10 Creative Upcycling Ideas To Transform A Thrifted Side Table

Side tables, though they are usually quite small and low, can serve a number of functions. For instance, a side table can be a place to show off your knick-knacks, an optimal spot for setting down drinks, and an area to store your many television and speaker remotes. 

However, getting a brand-new side table can cost you a pretty penny – at Target, they start around $30, and you'll probably need more than one for a living room with a sofa and chairs. For a more fashion-forward and long-lasting table, get ready to pay significantly more. Thankfully, purchasing a cheaper, second-hand one at your local thrift store is an option! It doesn't have to be perfect — or even pretty. Using some DIY skills, you can make a $15 thrifted table look like it was $150. If you're not sure how you want to personalize your used furniture, here are 10 creative ideas on how to transform a thrifted side table.

To start refurbishing your wood side table, you can hide any marks, discoloration, or scratches by hiding the wood with color. To do so, you can use a trending paint color or a natural-hued stain, such as Varathane-262025 Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain in Dark Walnut. However, if going the stain route, you will need to strip the existing stain by using a sander, so it will include significantly more work but will allow some of the natural grain and texture to show through. Prior to prying open your can of wood stain, consider these helpful tips on how to apply stain properly.

If your table has a glass insert on top, you can further customize it to match your style by swapping out the glass for a large-format tile that fits the cut-out. For example, you can achieve a Mediterranean look with the Marseille Encaustic Pattern Ceramic Tile or mimic stone with Tenedos China Black Marble. It's better to choose a tile slightly larger than the opening because you can always trim it to size using a tile cutter.

If you are a Pokémon fanatic, there's a good chance you have plenty of duplicate cards. While these cards can certainly continue living in a binder, you could also use them to make a unique and fun piece of furniture. Just arrange them on your table and pour epoxy resin like Teexpert epoxy resin onto the surface, following the manufacturer's instructions. If you'd rather not use resin, you can use decoupage for this creative furniture makeover! This hack also works for any cards, like Magic: The Gathering or baseball cards.

Freshen up the look of your used side table with a couple of coats of white paint and a few white wood bead garlands like the One Holiday Way wood bead strand. Be sure to check out these tips on how to paint any kind of wood furniture prior to starting the project. Once your paint has dried, use your hot glue gun to adhere the beads around the edge of the table. If you want something more delicate than the rustic wood beads, try the Herzwild crochet ribbon for a bit of texture.

Another way to update a side table with a glass top is to DIY a paper mosaic. In the name of sustainability, we recommend picking up a used book or magazine at a thrift shop for your cut-outs. Old copies of Vogue can make a classy collage. Once you've gathered your images, remove the glass panel. Then, give it a coat of Mod Podge and press on your pictures. Finish up by spray painting the tabletop to match the colors in your pictures using our tips for spray painting furniture!

With some paint and epoxy resin, you can transform a round side table so it resembles an Eight Ball. While you could certainly put this table in your living room, it may work best as a decorative piece in a game room. And if you love the table's billiards theme, you could even swap out its original base for old snooker cues. As with your side table, you can likely find used pool cues at a secondhand shop.

You can bring the feeling of enjoying a croissant and a café au lait at a French bistro into your home. All you need to do is give your used side table a Parisian makeover! Paint your table a chic cream or beige color. Then, choose a French-themed stencil, like this Floral Fleur de Lis stencil from the Artful Stencil Store. Carefully dab paint in a darker color onto the stencil so the design can easily be seen. To ensure the paint doesn't eventually chip or wear off, seal the surface with a clear coat product. The Country Chic Clear Coat is a great pick because it creates a satin sheen, which isn't as attention-grabbing as a gloss sealant.

To give your side table a modern makeover, paint it white and attach oversized drawer handles. This DIYer used power tools to shape wooden poles into two half-circles — but not everyone possesses the skills or patience to make drawer handles from scratch. Instead, you can use barn door handles like the LVIYHAN door handles as oversized drawer pulls. Or, for a more organic look, snag a wood crafting plaque like the AWIZOM 12-inch plaque and use a hand saw to cut it in half, making two semi-circles to mount on your drawers as handles.

Dog owners know that bedding for our furry friends isn't always the most stylish. Instead of accepting this, you can take matters into your own hands. If you can find a side table with plenty of storage, you can turn it into a doggy hideaway. After cleaning and painting or staining, consider picking up some Black and White Dog Paw Print Peel-and-Stick Removable Wallpaper that can be used to cover the inside area where your pups will hang out. Remember to be mindful as you apply the peel-and-stick wallpaper because it can easily get air bubbles.

If you're someone who goes wild for a board game night, you should absolutely try this DIY! For this gorgeous chess board table, give the piece a scrub, sand it, and then place strips of painter's tape on the top of the furniture to make a chess table grid with dark wood stain. If you're not confident with your tape skills, use the TCR Crafts checkerboard stencil to make this project a breeze.

If you're comfortable using power tools, you can have a gorgeous fluted side table by following this DIY video. But, you can achieve the same look using no power tools by grabbing some split dowel rods (like the Woodpeckers split wood rods) and cutting them to size with a hand saw, then hot-gluing them to the sides of your table. While the user above opted to give the table a subtle natural stain, consider painting it a color often seen in mid-century interiors — such as peach or olive green.