Decorative Ideas for Tables

Whether you have a long imposing dining table, a simple side table or a low coffee table, it can be remade into something special. Faux-painting techniques, stencils or moldings can add new life to an old table purchased inexpensively at a yard sale or found in a friend's attic. Any of these decorative techniques will impart character and charm to a plain table at a much lower price than buying a new piece. Does this Spark an idea?

Ornamentation

A simple table can become something special with the addition of decorative molding. Available at home stores, decorative molding can be attached to the edges or front of any wooden table with finishing nails. Use fluted molding on legs for a traditional look. Create interest on drawers with raised molding. For an artistic look, line up strips of different moldings of the same length. Finish the piece with a coat of paint to tie all the elements together.

Decorative Painting

A decorative painting technique will transform an ordinary table. Stencil a muted floral image on the tabletop or sides to add elegance. Create the look of marble or leather on the surface of a coffee or side table with faux painting products and tools available at paint or home and garden centers. Use a crackle medium, available at hobby stores, to instantly age any table. Add a coat of polyurethane to protect any decorative finish.

Distressing

Distressing is an easy technique that adds the appearance of age to a table. Paint the table in a solid color. When the paint is dry, lightly sand the edges and any raised areas to remove the paint from them. The table's natural finish or its original paint color will show through on the sanded edges. Apply a coat of brown stain, followed by polyurethane to seal. Distressed furniture is ideal for families with small children as any additional wear and tear only adds to its appeal.

Finishing Touches

Add a finishing touch to a newly decorated table with a centerpiece or art objects. For a dining table, add a table runner and a seasonal decoration, such as a bowl of limes in summer, pine cones in winter or gourds in fall. Use unusual objects as receptacles for flowers, such as a hollowed-out pumpkin, a delicate teapot or a conch shell. For side and coffee tables, add a piece of pottery, vases or urns in a single color or candles of different shapes and sizes.