How to up-cycle garden tables

Gyre and Gymble
3 min readMar 3, 2022

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I have three old garden tables wrapped in plastic lattice and sadly rusting underneath. Not only were these unsightly, but the rust was starting to stain the patio tiles. I didn’t want to throw them away as they are rather helpful little tables, just the right size for a cup of tea or a G&T.
So putting my up-cycling hat on, I decided to strip them back and recreate all three tables into something a little more modern and a lot less rusty.

You will need some basic tools:
Scissors
Plyers
Flat head screwdriver
Black metal paint: BEDEC Multi Surface Paint soft matt black
Timber: Marine grade ply
Timber varnish and stain: RONSEAL dark oak wood stain
Paint brush
Drop sheets
A big bucket
Gorilla Contact adhesive clear

Cut the plastic lattice away from the frame. There is no need to take care here; just get as much off as you can. On most sides, you may find that the lattice has been secured in place with tacks. The tacks can be removed using the plyers and a flat head screwdriver. Start cleaning away the rust and old paint once you have the frame clear of plastic and tacks.

I removed the rust with a simple metal handheld file. If you have an electric sander, use this. The hand method may be slower, but it worked well. Once the frame has no more loose material attached, give it good dust and paint it with 3 coats of BEDEC Multi Surface Paint.

While the frame is left to dry, get your timber top and varnish/stain. Once this looks lovely, attach it to the top of the metal frame using Gorilla Contact adhesive.

Viola, you will have created a new garden table.

Hugs
Jen❤️

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Gyre and Gymble

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