How to Save a Laminate Table with Gel Stain and Paint

Using gel stain and chalky finish type paint I show you how to save an old laminate table and up-cycle it into a farmhouse table with charm.

Have an old laminate table that has seen better days? Save money by giving it a makeover with paint and gel stain.

Upcycling a Beat Up Laminate Table

Once upon a time there was an old laminate table.  It folded out into a bigger table.  But the table, nice as it was had seen better days.  It was old and chipped and the sides were worn.  It was time to throw it out!  Oh wait, I’m a DIY blogger!  I can do this!!  Or at least I can try!! Cause I really don’t know much more than you do. 

If you have an old piece of furniture don’t despair!  I try to make lots of mistakes on my blog so you won’t have to… gotta love that!  Today I managed to make very few mistakes! “wink”

But enough with the exclamation points, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and show you how to save this old laminate table with gel stain!

What I Used:

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  If you purchase any of these products through the links, we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. You can find our full disclosure here.

As you can see by the above photo, the table has a top piece and underneath there are two leaves which open up to make it even bigger.  It was in pitiful shape when I decided to tackle it.  ​

The How To:

Before I started the first thing I did was to give it a soft sanding.  Nothing too harsh to wear myself out, just here and there where the old varnish was hanging out in clumps and drips. 

​I took out my trusty Americana Chalky Finish Paint and applied 3 coats to the bottom half of the table and the legs, and one for the tops. 

I did not worry too much about the top because I used the chalky finish paint more as a primer. You see that here I have painted the top against the grain.

The top part of the table was painted in the other direction. Meaning along the width. And I also had a repair to deal with. 

I used some putty and stuck it to the end and then painted over it.  So far it seems to be fine. I’m sure there must be a better way of fixing it but I was in a big rush.

See, you can hardly tell. ​

Next I took a round brush and quickly worked the gel stain across the leaves of the table. Because the undercoat of the chalky finish paint was done in the opposite direction I ended up with lots of texture.  This was done intentionally… awww, who am I kidding!  I had no idea what I was doing, but the truth is I loved this happy accident of mine. 

This little bottle went a long way!  It’s from DecoArt Americana line.  This is a Gel Stain in Walnut and it is thicker than regular stain and also dries super fast. I just worked it back and forth as quickly as I could and did not worry about the overlap of the stained areas.  It’s supposed to be an old table and it should look uneven.

Here are the two leaves.  Now remember, the bottom brushstroke is opposite to the top brushstroke.  That’s why I got all that variation and depth of the stain.

The top of the table was done in the opposite way.  The chalky finish was painted width wise, and the gel stain was also painted in the same direction, across.  So I did not get as much of a heavy stain look.

I painted the edges with the stain to match. Nothing fancy here, just dabbled the stain on. 

And I finished it off with a can of spray varnish.  I used a brand from the Lidl Supermarket. I actually sprayed it for two days taking my time to make sure that I had lots of thin even layers because this table is a work horse. It needed to stand up.  ​

After letting it cure for a week, it was done and I was able to use it.

​It has a rough, worn look to it which I love.

And that walnut against the crispy white is such a great combination.

Do you remember what it looked like before?

Now you see why even if you are not sure of your talents it is always a good idea to go ahead and try.  After all, as in my case, the finished table is so much better than the before. I never would have known what I’m capable of unless I tried. 

This table was eventually put in the small bedroom, where I also updated an old bed frame.  It is part of the small apartment series. I’ll be sharing the completed room soon. ​

I hope that after reading my post you will not hesitate to try your hand at an old piece of furniture. In my case it was already pretty messed up so I couldn’t mess it up any further. But I’m prone to experimenting a bit so you never know which direction my projects will go in. 

​This is an easy way to save an old laminate table with stain gel and give it a second life in the process.  Have you ever used stain gel?  What did you think?

Hello, we're Jane & Sonja, sisters, moms and lifelong crafters.

We Think You'll Enjoy These Related Projects:

98 Comments

  1. Mary the wonders you work with your chalky paint are unreal! This table is such a gem now and looks so so beautiful. I love how it is not perfect but so rustic with all it´s edges and the stain is amazing! It looks fantastic, great job!

    1. Katrin I now look at life as BCP (beforwe chalk paint) and ACP (after chalk paint). It has really transformed how I think and what I do.

  2. You did an awesome job on the table Mary! It looks Great! I didn’t know that you could paint, and stain over a laminated table like that. I love the white with the dark top, and the top even looks like wood grain. Nice job!

  4. Thanks for all of your tips and instructions as well as encouragement. The table looks so much better and has lots of character, too. I like the new look. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Mary really liked your formica table makeover I have been looking for this project as I too have a formica table which I dislike thanks for sharing

    1. Thank you Mary. I’m sure that there are lots of old tables like this that need not be thrown away.

  7. Looks amazing, I can’t get over how similar your new place looks like Greece, especially the outside porch or balcony! Must be in my head, I keep thinking your in Greece.
    Maria

    1. Maria this project was done in Greece before we moved. I am simply wrapping up the projects from there. Just a few more left to show.

  9. Wow, I never would have believed that old laminate table could look so good! You did a remarkable job on it! Using putty to fix that edge is the right thing to do. I assume when you say “putty,” you’re talking about wood filler. I’ve never used gel stain, but I like the look of it. Great job Mary!

    1. Thanks so much Florence. Yes it was wood filler. I was just experimenting. Thank goodness it turned out well.

  11. I’ve never used stain gel but I’m seriously impressed with the end results. OMW Mary the table looks so gorgeous. I had to do a double take and go back to the before photo to make sure that my eye’s weren’t decieving me.

    1. I was pretty impressed with it too Michelle. All this because I started blogging. I never would have attempted a project like this before blogging.

  13. Mary, you are one ambitious lady! I am super impressed. I also am going to give that gel stain a try. Looks interesting…

  14. This is somewhat timely for me. I’ve been staring at a wooden table in my garage with some veneer on it — chipped. Certainly different from this but it is a reminder that paint and stain are good things and maybe before I haul it to the curb (which I would have done a long time ago if I could life it!) I should rethink things a little!

    1. As long as you make sure to give it a good sanding the chalk paint will stick. I love chalk paint. But the stain gel was a revelation for me Jeanie. I am so glad I found it and it gave so much depth to the table.

  15. I have refinished a lot of furniture and my day. I thought the only way to deal with laminate was to rip it off, it is a pain. I would not have thought to try to refinish laminate. It looks great. I’m glad you can find a nice used for something that was old and ugly.

    1. Michele I have also done a bookcase that was laminate and it has held up beautifully after a year. In this case with the table, it is nice because of the added stain wood look.

    1. Yes Marie, the one I was agonizing over. Haha. I also did a dresser with a similar look… .coming soon.

    1. Thank you so much Lauren, it would have been a shame to get rid of it just because it was laminate.

Comments are closed.