How to Build a Gaming Coffee Table

One of the most popular projects in the eco-friendly design community is repurposing furniture. With a few alterations, a piece built to do one job can serve a different purpose. A coffee table, for example, can become a a game table. If this is a project you want to undertake, make it even more fun by scouring thrift shops for the game boards you want to use. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Go over the table with an electric sander. Sand all areas of the wood, moving the sandpaper with the grain of the wood.

2

Carefully clean away the sanding dust. Use a hand-held sweeper brush and a dustpan or a clean tack cloth. Vacuum the floor, and use the attachment hose and brush to suck up any dust on the table.

3

Use a paint roller to apply stain-blocking primer to the the newly sanded table. Use a brush to apply primer to any grooves, carvings or small details where the paint roller cannot reach. Always paint with the grain of the wood. Allow the primer to dry completely.

4

Use a clean paint roller to apply an oil-based, enamel paint to the table. Paint with the grain of the wood. Allow the first coat to dry fully before you apply a second coat. Use a brush to apply paint to any areas not easily covered with a paint roller.

5

Arrange game boards on top of the table. Choose boards that appeal to the family, games that you often play. Arrange the boards on the tabletop so that players can sit on the floor and easily reach them.

6

Lift the game boards from the surface and apply craft glue to the backs of the boards. Carefully press the boards down on the coffee table. Cover the boards and tabletop with a coat of clear-drying varnish. Allow the varnish to dry completely.

7

Apply another coat of varnish on top of the dry first coat. Allow the coat to dry. Continue to apply varnish coats, until the game boards are completely covered, appearing to be suspended inside the varnish. Keep in mind that varnish is slow to dry, so it is important to keep the work area clean and dust-free. Dust can stick to drying varnish.