Trash to School Desk!

I wanted school desks. I had no school desks. I had a table and that was fine but they weren't school desks. So I found some! I found two small tables that were left in the parsonage. I ALMOST threw them away but found random places to stick them so they would be useful. I'm SOOO glad I kept them!
BEFORE!!! 
They had been painted quite a lot so I did some research about paint stripping and it seemed to not be too daunting so I tackled them with paint stripper.
I slapped the stuff on and watched it do this! I was impressed - this should be easy! 
HA HA HA!!! Let me tell you - this was NOT easy! I scraped it off and it wasn't coming off. This stuff was ridiculous! After slathering on 3 layers of paint stripper and 4 chemical burns - this stuff eats through plastic gloves! I gave up and called a friend with a sander. I sanded that puppy down. Why I did not do that in the first place - heaven knows. God probably decided He would teach me a thing or two about patience and persistence. I don't think I got the persistence lesson though. To all who consider using paint stripper - think again and you will be glad you did. 
Here it is after being sanded (see the paint is STILL not all the way off!) and I started priming. 
AFTER! 
Here is the finished project! I was pretty pleased with how it came out and now it is no longer a trash possibility but it can be used for a desk for my schoolroom or if I find actual desks, I have a spot picked out in my hallway for this small table! 
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4 comments:

  1. JordynAugust 25, 2011 at 8:52 AM

    LOVE IT!! I soooo love projects like this! I think I have 3 going right now...lol

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  2. Graced SimplicityAugust 25, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    As you know my hubby builds and refinishes furniture, Something we've both learned over several years of doing this is: Applying stripper for 5 to 10 seconds, then be sure to wipe it off with a chunk of steel wool, or a furniture scraper. {The stripper evaporates fast} working in small sections at a time, works best. Removing one layer at a time. It's very time consuming when furniture has been painted and repainted or lacquered over and over again. for instancemy dining room chairs
    Haha, I don't blame you for turning to the sander.{Those babies looked caked on!} Wow. ;0) {My husband wouldn't have liked me using that idea very well! He would have reminded me of this: "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:4} haha.} Yes, he's rather particular when it comes to furniture. :wink: Nice job, though! They look fabulously cute, great idea!

    Thanks for linking this up for HEARTS 4 HOME Thursdays!

    Much Love & Blessings,
    ESTHER
    www.oursimplecountrylife.com

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  3. Ann@StringerMamaAugust 25, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    Goodness Esther - that would have been nice to know! On the can it said to wait 5 minutes! By that time it was dry again! So I sped it up a little bit and that worked. Patience probably would have been a better method but I wasn't enjoying it either so out came the sander! :0) All in all - I'm content and I will probably never do it again but that's ok!

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  4. UnknownAugust 26, 2011 at 10:35 PM

    Looks great and amen to paint stripper being a beast! Thanks for linking up with DIY under $5!

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Your comments are such a blessing and encouragement to me! If you have a question or comment that you would like to ask, feel free to comment below or email me at Ann@StringerMama.com! I look forward to hearing from you!

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