How To Create A Rustic, Upcycled Table Using 5 Simple Steps!

This easy upcycling tutorial is great for both beginners and professionals! See how I used WoodUbend, Posh Chalk and La Magic paint to completely transform this stunning table.

Products used:

WoodUbend TR716

Posh Chalk Patchwork Decoupage

Posh Chalk Metallic Pigment Pale Gold

Posh Chalk Pigment Infusor

Posh Chalk Smooth and Blend Brush  

La Magic Lucky Forest

La Magic Cotton

La Magic Wood Perfume

Crackle Paint

Finding and Prepping the Piece

Sometimes, when I look for preloved furniture for my upcycling projects, there is a piece that takes my breath away. This table was no exception. The intricate vines, patterns and wicker basket effect were calling out for some Posh Chalk love.

When we brought it into the WoodUbend studio, I was so excited. Honestly, the word ‘excited’ barely covers it- I was ecstatic! We cleaned the metal work and wiped the dust from the wood. Then, we sanded it to remove any varnish, stains or waxes that could interact with the products I was going to use. This also leaves a wonderfully smooth surface free of scratches, dents, and dirt.

Shown here: our amazing friend Jonathon Marc Mendes from Painted love helping me to brainstorm ideas for this table. Shop Jonathon’s WoodUbend range here

Let the fun begin!

I knew I wanted to film this on our Facebook lives. So, to get the piece ready I painted it in La Magic Lucky Forest. I applied this to both the wood and the metalwork. I left the wicker pattern without paint.

I knew I wanted to apply crackle to this table, so this dark green colour made a perfect base coat. When you apply crackle, you want a dark layer underneath to elevate the texture.

I applied the transparent crackle coat once this paint layer had dried.

To the WoodUbend workbench!

To begin the live video, we painted a layer of La Magic Cotton on the table. Within seconds, the paint began to crackle.

What is crackle?

Crackle is a product that reacts with paint to cause separation. To use it, you must imagine your furniture as a sandwich- weird, I know!

You want a:

• Base layer: In this case, the La Magic Lucky Forest. This layer does NOT react with the crackle. You want this to be a dark or contrasting colour. This is what you will see under the cracks.
• Middle layer: For this layer we apply the crackle. This is a transparent coating that you apply evenly to the surface of the piece. There are many different brands of crackle available.
• Top layer: This layer of paint is what reacts with the crackle. With our table, we used La Magic Cotton.

You can allow the top layer to dry naturally or apply heat to speed up the process and create even more dramatic separation.

Applying the Posh Chalk Patchwork Decoupage!

Once the paint had dried, we measured where we wanted to place our Posh Chalk Patchwork decoupage.

It is important to note that we chose La Magic Cotton as our top paint layer also for the decoupage placement. Decoupage must be placed on a white surface to keep the vibrance of the design.

To apply the decoupage paper, we brush a layer of Posh Chalk Pigment Infusor using our Smooth and Blend Brush. This acts as a glue for the decoupage.

We brush the decoupage down onto the surface using the Smooth and Blend Brush. This helps to remove any air bubbles under the paper.

We take a craft knife to cut the excess paper from the edges.

Normally, we recommend tearing the Posh Chalk decoupage to blend it better. However, in this case we wanted to frame the decoupage using WoodUbend Trim TR716 so there was no need to ensure a smooth transition from the decoupage to the surrounding paint.

We applied one more coat of the Posh Chalk Infusor to seal the decoupage. This protects it and ensures longevity.

Using the WoodUbend trim TR716

We chose this beautiful 3^rd Generation WoodUbend trim because its wicker basket pattern matched that of the table’s metalwork. Being part of the 3^rd generation also means it was better quality than other brand’s designs.

The 3^rd Generation WoodUbend mouldings:

• Are crisper in detail,
• Stay warmer for longer, so us creatives can have more of an open time to play with them and adjust them in our designs,
• Are more environmentally friendly,
• Come in protective, sustainable packaging that can be reused for other projects as palettes, mixing pots and more.

To apply the moulding, we first heat it up using a heat gun. This makes the trim go bendy so it can be unravelled from its coil. We measure it against the tabletop and then tear the desired length. WoodUbend is super easy to cut and tear when it is warm, but when it goes cool it has the strength and durability of normal wood!

After we have our 4 edging pieces, we apply wood glue. This can be applied directly to the WoodUbend moulding, or on the surface of where you wish to apply it. We make sure the glue is spread across the entire footprint of the moulding.

Then, we press it firmly into place and remove any excess glue using water and a paint brush.

We heat it up again to make any final adjustments and press once more. You want to see glue being pushed out from under the moulding as this means the moulding is properly adhered.

See more about how to apply WoodUbend mouldings here.

Since we are creating a frame for the decoupage, we had to mitre the WoodUbend trim.

Mitring is the process where you cut WoodUbend trims to create seamless joints.

We lay the corners on top of each other and heat them. This makes it easier to cut. When they are warm enough, we cut diagonally across the corner. This cuts the top and bottom layers of the trims. When you remove these pieces, the trims fall perfectly and seamlessly into place.

Creating a rustic look using stain

If you know me, I love it when my projects have a vintage, aged feel. I took La Magic Wood Perfume and began applying it across the WoodUbend trims. I took a paper towel and removed the excess.

Using the paper towel, I also rubbed the excess across the corners of the decoupage.

This tied the table, decoupage and WoodUbend trims together perfectly.

I repeated this step along the metalwork also.

Time to Apply Posh Chalk Pigment in Pale Gold

Now for my favourite part of any project: applying Posh Chalk Pigment! This pigment is my favourite for rustic and distressed pieces. It adds a great element of depth, but it is not overwhelmingly bright.

To apply the pigment, you need to mix it with the Posh Chalk Pigment Infusor. You can add as little or as much as you like to get the consistency you desire. I wanted to dry brush the pigment on this piece, so I mixed until I achieved an almost creamy consistency.

I brushed this directly onto the metalwork of the table, brushing over the vines, leaves and feet. Finally, I brushed the pigment lightly onto the WoodUbend trim, catching the raised detailing of the moulding.

I decided that the pigment looked too nice on the trims, so I took some sandpaper and distressed the moulding. This took away parts of the pigment and the La Magic Wood Perfume that I applied earlier, while still maintaining a gentle gold hue.

The 5 Steps: A summary

• Painting the table and adding crackle
• Applying the Posh Chalk Patchwork decoupage
• Applying the WoodUbend Trim TR716
• Staining the WoodUbend and the table.
• Adding Posh Chalk Metallic Pigment to create highlights

I had so much fun creating this piece and it was so easy to make. I really hope this will inspire you to start a new upcycling project!

You can see the full video of this project on our YouTube channel here.

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