I love the table tray! What a great idea. I noticed you used fabric for your project. Mod Podge has a glue just for fabric. I noticed you mentioned Mod Podge was a bit too sticky when applying the glue. I honestly haven’t used it. I have read it has been made specifically for decoupaging furniture, so I suggested it. Any white glue would work. I personally like the glue that dries clear. I am like you, that I do not like overly thick glue that cannot be easily manipulated.

Shellac, and polyurethane will go yellow over years. I noticed the disaster it creates with the first table I painted, and finished with polyurethane. Polycrylic is a water based formula that can be used over any white furniture. It is also perfect for decoupaging because it is not made of oil which would ruin the paper that you are decorating your furniture with.

Though, I have a question for you Grace…..

When you applied the Mod Podge on your fabric tray table, did the end product turn out like a piece of glass on the fabric?

Polycrylic is a very thin watery substance, so it certainly wouldn’t create a thick layer of glass. It is meant just to seal your finish.

One product I have played around with in the past is the clear solution that comes in the tub painting kits. Rust-oleum has a 2 part kit which is meant to be used on tubs. The kits come with two paint, (1 Almond, or white, and 1 clear epoxy) The first time I used it on a tub in one of our rental apartments, I used them individually, which turned out very badly. I didn’t read the directions that they are meant to be mixed together then applied.

I had left over epoxy so I used it on other projects. The clear enamel is like nothing I have ever tried before. It is rock hard. Initially when I used it over white, it did turn out very yellow. Although, I was really impressed on how hard and thick the substance got when it dried. It could be used over fabric, but I honestly haven’t tried it yet. It would be interesting to create a fabric chest and it (might) be the perfect solution for the top. (I am sure there is fabric paint out there to seal projects)

The draw backs to this project is that it is extremely toxic. You have to wear a mask when applying it, and after a good 7 minutes, you have to leave the room if you don’t have a window fully open. The smell is so chemically saturated, that you do have to leave your house. It is not a good idea to leave a pet, like a bird or a dog or cat while this chemical is drying.

The second draw back is that it take a LONG time to dry. I finished a chest surface in it once, and it seemed dry after a week, and I packed boxes on top of the chest and it made an imprint. Granted I had the clear finish on pretty thick. If you put it on thinner, it might take three days to dry. Secondly, the finish is so rock hard you cannot sand it. So when you do apply it, be sure to apply it with a foam paint brush, because if you don’t get it perfect you cannot sand it. It is a product full of promise though. I wouldn’t use it over white, but it could be something to experiment with when it comes to fabric chests for example.

Meranda

I think anywhere you live, the nicer quality antique furniture is always going to be hard to find. A lot of antique dealers in the United States often go to Europe to buy their furniture and resell it locally, as I suspect happens in New Zealand. One area that has a lot of French reproductions is Egypt.

Here are a couple of posts that might interest you.

http://thewhitedresser.com/archives/distressed-white-dresser

http://thefrenchprovincialfurniture.com/painting-colorful-french-provincial-furniture

http://thefrenchprovincialfurniture.com/how-to-paint-furniture-black-like-a-pro

Blessings!

Meranda

Your workmanship is flawless! I own some burled maple furniture, and you have captured the look of burled wood perfectly. Beautiful job!!

A suggestion you may consider……

Another clear finish you can try AS YOUR LAST FINISH is “Tough as Tile”- “Paint and tile finish” to the top of your counter top. Tough as tile is meant to fix up ugly tubs wit a white paint. The kit includes a can of paint and a can of epoxy. How it works when you are painting a tub is you mix the two together and paint your tub.

It is industrial strength epoxy, and could be the perfect solution for your countertop.

You would just use the clear epoxy. It turns out glossy, so if you do not want gloss, this may not be for you.

Before you begin, be sure to really sand your countertops, because you really want it to stick well. This epoxy is what I would use for countertops, because it is strong!

If you end up using this, be sure to use a foam brush to apply the clear gloss, but also leave yourself almost 2 weeks of drying time.

I used it on a dresser top, and I left my piece for a week to dry, (which I thought was enough time), only to stack furniture on top of my piece and it left marks.

Because this clear gloss is meant for your bathtub it is almost impossible to sand after you are finished, so be sure to apply it with a foam brush.

I will use it again, but the next time I will be sure to let my piece dry for a longer time.

Hope this helps…. Meranda

I am very sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier, I haven’t checked my comments in quite some time. By this time your project might already be finished.

What I have used in the past was a color almost close to the Olympic Bronze UL150-17 In behr paint. Looking on the Olympic Gold site, (It is kind of hard to tell) but I would suggest the colors like Ginger c21-6, or Bronze Eucalyptus B21-6. If you get a color around that range, you will get the effect of a burl, because you are going to be adding a poly stain on top of the design after it dries, which is the product that gives the illusion of wood.

The product I used to create the burl design is an artists oil in a tube of paint called Winton Oil Color in Burnt Umber. I used paint thinner, but turpentine works just the same. Any artists oil paint used for wall paintings that you frame will work well. A Burnt Umber is a common color so you should find it in a local crafts store, or on ebay.

For the stain I used a product called product called Minwax Polyshades, so basically it is wood stain mixed in with polyurethane. It is a one step process. For me, I can layer it on, and it gives the look of wood. I have found that high gloss looks great only if it is very even. You can get an even finish by using a foam brush, and brushing on the stain.

For me, the best advice I can give is just to go ahead and try it. Don’t think to much, just go for it. You may want to try a small jewelry box first so you can master the technique before you do your countertops.