Table transformation under $10 and under 1 hour

I love taking an old piece of furniture and transforming it into something lovely.  But sometimes the supplies required for the transformation can cost more than the furniture!  Not this time.

My latest Under $10 Under 1 Hour project was creating this:

from this:

Here's how I did it cheaply and easily.

My tools:

Perhaps you can see that I bought that can of Krylon's "Bahama Sea" paint on clearance for $1.50. My Wal-Mart was selling odds and ends of paints, and I just happened to luck upon this color. The Minwax Wood Sheen I've had in my paint supplies for years. 

I did absolutely nothing to prep the table for painting. I knew that I wanted an aged finish, so I figured it didn't matter how good the paint job was. I just sprayed the Krylon on. One can was plenty for two coats. And here she is in her bright-blue glory:
Next I took a piece of fine-grit sandpaper and distressed the table a bit. (By the way, I love distressing furniture. It seems that so many of my efforts go into trying to make myself look younger--it's fun to purposefully try to make something look older!) I just sanded some of the blue paint off on the edges, the outer margins of the curves, etc. Wherever it seemed that the table might naturally have gotten beat up over the years, I sanded. This took 5-10 minutes. And then I had this:
Then for the crowning touch, I took paper towels and smeared some of the Wood Sheen onto the table, then wiped off most of it. I can't think of any other way to describe my technique. "Smear and wipe" is exactly what I did. I just smeared and wiped until I was happy with the way the table looked:
The smearing and wiping took about five minutes. Honestly, it took longer for me to take the photos and write this post than it took to complete all the work.

The cost?
Table: free (a gift from my sister's attic, several years ago)
Paint: $1.50 (regular price $2.97)
Stain: free from my stash
Paper towels: pennies

So this project was actually Under $2 Under 1 hour.  That's my kind of project!

And here's the little table in her new home in my blue and brown bathroom:
If you can file your nails and wipe off the kitchen counter, you can produce a piece like this. Those are the only skills you need. It's fun! And cheap! And easy!

One of my very favorite bloggers, Melissa from 320 Sycamore, is hosting a wonderful party to showcase this kind of project: Under $10 Under 1 Hour.  Check it out! I'm also joining the fun at The Shabby Nest and at Finding Fabulous. So many wonderful frugal projects! And I'm happy to link up to Amanda's Weekend Bloggy Reading round-up. 

Happy painting!