Herringbone Pattern Paint Stick Table

Herringbone patterns are hot right now.  This little table with the herringbone pattern out of paint sticks is to die for.  Karianne from Thistlewood Farm is here to show you how she did it.  She amazes me with her talent!  I want this little table somewhere in my house.  Karianne is just sweet enough that if I asked her nicely she would probably say yes!

Don’t you just love a good before and after?

It’s kind of like watching a really good Hallmark movie.

Like the one about the girl that no one ever noticed because she always wore glasses and frumpy clothes with not cute hair and she was super shy.

And she didn’t really have any friends.

But you knew that she could be so cute if she just cut her hair and put on make-up and borrow a prom dress from the girl who lived down the street.

Truly.

And then one day she bumped into the most popular guy in school who knocked her books over.   And when he helped her up…..just for a moment he gazed into her eyes….well actually he really gazed into her glasses, but it didn’t matter because he saw beyond those glasses…..

  …..and truly saw her for the first time.

He saw her for the true beauty that she was.

And then he asked her to homecoming and she turned from a shy, awkward ugly duckling into the belle of the ball in her beautiful borrowed prom dress.

*sigh*

Before and afters are the best.

And here’s one of my very favorites:

Supplies:

table

paint sticks

wood glue

wood filler

sandpaper and sander

saw

miter box

 

Step 1:  Cut paint strips into five inch sticks

I used about 25 paint sticks for this project.

Each paint strip was cut individually with a saw in a miter box.

I used 34 five inch sticks to start the base of the pattern for the table and then

filled in around the edges with other smaller pieces.

Step 2:  Paint base of table

Step 3:  Measure 2 1/2” from the edge of the table and place a strip of blue painter’s tape.

The blue painter’s tape is your guide for the edge of the first row.

It is very important that you line up the first row properly so the rest of the herringbone pieces are straight.

Line up first two pieces with tape and a square ruler.

Apply wood glue and let dry.

Step 4:  Using blue tape as your guide, continue laying pieces of paint stick.

Line up edge of pieces on tape to keep the pattern straight.

Glue each piece in place with wood glue.

Follow the herringbone pattern as shown.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 until the basic pattern is laid

Once pattern is laid and glued in place, measure side spaces and cut side pieces to fit.

Don’t worry if the sides don’t line up perfectly, the sides will be sanded to match later.

Step 6: Fill gaps with wood putty

After your paint strips are all laid in a herringbone pattern, there will be some that don’t match up perfectly.

Use stainable wood putty to fill in gaps.

Follow directions on package.

Let dry.

Step 7:  Sand entire table top. 

The strips are made of pine which is extremely soft and sands easily.

Round the edges of the table top until the sides are uniform and lined up.

Sand where putty has dried and sand any uneven pieces of paint stick.

Step 8: Stain table top

Follow directions on stain for application.

I used Minwax Provincial.

Apply two coats and follow up with a water based polyurethane to seal the wood.

You could also paint it or leave it natural with a coat of polyurethane.

This project is relatively simple and so inexpensive to make.

It looks like a high-end piece from an expensive retail store.

Here’s the after….in all her paint stick tabletop glory.

From ugly duckling to the belle of the ball.

I am totally calling the Hallmark Channel. 🙂

For more inspiration from Thistlewood….here are a few of my favorite projects:

 

Pallet Table            Chalkboard Calendar           Farmhouse House Tour