Hiding from the Neighbors

We rescued this from our neighbor's trash--much to my embarrassment.

Actually, let me clarify. I saw it on the curb, but didn't have the guts to grab it. I called my husband to ask him about it. He said he saw it on his way to work, stopped to look at it, but it was too decrepit to save. The short story is that I bugged him about and he stopped and picked it up on the way home from work that day. Whew! It sat in our garage for a while. He gave it menacing looks every time he glanced at it. I just kept telling him what I envisioned.

What do YOU think?

We used the wood from a playhouse we made a few years ago (and then took apart recently because it was too big for our basement) to redo the table top and the tops of the benches.

The supports underneath were also rotting, so my husband made new ones from the leftover wood from this craft and this craft. He figured out how to screw it all together with pocket screws and it was ready for its day at the paint spa.

We primed then painted it an apple green (leftover from painting my girls' room) mixed with an outdoor paint left over from our sandbox redo (another post!) that was off white. After mixing it, it was a little more pale than I wanted, but I actually love the color. It is exactly the same color I used on the backing board for a shelf I just painted (also another post!). I wanted to stay away from traditional colors, but I was a little worried about this looking like an Easter egg. I think I am safe because, after I added all of the other colors, it is just "eclectic".

Then, I used the Silhouette to cut out a place setting and used the "negative" to adhere the vinyl to the table. It took a long time and a lot of patience to lay this out, but it worked perfectly.

Then, I painted using both craft paint and spray paint. I used my girls' favorite colors whether they went together or not. I wanted to make this project without spending any money at all, but I would definitely recommend only spray paint in the future. It dried so much quicker and smoother, of course!

There was some smudging and mistakes, but I wasn't worried for this project. (Ok, a little--it bothers me, but it shouldn't!) Next, I added a few details like flowers, dots, and a simple monogram.

Finally, it got a coat of clear sealant and we are ready for our picnic in style!

You gotta love the way it reinforces a correct table setting in such a sneaky manner! I know lots of adults who can't remember where to put everything. And, the neighbors whose trash we took this from have wandered past and blatantly stared at us working on "their" table. Bet they wish they didn't throw it out!

Hmmmm . . . Maybe I should invite them over for a picnic!

I'm linking this project HERE.