Snapped up these grubby stools at the thrift store a while back on half price day. The SEATS were worthless! Cracked and peeling Formica covered particle board. YUK!! But I saw POTENTIAL in those sturdy and rusty bases. Flipped one over to see if the seats were easily removable; and they were just screwed on. SOLD!!
My FIRST thought was to cut new stool tops out of wood and add padding and fabric for some comfy upholstered seats. OR a bigger round wood top and make them into little occasional tables. BUT, it seems like the round tables I’ve made in the past took a LONG time to sell, so I decided to go with SQUARE table tops; which Michael cut and attached for me.
(Sorry about this poor picture quality! )
I decided to paint them ‘as a set’ so they could be used together as one big coffee table. But I didn’t want them to HAVE to be sold as a set. I painted them my signature beachy blue color, gave them a good sanding; then got out a small detail brush and just started ‘playing’. First painting one loooooooooooooooong swirl that went across all three tables.
Then I worked on each table individually; adding more swirls and oval shaped leaves. Still needed a little more ‘oomph’; so I added some dots. Using the end of a wood dowel dipped into paint, and making FIVE dots with each ‘dip of paint’. This way, each dot in the series of five, gradually gets smaller as there is less and less paint on your dowel.
Then I sanded AGAIN, to tone down the white details. Added a coat of matte varnish and done.
They really look BEST when spaced a few inches apart, but I don’t have the room to do that at Stars.
Here you can see better when the one looooooooooong line extends across all three tables.
And the detail shows up a little better.
I WISH I had the room to display them ‘by themselves’. Alas, I had to stack additional inventory on TOP of them, but tried to keep it from entirely covering up the designs on the table tops.
They are for sale in my booth at Stars Antique Mall in Portland, Oregon; for $29.00 each.
AJ's Trash2Treasure BLOG 
Just a quick question….. What do you use to keep stacking displays from scratching table tops? It’s been a problem for me.
You can buy little stick on DOTS made of green felt or cork that have a ‘peel and stick’ backing to put on the bottoms of the items stacked on top if you are worried about scratches.
I’ve also seen a lot of antique dealers who use the heave cardboard coasters under their BIG furniture pieces that are stacked up. OR vintage linen doilies.
MOST of the time, it’s really not a big concern for me though because my finished products are INTENTIONALLY distressed; so what’s another scratch of two?!?!?
No matter HOW careful you are, things WILL get a bit damaged in a ‘mall store setting’. People will sit cups of coffee on things and leave rings. OR spill sodas and not bother to tell the staff and you are left with a sticky mess.
aj
Thanks for the advice. I have some shabby chic pieces that small scratches are ok on, but I got a couple of DEEP scratches on a piece. I didn’t know about the felt dots. Thanks!!!!!!
The market I’m in prohibits food out drink on the sales floor, do I’m lucky in that aspect. They created a sitting area where people can eat, drink & chat up front. It keeps the older ladies shopping longer when their husband can sit & visit our just chill out.
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