How to Upcycle an Old Bench into an Adorable Accent Table

Time needed: 8 hours

These steps took some time, but were so worth it. Follow along, and feel free to ask me questions in the comments.

1. Removed the fabric and foam.

   Staples were holding the fabric in, so I could remove them fairly easily. If there were broken staples, I pulled them out when plyers.

2. Clean the wood with a damp rag and remove any nails or raised surfaces.

   This is how it looked after I took off the top. Since the top was a solid wooden one, I decided not to make it a bench but an accent table.

3. Don't forget the Pedestal Table Base.

   The bottom needed to be brushed clean and sanded to smooth out any rough edges.

4. Add the wood top.

   I wrapped a drill (affiliate) bit with painter's tape (affiliate) to the point where I needed to stop to go completely through the top piece. The piece of wood was the exact size of the base. It gave me an edge to use later on.

5. Screw from the bottom.

   
   Turn over the table and screw the top wood to the base from the bottom.

6. I lightly sanded the surface and then patched the holes.

   I used the wood filler to fill in the holes. I ensured it was smooth so I did not have to sand it too much when it dried. The wood filler is pink when wet and white when dry, which helped me tell when it was dry.
   
   I continued to do all four sides, which took some time. Because I didn't want it to run, I did one side at a time and then let it dry completely.
   

7. Lightly Sand Smooth and then paint at least three times.

   I then added a coat after lightly sanding and using a tack cloth (affiliate) to remove the dust. Then, I repainted it and let it dry completely. I also needed to touch up the white paint since the wood was dark.

8. Paint the pedestal as well.

   Make sure you get in the groves and underneath the pedestal.

9. Here's the start of the second coat.

   A second coat is important. I added another coat when it was completely dried.

10. Paint the Bottom.

    The bottom must be painted as well. It will not look finished if you don't paint the bottom.
    
    Then, I painted the bottom since it was so dark from the top. I didn't paint it more than once since no one will look under it.
    
    After letting it dry completely, I felt it needed something. So, this is what I added.
    
    

11. Add Vinyl Tiles.

    I added a full sheet of this Smart Tile to the top. It is plastic and has a sticky back. I pressed the edges to ensure they would adhere.

12. Trim with scissors (affiliate)

    Since the accent table was larger than the tile, I had to do some patching. Then, I cut it down with scissors (affiliate) or a rolling cutter and marked it to see how much I was over. I then used a T-square ruler to create a line and cut it.

13. Scissors (affiliate) work well on vinyl tile.

    I used scissors (affiliate) to separate it if it did not go all the way through.

14. Add more to cover the complete top

    And, I continued and added the remaining vinyl tile pieces.
    
    I ensured I had no small pieces to work with to avoid any cutting issues.
    
    

15. Add the Clear Gorilla Glue (affiliate) and glue decorative crushed mirror pieces.

    To dress up the sides, I used glue and crushed mirror pieces. I added Gorilla Glue (affiliate) and a handful of decorative mirror pieces, pressing them down to help them stick. I then let it dry completely. Then I continued and did the other sides, drying them completely between tasks.
    
    I removed any excess mirror pieces that did not stick after it dried.
    
    

16. Add the feet to the bottom.

    After the sides were completely dried, I added feet to the bottom.