Add Wood Veneer to MCM Coffee Table
This is one of my favorite furniture projects so far. In this post I will take you through step-by-step on how to refinish and veneer a coffee table.
I bought this coffee table at an estate sale for $8. As you can see, it was not in the best shape, missing some feet on the legs, and looked pretty bland if I am being completely honest. Even my mom said she didn't know what I was thinking when I bought it. Of course, I had a completely different vision for it...
Step by step:
1. Remove the legs. (removing them is optional but it does make the process easier with less bulk). Luckily, the legs on this particular table were removable and just unscrewed on their own.
2. Clean everything. I used just and all-purpose cleaner to wipe down all surfaces seen here.
3. SAND SAND SAND the heck out of the table. (This part took the longest. I had to sand each leg by hand since it is such an odd shape. I got it down to the complete natural wood. One day while I was at work my dad actually sanded out the entire outer rim of the table for me. The table top is not real wood and more of a Formica laminate so that did not need to be sanded).
4. Wipe off any dust with a dry cloth, and then again with a wet cloth just to get any remaining dust.
5. Let dry.
6. Add two coats of stain. I used a dark walnut stain that was sitting around my parents' house seen here. Be sure to wipe off any excess with a clean rag after each coat.
7. Let it dry over night.
8. Add two coats of polyurethane that is in your preferred finish (I did a gloss finish because that is what I had on hand, but now wish I had done a matte finish).
9. LET DRY OVERNIGHT.
10. Now it is time for the interesting part... the walnut veneer. I purchased my wood veneer through Veneer Factory Outlet. I used the veneer that had the 3M adhesive already attached so I did not need to purchase any more glue or products for this project.
***It is important to prep the surface that you are going to be veneering, making sure it is smooth and clean. The website shows the different methods to prep different materials. Since the surface on this table was already completely smooth, I had no other necessary prep besides making sure it was clean.
11. Place the veneer face down on a clean and flat surface so the adhesive side is facing up. (I just placed it on my parents' kitchen floor). DO NOT REMOVE THE ADHESIVE BACKING YET.
12. Flip the table upside down and place it on top of the veneer that is laying on the floor.
13. Make a stencil with the table (I made mine an additional 2 inches bigger in circumference in order to have wiggle room for error).
14. Lift the table away from the veneer and cut out the stencil you just traced (this can be done with regular scissors).
15. Peel off the adhesive backing, and gently place it onto the top of the table. There should be a 2 inch overhang on all sides of the table. WARNING: The veneer is extremely sticky so be sure you have placed it where you want it. There is no getting it up once it even touches the surface you are sticking it to.
16. Firmly press down the veneer to adhere it to the table, making sure there are no air bubbles. I used a wood block to firmly push and smooth the veneer to ensure that it has adhered.
17. Once you are sure it is secure and in place, flip the table over so the tabletop is on the floor, and the legs are in the air. (You will want a"cutting board" underneath since you will be cutting off the excess veneer).
18. Use a blade to cut off all excess veneer that you left in the 2 inch overhang (You can also use a router for this but I did not own one at the time I did this project).
19. Flip the table onto its legs and polyurethane the top. I skipped the stain on the top of the table because the color already matched the stain on the legs and the rim of the table.
20. TA-DA!!
It has really warmed up our basement and has brought a lot of character to the space. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. (Matthew knows that no feet are allowed, and coasters are a MUST!)
I bought this coffee table at an estate sale for $8. As you can see, it was not in the best shape, missing some feet on the legs, and looked pretty bland if I am being completely honest. Even my mom said she didn't know what I was thinking when I bought it. Of course, I had a completely different vision for it...Step by step:
1. Remove the legs. (removing them is optional but it does make the process easier with less bulk). Luckily, the legs on this particular table were removable and just unscrewed on their own.
2. Clean everything. I used just and all-purpose cleaner to wipe down all surfaces seen here.
3. SAND SAND SAND the heck out of the table. (This part took the longest. I had to sand each leg by hand since it is such an odd shape. I got it down to the complete natural wood. One day while I was at work my dad actually sanded out the entire outer rim of the table for me. The table top is not real wood and more of a Formica laminate so that did not need to be sanded).
4. Wipe off any dust with a dry cloth, and then again with a wet cloth just to get any remaining dust.
5. Let dry.
6. Add two coats of stain. I used a dark walnut stain that was sitting around my parents' house seen here. Be sure to wipe off any excess with a clean rag after each coat.
7. Let it dry over night.
8. Add two coats of polyurethane that is in your preferred finish (I did a gloss finish because that is what I had on hand, but now wish I had done a matte finish).
9. LET DRY OVERNIGHT.
10. Now it is time for the interesting part... the walnut veneer. I purchased my wood veneer through Veneer Factory Outlet. I used the veneer that had the 3M adhesive already attached so I did not need to purchase any more glue or products for this project.
***It is important to prep the surface that you are going to be veneering, making sure it is smooth and clean. The website shows the different methods to prep different materials. Since the surface on this table was already completely smooth, I had no other necessary prep besides making sure it was clean.
11. Place the veneer face down on a clean and flat surface so the adhesive side is facing up. (I just placed it on my parents' kitchen floor). DO NOT REMOVE THE ADHESIVE BACKING YET.
12. Flip the table upside down and place it on top of the veneer that is laying on the floor.
13. Make a stencil with the table (I made mine an additional 2 inches bigger in circumference in order to have wiggle room for error).
14. Lift the table away from the veneer and cut out the stencil you just traced (this can be done with regular scissors).
15. Peel off the adhesive backing, and gently place it onto the top of the table. There should be a 2 inch overhang on all sides of the table. WARNING: The veneer is extremely sticky so be sure you have placed it where you want it. There is no getting it up once it even touches the surface you are sticking it to.
16. Firmly press down the veneer to adhere it to the table, making sure there are no air bubbles. I used a wood block to firmly push and smooth the veneer to ensure that it has adhered.
17. Once you are sure it is secure and in place, flip the table over so the tabletop is on the floor, and the legs are in the air. (You will want a"cutting board" underneath since you will be cutting off the excess veneer).
18. Use a blade to cut off all excess veneer that you left in the 2 inch overhang (You can also use a router for this but I did not own one at the time I did this project).
19. Flip the table onto its legs and polyurethane the top. I skipped the stain on the top of the table because the color already matched the stain on the legs and the rim of the table.
20. TA-DA!!
It has really warmed up our basement and has brought a lot of character to the space. It was a lot of work but totally worth it. (Matthew knows that no feet are allowed, and coasters are a MUST!)
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