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:

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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.

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98 Comments

  1. Good for you Mary. Laminate furniture rarely gets a makeover and yours looks fantastic now. I love how you have a wood grain look now. Its very very well done.

    1. I have to agree with you Leanna. It does serve a purpose and if it can be pretty then it is worth saving.

  3. It looks great, Mary! I love your honesty about making mistakes and not always being sure of what you are doing. Don’t we all feel that way sometimes?! The table sure came out well for not knowing what you were doing, though! Love it!

    1. Amy I try to always be honest on the blog. After all I am no expert, just an average person trying to get by, and finding an adventure or two along the way. But I do love to share everything I learn with others.

  6. OK, I had no idea that a piece of laminate furniture could be made to look this good. Thanks for the inspiration and the detailed tutorial!

    1. Thank you Sherry, I think you make the best projects so that is a real compliment coming from you.

  8. Hi Mary,
    What a great transformation. I love the way gel stain works and that it’s not as smelly as regular stain. I’ve used in on smaller craft projects but nothing this big. Good to know!

    1. Yes that is what I liked about it too. Not as smelly and easy to work with. It just took a bit longer to do the table surface because it was so big, but it was so worth it.

  11. You know, as our kitchen renovation winds down, I’m noticing how awful our kitchen table and chairs really look. (Honestly, I knew they were bad before, but they look absolutely hideous now!) I’ve been hesitant to do much with the table since it is laminate, but I might just have to give this a try! Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!

    1. Leslie you are so good at anything you do. You should definitely go for it. As long as you sand at the start to give the chalk paint extra grip I think it will be fine. I’ve also done other laminate projects and they have held up very well.

    1. Cynthia that white crispy color against the farmhouse top is too pretty to pass up. I had to try it.

  14. Just a little love, and refinishing can make such a dramatic difference from what you start out with. Love following along your room makeovers Mary, thanks for sharing at #fridaysfurniturefix

      1. I am so glad to hear this Linda. That is such a practical table it would have been a shame to get rid of it.

    2. Brenda I think I need a vacation from all the makeovers. A nice simple project is in order after all that.

  16. Hi Mary, I can’t believe that was a laminate table now! I have been thinking about tackling a laminate table that I have in my house but I was worried about chipping paint since it is a table my kids use most of the time for their crafts. You will have to tell me how you think it would hold up to active (careless..hehe) kids. Great makeover! I love the transformation! Thank you so much for the tutorial! Saw your post at the Fridays furniture fix party:)

    1. Kathleen I would suggest you add a few coats of polyurethane on the top so it will hold up. I have another table that I did the same way and added varnish on top but you need the toughest you can get.

    1. Amber before I started this project I was hesitant that it would not work but once I took out those paint brushes it was easier than I thought.

  19. Mary, you worked miracles with this old table! You managed to conceal the formica nicely, and I like how the top brown, and the bottom white look together. Great job!

    1. Thanks so much Florence. I wanted a neutral look for the table and this farmhouse look is just that.

  20. Mary, the table turned out beautifully!! The different strokes and variances give it interest and I love that! You really did a great job transforming this table into a wow piece!

    1. Thanks so much Keri. It reminds me of your curbside table where you also had a wooden top and a cream bottom. But my top is fake. 😉

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