXO
Cyndi says
I love this little piece! I haven’t done whitewashing yet, but I watched your video and that was really helpful. It helps to see you “in action.” 😉 Good info on the grit levels of sanding too and also on when to condition the wood or not.
I’m praying you and yours make it through this storm all right. I’m down here on the gulf coast, so I know what it’s like. :O
Christy says
Thank you, Cyndi! I’m so glad the video was helpful! I hope you were spared any serious damage. This storm left so much in its wake. We had lots of wind and rain and lost power for about six hours last night, but that’s about it. It’s nice out today and hoping it doesn’t turn back this way! XOXO
Cyndi says
I’m here on the Texas coast, so it missed us this time. It’s the price we pay for living on the coast, right? (That and higher-priced–and scarce–homeowners insurance.) I’m glad it wasn’t any worse for you! God bless you and yours.
Christy says
Oh yes…we always know it’s part of living on the coast as well. This storm gave us a really windy and rainy Friday and we lost power for about six hours. It turned west on Saturday and it’s back just above us today bringing more wind and rain, but nothing too serious, thank goodness! XO
Dalila says
Love it, Christy! Looks so high end.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Dalila! XOXO
Cecilia says
That is just the cutest little table ever. I love it.
Hugs, Cecilia
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cecilia! XOXO
Marietta says
And it even has whale tail cutouts on the little front part of the legs! You rock!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Marietta! XOXO