Toile Tables Take Two!

So because I am on vacation in Canada I thought I'd re-cycle some older posts since I didn't plan well and ask people to guest post.

I thought it would be fun to show you how fabric can transform your furniture from okay to great! There are two versions of these tables because well, you'll see.

My Toile Tables seems to inspire alliteration.

Deborah from upcyclingmylife wanted to know how I did the fabric insert on these tables so today you get to find out and hopefully, you'll find some cool way to use fabric on your furniture as well. It is super easy.

Here they are finished

Cut your fabric to be smidge, and I mean a smidge, smaller than the area you want to cover. When you smooth it out it will go to the edge of where you need to be. I was lucky and just used the veneer insert as my template

Dry fit the fabric. This means check the fit and placement BEFORE you start gluing and sealing. You'll be glad you did.

Don't worry about any threads right now. It will be better to cut them when the glue has been applied. And never pull! It will fray your fabric edge and look messy.

Now get your Mod Podge and a foam brush. I like foam because it doesn't leave brush marks on the finished product.

 Tape off the edges you do not want to be sealed. It will protect it from getting the glue on it. I know this isn't pictured but trust me. It is worth it. Mod Podge the entire surface. Then lay half the fabric like above, once placed correctly....

slowly lower the other half in place. Smooth out all air bubbles. Move slowly because every time you reposition your fabric, you will pull it out of shape slightly so take it slow. The directions on the bottle say to Mod Podge the fabric before placing it on the wood but I think it works out better this way. Let the glue dry first before starting to add your layers of Mod Podge over the fabric. If you don't you will move the fabric a bit.

The Mod Podge is cloudy when wet and clear when dry. It takes about 10-20 minutes for each layer to dry. I sealed the fabric with 4 layers of Mod Podge. Make sure you brush the sealer on in BOTH directions. That way you hit all the fibers well.  At this point you can cut any threads that peek out from the edges. I also added a bit more sealer to the edges to make sure it adhered well and didn't lift over time. 

The fabric will now feel VERY rough. Take 180 grit sandpaper and sand it a bit once you are happy with how it looks or you are tired of gluing, which ever comes first. This will make it feel very smooth and finished.  You can also give it a light sanding in between layers of sealer but I did not.

Now you have Totally Terrific Toile Tables!

Tune in next week because I had a buyer in LA who purchased these tables but wanted a different  fabric insert. I can't wait to show you how these went from French Chic to Modern Chic with just a switch in fabric! Somewhere a faux crocodile is crying.......

and here they are when I changed the fabric to crocodile!

 Blogging has really opened up a whole new world (cue Aladdin music) and I feel very fortunate to have "met" so many cool chicks. Savannah is one of them. She is from Los Angeles and she designs SHOES!!! Love her already!Well she saw my Toile Tables in my Etsy shop while searching for something totally different. Isn't it fun when people are brought together.  She asked me if I could change out the fabric as the Toile would not work in the room she wanted them for. I am always up for a challenge so bring it on.  Don't worry, no little croc had to die for these tables to live a new life. Here they are in all their modern chicness. And a how-to too.

Mod Podge really is a good glue. It was a bear getting the fabric off (lots of animals in this post somehow).

Use it to measure the new fabric and cut. Try to match up the design so the tops of the tables match.

Dry fit it like you did with the Toile and then get your tools. I did not want to glue the fabric down like I did before because the croc was a bit thicker and it would not have looked finished.  

So upholstery tacks to the rescue.  You will want to get a rubber mallet so that you do not damage the finish on the tacks. After putting in one whole side of tacks on the table, I was not seeing the tacks as such a good idea! And I had to take them out several times to make them straight. Not an easy task.

This is how you should remove a tack if you ever need to! Yes that is a fork. And a napkin. Very high level tools every DIYer should have in their tool box.  The napkin is so when you leverage the fork, you do not dent the edge of the table.

Plan B. Upholstery tack strip. AHHHHH, no one makes it in Black!!!!!

Plan C. Spray paint antique trim.

Works like a charm! And the finish is much more durable I must say then the original tacks!

Original way I tried to spray, kept curling up soooo,

Cut to length and then spray. Much Better. When I say cut to length, you will need to use sharp pliers and cut right next to the open hole. The individual tack that you use in the hole will cover the edge.

I know this picture is horrible but I wanted to show you the tack strip up close so you can see how it should work.

Spray the tacks that come with it.

You nail these in every 5th space. Because the hole will not always line up with your edge you will need to have an open space as close to the end as possible and then fill in with individual tacks.

What do  you think? Do Crocs Rules?

Because the lines of these tables are so cool, almost any fabric would work.  Just some ideas that you can store in your DIY tool belt.

Always being renewed,