DIY Card Table

So I have accumulated a lot of random furniture most of it from my parents. When I started grad school I needed stuff for a non-furnished apartment so a cheap bed, a hell couch and a card table became my staples. Unfortunately the card table has seen better days, it was my grandmas and she used it as a money table at her infamous garage sales.  The top had been ripped and taped up which was bugging the heck out of me!! This year I coudn't stand it so I grabbed some modge podge and went to town.

List of Supplies:

Modge Podge Gloss Finish

Modge Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer Gloss Finish

Paint Brush

Old Atlas

So here is the before photo, you can see all the rips and tape!

Another before trying to cover the top

1. The first step is to select the pages of the atlas you want to use for the table. I wanted a good mix of all the colors in the atlas so I tried to get a good even mix with a lot of blue from the water. And since I'm from Michigan I grabbed my home state for the center of the table.

2. I took my pages and ripped them up. I had no rhyme or reason to my method but I tried to make the pieces fit in the palm of my hand. You can make them larger or smaller depending on the aesthetic you want.

3. Now your ready to modge podge! If you haven't ever done it there are multiple ways to do it but I will tell you my way. I dipped the paintbrush in the modge podge and spread a thin layer on the table.

4. Next you place the paper down on the wet modge podge. 

5. Then put another thin layer of modge podge over the paper.I layered my paper so I continually had to paint modge podge down and then cover then layer and so on.....

Here is a good picture showing my process, I methodically worked from this corner across the table. You can see my pages and ripped up paper in this photo as well.

 6. After applying the paper to the whole top I let it dry completely. Then I applied another layer of modge podge over the entire thing and let that dry completely.

7. The last step is applying the sealer. I did t his inside which was not a good idea. I reccommend oign this in a WELL ventilated area as my whole apartment smelled faintly of chemical for days. Just follow the directions on the can for this.

And Voila!

And here's the final result! I still want to pain the metal but the modge podge map top was a HUGE improvement!

And here's one last top view!