Plant Table Upcycle | Furniture DIY | Faux Paint | Makeover

This DIY furniture idea starts with an old metal plant table and gives a much needed upcycle with a new faux marble table top and a fun, bright paint job!

Every day, in between work tasks, I pass this old plant table in the driveway as I walk back and forth to my car for daily mom taxi duties.

As I pass by, my thought process goes a bit like this:

Crap. I’m going to be late.
Yay! I can’t wait to see my babies OR Ugh. When will these kids be driving? ( It depends on the day.)
What the hell happened to that plant stand? Did it always look like that? It needs some TLC. Stat.
Crap, I’m going to be so late!

... and repeat. Seven times a day.

I'm no stranger to upcycling and love new DIY furniture ideas, but in reality, this little plant table is near the bottom of my to-do list. I have many large, unfinished DIY projects and no time. It's easy to feel defeated. Then, I started thinking - Would completing a small project (i.e., said plant table) make me think differently? The answer is YES! So, we're upcycling a plant table with a paint intervention and a faux finish top!

RELATED: How to Upcycle a Basic Mirror to a Faux Silver Mirror

How to Upcycle a Metal Plant Table

Because you’re short on time, here is the abridged tutorial. For full details, please download the plant stand upcycle guide - it's printable and free. And if you're going to be upcycling a plant table, show me your "before and afters" – they make me so happy!

Remove the top

I could’ve pulled the plant table top off with my hands. #callmesupergirl but, to save the screws, I went the old school route of removing the top properly - I know, boring right? If possible, use the make a pattern out of paper for the new top from the old. Put the pattern and screws aside.

Clean, Sand and Paint the Base

After an overall sanding, focusing on smoothing any rust spots, paint the base with 2-3 coats of spray paint, including the underside of the plant table.

Cut the New Plant Table Top then Paint

Use the paper pattern you created to trace the new plant table top onto a piece of wood or MDF about 1" thick, then cut with a power saw. Decide on the finish for your plant table top - I went with a faux marble finish and shared the tutorial for how I did here!

Attach the Top and Love it!

Reattach the top using the reserved screws. Put your plant table into place and enjoy the fruits of your labors. You did it!

My to-do list is still long, I'm still a taxi mom, and no doubt, I'll be late to every pickup, but I'm happy to complete something that brings beauty to my surroundings. Those trips to the car are much more fulfilling!

How about you? What small project can you tackle today that will make you feel accomplished? How can I help? Did you remember to download the free guide for this project? One step is one step - We can do this!