Bistro Table Makeover

This afternoon, I'm sitting on my deck enjoying my "new" bistro table. Actually, my Mom bought this little set for me 17 years ago when I was newly married and we'd purchased our first home. As the years flew by, it began to show its age. I had been wanting to give it a makeover, thinking maybe I could put a mosaic design on the table top. But that seemed like a really tall order, too complicated and expensive of a project. I had no idea where to begin. To be totally honest, I was afraid to try it.

Definitely time for a makeover!

As Spring began to bloom and stores began to display pretty new sets, in the back of my mind I was shopping for something new. But the practical side of me told me that even if a makeover project was a little bit expensive, it wasn't going to be more than the price of something new. I'd need to get over my fear.

I started out by painting both chairs yellow and the table frame green. Thanks to my neighbor, Tony, for helping sand a few rusty places. My initial plan for the tabletop's mosaic design was to use broken dinner plates. I figured I could get some plates pretty cheap at Old Time Pottery and break them up. But I didn't find all the colors I needed and ended up looking at the stained glass at Hobby Lobby.

I asked a man at church who makes stained glass windows about how best to break the glass, and he invited me to get glass from his broken pieces. As a result, I was able to return most of what I'd purchased! Thank you, Mr. Summers!

First, I cut the glass and laid the pieces on a paper drawing of my design. 

Using a dry erase marker, I drew my design on the bottom side of the glass table top. Then I transfered the stained glass pieces to the table top and glued each piece in place using a glass bonding adhesive. It was easy to erase the marker once my pieces where all in place.

When the glue was dry, I added the grout. I had to add two layers of grout to build it up enough to fill between the pieces of glass. After the grout cured for 24 hours, I sealed it.

But that's only part of the transformation. Okay, it's most of it. But I couldn't put those old cushions back on. No way! I already new it was difficult to find small round cushions. I'd actually been looking for new ones for a few years. And by "looking," I mean when I'm in a store that sells that sort of thing, I glance over what they have to see if they have any to fit my set. I never really took the looking very seriously. But knowing that it might be difficult to find what I needed, I half decided I would either leave them cushionless, or try to re-cover the old cushions. But as I was perusing the back corner of Target, I came across their outdoor section clearance and found two pillows I happened to like. I decided I could add a center button and turn them into cushions for my chairs. Who really cares if they're not round? They would offer far more cushion than the old ones if I were to re-cover them, and I didn't feel I could make something for less than the clearance price I would pay.

Here it is! My new table with fat new cushions on the chairs!

The moral of the story? Whatever project you're afraid to start because you think you can't do it, don't put it off any longer! Go for it! You won't know until you try. Well, maybe within reason. You won't see me replacing the linonium with tile on my bathroom floor any time soon.





Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17