Ashlee from My So Called Crafty Life is running things today here at SBLC.  She has a fantastic Ikea table revamp to share that is inexpensive and super fun.  This particular project is right up my alley, as I am about to purchase a mitre  saw and get into some power tool projects.  Don’t be intimidated.  Ashlee walks you through it like a pro.  Please help me welcome her, and give her lots of love.  She may just be a monthly contributor here, which is great news.  Her blog is uh-mazing!  Thanks for sharing with us, Ashlee.


Today I have a really fun furniture re-do for you! I am going to show you how to take an old IKEA Lack side table and add a super funky and cute bottle cap top. This DIY is a blast to make! It was more labor intensive than most of my projects, but hey, it was so worth the time. The best thing about this redo is that it was pretty inexpensive. The table had at one time cost me a whole $8. Depending on whether you have bottle caps or have to buy them, the cost for the rest of the supplies was under $30. Making this table was the most fun I’ve had with a project in a while! So gather your supplies gals and let’s make a table!
Here’s What You Will Need:
*IKEA Lack Side Table
*169 or more bottle caps
*.75×1.5″ 8 Foot Piece of Pine Wood
*1/2″ Plywood
*Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive
*Liquid Nails
*Wood Glue
*Wood Putty or Plastic
*Trim Nailer and Nails
*Circular Saw
*Mitre Saw
*Paint
*Painters Tape
*Grout
*Grout float
*Bucket
*Sponge
*Screws
*Screwdriver


Step 1: Prep Table- Remove the legs from your table. Wipe down the top and make sure it doesn’t have any spots of gunk or dirt



Step 2: Cut Backer Board- First we’re going to cut the board the bottle caps are going to be glued down to. We want the board to be small enough to allow for the band of pine to go around it. The pine is 1.5″, so we’ll take a little over three inches off of the square measurement of the table and a little extra to give it some wiggle room. The table top is 22×22″ so we take off 3″, we’re left with 19″ and with wiggle room your board should be 18.875×18.875″ square. So, mark your measurements on your board with a straight edge and cut off excess with a circular saw. You can also ask the people at the hardware store to cut your plywood down in store if you need to.





Step 2: Glue Plywood- Mark the border of your plywood on your tabletop. Measure in and mark 1.5″ in all the way around the edge of the table top. Next, squirt a generous amount of construction adhesive onto the tabletop inside those markings. Then carefully glue down the plywood to the tabletop. Let glue set for a few minutes. Screw in a few long screws around the edges and in the middle for extra strength.


Step 3: Glue Bottlecaps- Working from the outside in, squirt dabs of liquid nails and place bottle caps onto dabs of the adhesive and squish down. It helps to lay out the outer band of bottle caps to give you a guide of how to place the other bottle caps to keep rows somewhat uniform. Let the glue set for a few days or at least 24 hours.



Step 4: Cut Pine for Band- Measure from outside edge to outside edge and cut four pieces with a 45 degree angle on a mitre saw. Be careful and try to be as precise as you can. The more precise a cut you have, the better your mitred corner will be.






Step 5: Assemble Band- Squirt a generous amount of glue onto the tabletop where the band piece will go. Smooth out glue with a shim or scrap piece of wood. Carefully glue band into place. Nail down band piece using your trim nailer. Then wipe off excess glue that has seeped out. Repeat with the other pieces until you have a beautiful band around your table top. Lightly sand and putty the nail holes if you like.


Step 5: Paint- Carefully tape off the sides of the tabletop with painters tape. Press firmly and rub your nail into the crease between the band and tabletop so you have a nice edge. Paint band in your desired color. Remove the painters tape while the paint is still wet. Let the paint dry and cure for at least a few hours. It is important to make sure your tape is really good and secure. I waited for a little while to paint after taping and did not repress my tape down, and my lines were not perfect.

Step 6: Grout: Re-assemble the table legs. Be sure to tape off your painted band before you grout. I used ready-made grout that we happened to have on hand, but mixing grout yourself is not hard to do, just follow the instructions on the package. Mix up your grout, then scoop some up on your float and slap it down onto the tabletop. Then carefully push it in and around diagonally around and between bottle caps. You then use the float on its side and smooth the top until you have the gout even and full across how you like it. Next, take a sponge and bucket of water. Dunk the sponge and then wring out most of the water. Wipe down on top and across the grout until the bottle caps are clear and visible and the grout is even like you like it. I have to say, I have used grout many times before with tile projects, and grouting bottle caps is not easy. It takes some care. My gout lines did not turn out picture perfect, but I’m happy with the results as this was my first time using bottle caps. Let grout set up for 24 hours, then go over top again with a damp sponge to remove any residue left by the grout. Remove your tape and wipe down band. And there you have it! You just finished an awesome table!


This table was such a fun project to make! I really love how it turned out! It makes a great addition to my living room, and I know I will enjoy it for years to come! A big “Thanks to Johnnie for the opportunity to guest post! You can see more of my projects on my blog My So Called Crafty Life Here. Stop on by and say Hi.
Happy Crafting Everyone!