Can you believe it’s time for another round of Furniture Fixer Uppers? Dear friends, this month has absolutely flown by! My contribution to this month’s Fixer Upper party is a set of painted and stained nesting tables. Be sure to look for what my friends are sharing at the bottom!
I’ve never owned or redone a set of these tables before, but I just love them!
This set started out like this:
I found them at an early spring yard sale I happened upon by chance one Saturday. I paid $20 for all three.
Here is a view from above:
I thought that the ring on the largest one had taken away some of the stain and lightened in that area, but it was actually dirt lol!
Clean
So of course I started there cleaning them with my go-to paint prep, White Lightning. I mixed a TBSP into a half gallon of warm water and got to work:
Yep, that was dirt alright, judging by how dark the water was. Many years of build up!
After cleaning, I swapped my dirty water for clean water and wiped them down once more to remove any residue.
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love. Transfers and decoupage papers are often limited time only, so items may no longer be available in my Etsy shop if you are visiting this post long after the posting date.
Sand
When deciding what to do with these tables, it had occurred to me that if I painted the smaller tables, I would likely have issues with the paint on the sides scraping off as I slid them into place inside one another.
Honestly, that is why it took me so long to get to this set of nesting tables. I finally decided that I would stain the two smaller table tops, and I set out sanding the tops down to bare wood:
I used my orbital sander for this job, starting with 100 grit sandpaper, and finishing with 220 grit.
The wood underneath this dated stain is quite nice:
To get the stain out of the handle area, I used sheets of 220 grit sandpaper and did those areas by hand.
Paint
I’ve been wanting to use this sweet Aviary Elegance transfer on something since it came out last month, and I chose Weeping Willow to coordinate with it:
(You can find these Chalk Mineral Paint Decks with all the new colors included in my shop HERE.)
I was sure to tape off the tops of the two that I sanded as not to get paint on them…
Adding a blended finish
I love a blended finish as a background for transfers. It took Weeping Willow, Magnolia for the center, my spray mister bottle, and these three brushes to get the job done:
That’s two mini angles and the Best Dang Brush.
Visit this post HERE for a great how-to on getting a blended finish.
Sand to smooth
Once that was dry, I sanded all the painted areas on all three tables with these fine grit sanding sponges.
They are my go-to when I want, a smooth, clean finish.
Adding a transfer
Adding the transfer is always fun since it really brings your pieces to life! I started by cutting apart several pieces I might use. I added this little bird to the corner first:
The great thing about this transfer is that it isn’t one large design, but rather, several smaller pieces that you can arrange any way you like.
Once I had that piece attached, I liked it just like that!
But, I cut several more pieces and laid them out around the edges:
I decided to sleep on it at this point until I decided if I wanted to add more.
Staining the smaller tables
Meanwhile, I moved on to staining the two smaller table table tops, and for that I used Voodoo Gel Stain in Au Naturel:
I already had this opened in my supply cabinet, but I don’t think I’ve used it on anything before. It’s great when you want exactly what it says…a natural look! As you can see above, it just smooths and evens out the color, but maintains the natural wood look.
I thought this would pair nicely with the green and the transfer. I’ll let y’all decide though!
Seal
The final step was to seal everything, and I did that using Clear Coat in the satin finish, applying it with the blue sponge applicator:
Try not to keep going over the same area. Get any spots you missed on the second coat. I usually can get by with one coat on the legs and two coats on the top.
Painted and Stained Nesting Tables Big Reveal
Let’s see how this set turned out, shall we?
What do you think about the stained tops on the smaller two?
I think they totally work!
Especially with that sweet surprise on top!
I love this transfer against the blended finish!
And yep, after sleeping on it, I decided to stop there. It allows the new owner to place a lamp or whatever decor they choose without covering up the pretty design. And, it left me with a ton of pieces to use on other projects!
Keeping the tops stained instead of painted will be more functional when pulling them in and out since the stain won’t scrape away.
Don’t they coordinate nicely with the design?
I did decide to keep the stained tops plain which y’all know was a struggle…
But as the saying goes, sometimes less is more.
These tables would be fantastic when hosting guests for a get together.
But still pretty when tucked away!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one!
Then, be sure to check out what my friends are sharing today as well!
1. My Repurposed Life’s Sewing Machine Table Upcycle
2. Petticoat Junktion’s Updated Wrought Iron Chairs
3. Salvaged Inspirations Curb shopped French Provincial Dresser
4. A Ray of Sunlight’s Remedy for an orange wood dining set
And one. more. done!!
That finish line is getting closer!! Only 16 to go!
I’ll be back here on Tuesday with another round of smalls to knock a bunch more of this haul out:
UPDATE: You can see how this motley crew turned out HERE now!
If you’re in the US, have an amazing holiday weekend! And to all my other friends around the world. I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
EMAIL * INSTAGRAM * FACEBOOK * PINTEREST
Get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50. No code needed at checkout! Orders under $50 always enjoy $8 flat rate shipping! Most orders ship same or next business day!
Jeanne says
Hi Christy,
I think they turned out great! I wouldn’t have minded a bit darker stain on the smaller two but your choice works. Glad it was something totally new for you to try. Perhaps you’ll find other new items to entertain us with. You’re always the one to inspire others, like me, so thanks.
Christy says
Aww thank you, Jeanne! It is always fun to try new things, but yes, these would have been sweet with a darker stain as well! XOXO
Judith says
Lovely … but, I would have used a darker stain on the two under tables …. plus a small “Nest…” transfer … sincerely Sincere Miss Judith… xx 🌹
Christy says
Thanks, Judith! A darker stain would have worked nicely too! XO
Geri Davis says
Okay this is probably one of my favorites!! I love the blending with that transfer!! I have passed on stacking tables like that for years as afraid of paint scratching, awesome idea! Thank you for sharing, enjoy your weekend!
Christy says
Oh Yay! I love that you love them Geri, thank you! Sliding them in and out now, there is no damage to the sides, so it worked great! Enjoy your weekend as well, my friend! XOXO
Janice Redden says
Christy, the tables look beautiful; what a greast idea to stain the two smaller ones; the “scraping” is something I think about with painted drawers, etc.
Nesting tables remind me of those “trendy ??” metal TV tray tables that came on the scene about the same time as TV dinners….yikes!
Have a great weekend!
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! Yes, I always consider the scraping of drawers as well. I think everyone has had a set of those TV trays ha ha! Enjoy your weekend as well, my friend! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
Oh they are so beautiful now. I love the transfer on the top table, it is just enough in the corner with the one transfer! Those will sell fast at your booth!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Mary! You know I always welcome a quick sale lol. Happy weekend, my friend! XOXO
Cecilia says
Love the transfer and blended finish. And very smart to just stain the tops of the other two. Great makeover! And I think I saw a couple of things to order when the sale starts. Yay! My bedroom makeover is coming along!
❤️Cecilia
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! I’m glad staining the other two worked out…I wasn’t sure it would, but I really wanted to paint the largest one. Glad you are making progress on your bedroom…I’ll “see” you this weekend at the sale! XOXO
Pauline says
Typically I think your choices are spot on with what I would have done or even better. But since you asked for feedback, I think a stain that complimented the brown or gray tones in the transfer would have looked better coordinated/ intentional whether nested or pulled out for individual use. Knowing when to stop can be a challenge, but I think a set need a bit more coordination. Hopefully they will fit well in someone’s decor, as they are super practical.
Christy says
I always appreciate the feedback, Pauline, thank you! I am really happy with the choice I made as that lighter look is really trending at the moment. I do think a darker stain would have worked well too though for sure! XOXO
Judy says
I love your work and have been enjoying seeing your creativeness (is that a word?) for many years now but there’s a but…sorry, the transfers don’t work for me. Not my thing I guess. I do love how you painted and stained these tables, what a great idea to stain the top of the smaller two! I love how they look when they are stacked too. Sorry about the transfers, I am working on that, I am sure I will come around!
Christy says
Thank you, Judy! You don’t hurt my feelings one bit. It does get so monotonous using just paint alone, so as a creator who has made over literally thousands of pieces to share, it is fun to have other things to play with! I get it though…nothing like a simple redo! XOXO
Vickie says
Great job, Christy! Love the color & stain choices!! Such a nice set of tables, I’ve been looking for a set of nesting tables myself!
Christy says
Thank you, Vickie! I have never redone a set of these, so this was so fun for me to figure out! XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
Hi my friend! The blending with the gorgeous bird transfers is gorgeous! What a beautiful set! Pinned XOXO
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend! These were a fun one to redo! XOXO
Cyndel says
So lovely! Is it only the edges of the bottoms of the smaller two tabletops that glide along the wood or do the side edges have contact too? Either way, I understand why you stuck to the original wood tone.
Christy says
Thank you, Cyndel! I looked as I pushed them in before redoing them, and they aren’t on any kind of track to keep them from hitting the side, so the possibility of scraping them up was there. I love how they look stacked though, so I think it worked out! XOXO
Liz Shivel says
Hi Christy, these look lovely. I like the combination of the stain and the painted. And the prep and staining the tops showed me how to work on a table that has some paint smeared on it from years ago and how to fix it.
Christy says
Hi Liz! Thank you so much! I’m glad this post was helpful! Kiss the kitties for me! XOXO
Sue Carole McCombs says
Hi Miss Christy,
Your nesting tables are absolutely gorgeous. The largest one with the transfers is adorable. Your are so clever to not paint the top of the other two. I would not have thought of that until I pulled one out and scratched the paint. Great job as always.
Christy says
Aww thank you, Sue! I wasn’t sure only staining the two would work, but I love them stacked that way! I’m glad you enjoyed them too, my friend! XOXO
Gail Wilson says
Christy,
I always learn so much from you. I love the blended paint technique! Nesting tables are so cool. Personally, I prefer darker stains, but this stain works great with the color.
pinned!
gail
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! I feel the same…you always have such great tips! I never considered a darker stain, but it would have worked nicely with the bird as well! XOXO
p says
Wow – They were Reallly dirty.
I Do like how these turned out. I think the contrast w/ painted vs stained top makes it a Custom design. Love how the profile view when nested shows the contrast. Nice detail.
And… smart to avoid scratching ! You are always thinking 🙂
The green looks great with the transfer. Love the shading.
Happy weekend to You Too.
Christy says
They sure were dirty lol! I never even realized that was dirt when I bought them! And thank you! I too love how they looked when nested. Such a fun little set to redo! XOXO
Margie Bramer says
You would hope that a nesting table would be designed to not scrape!
You did a beautiful job. I would have also been tempted to add a transfer to the 2 smaller ones. I have a hard time deciding when more is just more and less is just fine.
Christy says
Thank you, Margie! Right? Had they put them on a track of some sort, that would have helped with the scraping issue for sure. I was absolutely tempted to add more transfer to the smaller two ha ha, but I decided to save those pieces for something else. It’s hard to show restraint sometimes lol! XOXO
Lizzy says
They are so pretty. I bet they sell fast!
Christy says
Thank you, Lizzy! I hope so, my friend! XOXO
Caye says
Your idea to protect the edges of the under tables was such a good one. Thanks for the idea because I have a set of my own to do, and I confess that I wouldn’t have thought about the edges.
Your shading is just perfect! I haven’t had the courage to try it yet. I might experiment with it on some cardboard first because it might be frustrating.
Again, many thanks for your wonderful inspirations every week! I so appreciate you. Hope you have a happy weekend. XXOO
Christy says
Aww thanks, Caye! The scraping issue was the reason it took me so long to get to this set, but then it occurred to me that I could stain them! Yes, practice the blending…the mister is your best friend there…mist and blend. I go back over the areas several times sometimes until I get a look I’m happy with. And I appreciate you too!! XOXO
Victoria Hempe says
I love what you did with the tables keeping two tops stained and only one painted.. Keeps it from being overwhelming and fresh looking. As usual you hit another home run!!
Christy says
Thank you, Victoria! I like the paint/stain combo too. I’m so glad you like them! XOXO
Catherine says
These are definitely some of my favorites! They look great! I want them!!
Wish I lived closer!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Catherine! I wish you were closer too! XOXO
Charleen says
These are gorgeous!!I loved the choice of the green,fresh and invigorating. Loved the transfer. Thought you might use a smaller on the stained tables. As you say less is more. Lovely as always. Have an enjoyable holiday.
Christy says
Thank you, Charleen! It was so hard to not put anything on the smaller two lol. Enjoy your holiday too! XOXO
Edna says
Hi Christy, you turned those stacking table into something beautiful. They would look special in any house, great job as usual. Have a wonderful weekend.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Edna! I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well! XOXO
Dorothea Hiebert says
Love these nesting tables. So glad you kept the two smaller ones plain. (I find that sometimes adding transfers to furniture is too much as I prefer a simpler look.)
Thank you for your inspiration!
Christy says
Thank you, Dorothea! It is hard to keep things plain sometimes, but I tried to restrain this time ha ha! XOXO
Betty Sue says
Love these tables! I think they look so good together and that sweet bird transfer is perfect!😍
Christy says
Thank you, Betty Sue! I am so happy this paint and stain combination worked out so nicely! XOXO
Kay Siders says
I love stacking tables, and this green is pretty. However, I found the unpainted table tops on the small tables very distracting, I would have preferred them all the same. I am just trying the transfers and I love them.
Christy says
Thank you, Kay! If these were going to live apart in a space, I definitely would have painted them the same. Glad you are enjoying trying out transfers…they are so fun to create with! XOXO
Barbara J Orlemanski says
I’m loving the green that you and “Salvaged Inspirations” used on your pieces. I can see them put into just about any room and like my father said, “God made the grass green because it goes with everything.” Love what you ladies do to recycle furniture and other items. Keep up the good work.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Barbara! I’m so glad you enjoy what we share! I often see green as a neutral because yes, it does go well with just about anything! XOXO
Natalie says
Oh my goodness, what a transformation! The stain looks amazing and the transfer on the top is so eye-catching without being too much. These tables are just perfect now.
Christy says
Thank you, Natalie! I am so pleased that the stain/paint combo worked out! XOXO
Rose LEFEBVRE says
I LOVE THESE! So cute, and stores away out of the way! What a great find! I have a new blog!
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! So functional, right?? Glad you decided to continue blogging with a new version! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Hi Christy! That bird transfer is so pretty. I love nesting tables!
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! This is the first set I’ve had the opportunity to redo, and I just love them too! XOXO
Jackie C says
I’m late to the party here 🤭 These turned out SO pretty. weeping willow may be my favorite color of all the Dixie Bell colors. I love the way you highlighted the center of the biggest table.
Sidenote: big mamas butta worked great on my wood on wood cabinet drawers. They slide so much easier.
Christy says
Thank you, Jackie! And you’re never too late lol. I love Weeping Willow as well and yep, already lubed up the sides with Butta ha ha. It works so well! XOXO
Susan pease says
I love the color and it blended so well. It. Goes well with the beautiful bird transfer. Personally, I would have had to add a small transfer in the corner to coordinate the three but, love it! Well done👍
Christy says
Thank you, Susan! This color is so lovely to work with, and it was SO hard to not add transfers to all three lol! XOXO