The Story of the Blue Foil Leaf Table

See how I took a used dining table and turned it into a colorful work table for a craft room using layered foil leaf.

Sometimes necessity meets crazy! As in, I need a craft room table….and I want to cover it with foil leaf!

WHAT?!?!? A foil leaf craft table? Something delicate covering a table that will take daily abuse?

Once upon a time…

Before you call me crazy, listen to my story…and rationale.

I had been shopping for possible craft tables and just wasn’t finding one I liked.

Truthfully, I didn’t want to spend the money on it. Tables can be expensive and I needed a large one.

The Preface

A friend of a friend (let’s call her my fairy godmother who is fantastic at sourcing great finds and also cuts my hair!) pointed me to a Facebook Marketplace ad offering a free dining table and chairs.

After a few room measurements, I went for it and got this sturdy, strong, and FREE table! I was thrilled! (I did not need the chairs so those were donated to a local charity.)

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Chapter 1…Let the sanding begin!

table top and  chair legs that have been sanded.

It was quite a dilemma as to what color I painted the table. White, navy, blush pink, light blue???

An Instagram story poll, while supportive, did not yield a clear winner. (Hey! I would love for you to follow me on Instagram!)

So, I just started rolling it white. I figured I would see what it looked like and take it from there.

Rolling white paint on to the tabletop.

Nice. Classic! I liked it!

But I wanted just a bit more…

The table completely painted white.
Love the table on top of THIS RUG!

You see, I have a small obsession with gold leaf…

How to Gold Leaf Anything!

…and remembered that foil leaf comes in all sorts of colors!

Including this amazing shade of blue! You can see all the colors of Foil Leaf HERE.

So, I went for it!

Blue leaf foil and metal leaf adhesive.

Applying Foil Leaf is Easy (if a little messy!)

  • Apply the leaf adhesive to the surface with a paintbrush. Let dry for abut 10 minutes or until tacky.
  • Place the leaf on top of the adhesive. Be aware the foil leaf is VERY thin and tears easily.
  • Gently brush across the leaf. Any excess can be brushed away or applied to another part of the surface.
  • Let dry completely. (I like to let it set overnight.)

Seeing some of the white underneath the leaf was kid of fun and I could have left it that way. However, I decided to keep layering the leaf for a more solid look.

In process…here you can see some of that white popping through.

The first layer of the blue foil leaf on the table.

Once I layered the foil leaf to the point of satisfaction, I added a coat of polyurethane to the top for protection. This is a craft table, after all, and will take some abuse!

A can of water based matte polyurethane by Rust-Oleum.

Voila!

I can move the table toward the window and actually work at it seated at the daybed.

The completed foil leaf table sitting by the window.

Or, I can move it to the middle of the room. (This is probably where it will be most of the time.)

Oh, how I love the shine! It is like having a crystal clear blue water feature in the room!

A aerial photo shot of the blue foil leaf table.

The Summary

Admittedly, a foil leaf table to be used for crafting and other projects may not be considered the most practical.

Yet…

  • The tabletop is solidly protected with the polyurethane.
  • If the top gets “dinged up”, all the better! Well used and well loved is always in style!
  • The table was FREE! I am not out anything!
  • Between the foil leaf and the adhesive, I spent only about $40.
  • I just really love it! And, we should aways put only what we love in our homes!
A tray with pink tulips and pink yarn balls on top of the blue foil leaf table.

Guess where I am having my morning coffee today?

A coffee mug sitting on the foil leaf table.

Get ready for some crafting projects!

End of story? Not yet! It has another chapter…figuring out the perfect work stool for my “new” table! Stay tuned!

Cheers!

P.S. The new craft room is coming along nicely (if at a snail’s pace!) It you would like to see how it has progressed, take at look at these…

Creating a Craft Room

Craft Room Storage Idea

Dresser Makeover

11 Comments

  1. You are absolutely AhhhMazing Missy! The table looks fantastic and fits perfectly in your space❤️

    1. AHHH! You always make me so happy, Becky! I credit you with connecting me with the table! Thank you, Becky!

  2. Amazing!! You are so clever! I would never even think of doing this and it’s gorgeous! Love all the colors this room holds. Such a happy space!

    1. Hi Pat! You are so sweet! You are right….this room is really happy and I love spending time in it. Color can do that!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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