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Young House Love » Reader Redesigns » How To Paint And Use Oilcloth On Folding Chairs & A Folding Table

| By Sherry Petersik | October 6, 2009 | 36 Comments

How To Paint And Use Oilcloth On Folding Chairs & A Folding Table

When Jamie and Carmen sent their amazing table and chair makeover our way we couldn’t wait to share their fresh little redo! Here’s their letter:

Hello Sherry and John! My mom and I always find inspiration on your blog (I purchased the Target chair after seeing it in your living room and also have used your paint colors as a guide- plus I love that you have a room-by-room source list – very helpful!), so we thought we’d put our inspiration to the test with a table and chair makeover project. We needed something eye-catching for an outdoor craft show we were participating in this summer. My mom’s poor card table from the 1970’s just wasn’t going to cut it. So we found some fabulous oilcloth from the local fabric store and a fantastic paint color to match (Watermelon by Krylon, indoor/outdoor all purpose spray paint). I think it was a success since people at the craft show were interested in purchasing our table and chairs (but we weren’t offering that for sale)! Here are more instructions on how we completed the makeover. And a big thank you for working so hard to share all of your design ideas, you guys are a wealth of information! Enjoy! – Jamie (City Chic) & Carmen (Country Mouse)

Oilcloth Table Before

Oilcloth Table After 1

Oilcloth Table After 2

Doesn’t this little table and chair makeover just make you smile? We love the hefty dose of happy that they doled out for their old seen-better-days set. Do you guys have any favorite uses for oilcloth? Anyone planning to attempt this very project on their own card table and chairs now that you’ve seen how lovely it can look? Thanks so much for sending the yummy pics our way Jamie and Carmen! We know we can’t be the only ones feeling inspired by the oilcloth eye candy…

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Comments

  1. Lisa says

    October 6, 2009 at 1:18 pm

    I absolutely LOVE this..so bright & fun!

    I must be a dunce though..what is oilcloth?? Gotta get the google powers running

    Reply
  2. Erika says

    October 6, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Now THIS is my style!!!!! That looks absolutely fantastic. I am sooo on the lookout now for a nasty old card table!
    I live in a very small place, and this would make a great dining table for me!
    Color choice and fabric choice is wonderful; so bright and cheery.

    Reply
  3. TheBellaLife says

    October 6, 2009 at 1:24 pm

    FUNKY & FUN! What a transformation. Great JOB!

    Keighley@TheBellaLife

    Reply
  4. Laurie says

    October 6, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    That looks so good! It actually did make me smile, because it reminds of a table and chair set I had as a child :) Brings me back to that carefree time ;)

    Reply
  5. julie K says

    October 6, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    WOW!

    Reply
  6. Kasey at Thrifty Little Blog says

    October 6, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    This is too cute! I remember seeing it on their blog a couple months ago. I love that it’s such an affordable project.

    Reply
  7. Shelley @ Green Eggs & Hamlet says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    Oh my gosh, my mom has the EXACT same card table and chair set from the 70s that she used as her first dining room set post-college. I think my mom and I might have to tackle this project very soon. We don’t have a craft business so won’t be showing it off at a fair or anything but would be perfect for backyard bbqs – we’d no longer have to cover the ugly brown set in a table cloth!

    Reply
  8. rachael says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:04 pm

    Love it!

    Reply
  9. Graham at Chadwell Chronicles says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    Smile yes, then maybe throw up a little from the cutesy overload. :)

    Good stuff though, I’d consider doing it with a different, maybe more subtle, theme. :)

    Reply
  10. Stephanie says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    I love this idea! I would paint the table and chairs a neutral color or black or white, and then switch out the “oilcloth” with the inexpensive felt-backed tablecloths for holidays and seasons. The plastic tablecloths are super cheap and that would give it some padding as well!

    Reply
  11. Nicole G says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Soo cute! I wish I would have thought about something like that when my mum and I were doing craft shows!

    Reply
  12. Danielle says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:43 pm

    Aww…how cute is that! She should do more of those and sell them!

    Reply
  13. Rachel Ridd says

    October 6, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    I think my parents have a table set just like this. I might just have to snatch it and perform this makeover!

    Reply
  14. Carrie says

    October 6, 2009 at 3:00 pm

    I have one of those ugly old sets in my basement as we SPEAK! So, SOOOOOOO making it over!!

    Reply
  15. Jenny @ Making the Most of Money says

    October 6, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    This is awesome! I’m looking for a cheap way to add a table and chair set to our walkway near our front door, but have been scared away from some of the craigslist postings. I can definitely see myself using this idea for my situation! Thanks for the pics!!

    Reply
  16. Anna See says

    October 6, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    that’s a super fun makeover!

    Reply
  17. Angela says

    October 6, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do, isn’t it?

    I love your blog, and I’m not sure if you’ve been tagged yet – I’ve linked you with the Honest Scrap Award!

    Reply
  18. Kevin M says

    October 6, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    I think they got the eye-catching thing part down quite well.

    Reply
  19. Lindsay says

    October 6, 2009 at 4:27 pm

    My response when I saw this, “How friggin’ CUUUUTE!” I love it! Just a quick question for the craft-impaired; what is oilcloth?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      October 6, 2009 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Lindsay,

      Good question! It’s a fabric you can find online or even in your local fabric store that’s waterproof- sort of like a tablecloth or a swatch of vinyl. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  20. Sue says

    October 6, 2009 at 4:48 pm

    This is off-the-charts awesome. I’m another craft-impaired person, though, and am wondering exactly how they did it…

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      October 6, 2009 at 5:58 pm

      Hey Sue,

      Just follow the link in our post above over to their blog to see more details about how they did it! Hope it helps.

      xo,
      s

  21. patti says

    October 6, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    wow, what a great transformation. we have some hideous mismatched folding chairs that get brought out when we have parties and this would be a great project to give them less of a “hey-what-college-dorm-room-did-you-steal-that-chair-from” feel! :)

    Reply
  22. Lindsay says

    October 6, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    Wow, thanks for that! That’s such a good idea it being waterproof! Seriously, this is adorable! My Mom used to have the same EXACT table and chairs set. Next time I’m home….that set better watch out – I’m comin’ for it!

    Reply
  23. Jessie (Vegan-minded) says

    October 6, 2009 at 6:27 pm

    Aww, what a fun makeover! It looks great :)

    Reply
  24. dolores says

    October 6, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    At a glance, I thought it was converted into a Sanrio design. Either way, it looks great!

    Reply
  25. Caitlin @That House On the Corner says

    October 6, 2009 at 7:16 pm

    So adorable! I love when people can use a little creativity to turn something that seems hopeless into something wonderful and fun! Great job!

    Caitlin

    Reply
  26. Cecelia says

    October 6, 2009 at 7:53 pm

    What a terrific idea and what a transformation!

    Oilcloth patterns always fill me with the sweetest nostalgia AND make my mouth water!

    Seeing them is like remembering a long ago church potluck or your mama’s cooking.

    Reply
  27. portlandsun says

    October 6, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    um…i LOVE this.

    http://portlandsunshine.blogspot.com/2009/10/oil-cloth.html

    Reply
  28. Marcy Tate says

    October 7, 2009 at 4:22 am

    Jamie & Carmen may be on to something big!I loved this post and their project.

    I spent some time overseas in Israel and everyone there uses oilcloth to cover their tables- on almost every street corner oilcloths are sold in some of the most magnificent patterns and for such a bargain- about $4-$5 a meter (average sized kitchen tables are about a meter or two). I always wondered what else people used it for…

    I found these GREAT ideas at http://www.oilcloth.com and I am so tempted to try one when I have some time:
    Waste basket cover
    Book or scrapbook cover
    Sand box Canopy
    Clothes Basket Liner
    Canister set cover
    Pencil holders
    Baby bibs

    Reply
  29. Colette says

    October 7, 2009 at 8:24 am

    What a great idea- it would be great for a kids playroom. Fun colors, inexpensive, and oilcloth is easily cleaned!
    Off to add it to my inpiration files…

    Reply
  30. Donna says

    October 7, 2009 at 8:54 am

    Nice job! Really gives a boring old card table some personality.

    Reply
  31. Meghan Reed says

    October 7, 2009 at 10:19 am

    Makes me wish summer would come back for a couple of days….LOVE IT!

    Reply
  32. EvaBabeDesigns says

    October 7, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    I love oilcloth! I’ve been making bibs and splat mats and chair covers. The options are truly endless and it’s so easy to clean up the mess afterwards.

    Reply
  33. Cheryl says

    October 8, 2009 at 11:30 am

    I love it! I love oilcloth. I have been online searching for it for years…looking for a certain pattern/color scheme for my breakfast nook. I love that it cleans so easy but doesn’t slip and slide like those tacky flannel back cheapo vinyl table covers you find at kmart. lololol And the colors/patterns are so vintage! Problem is, I can never find it at my local fabric store here in Michigan–Joanne Fabrics always takes me to the aisle where the ugly vinyl is. No! I want oil cloth! Any ideas/resources for finding it besides online? I probably should check out other fabric stores but we are limited in my area…

    P.S. I absolutely love the card table and chairs! Who knew an old card table could look so gorgeous! Wow..thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      October 8, 2009 at 11:39 am

      Hey Cheryl,

      Hmm, we would actually suggest googling around online because you can probably find a bunch of awesome options since you’re limited in your area. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

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John and Sherry Sitting On Woven ChairHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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