Something Different: Glitter Table Top DIY

Not nails related…and yet, I wager you will enjoy this.  PIC HEAVY!!!!

Glitter…bling…pink, girly sparkles…totally me. And in the process of starting my line of polish, I began collecting pieces of furniture that I hope to one day use in an office dedicated to Wicked Polish.  So when I saw a pin on Pinterest of THIS table, I realized that pinning it was not enough. I needed to make this glorious table for myself. Immediately.

I did a bit of research Saturday night/Sunday morning (3am is a great hour for me, as it turns out).  I found THIS blogpost and realized that I would have to spend a bit of money on the resin/epoxy/whatever mixture I would need, and had no desire to wait after ordering, so I went to Home Depot and found this little gem for $24.95.

I originally bought one, then went back for two more, then went back for two more for a “topcoat” this morning.  So this particular project wasn’t cheap, but I am way too proud to care.  I am sure I could have found the product online for less money, but frankly this is the weekend I had free, and I am the LEAST patient person ever.

Here is my table…I painted it black and shiny about 4 years ago on a whim and loved it.

Sorry for the mess, we are in the process of closing the sale of our home (soon?) and moving. Plus, it always looks like this. Hah.

I’ve been making polish directly on this table for a while with the intention of refinishing it, so it has base and glitter and watermarks oh my!

I hauled it outside thanks to a wonderful friend who came over in the middle of her day when I realized I was alone…and sanded it down. I think my sandpaper was 150 grit, it was whatever looked tough enough to cut through the shiny finish on the table.

It got super windy and started to sprinkle (of COURSE), so I papered off the legs of the table. Probably the smartest last minute decision I made all day.

Never inhale crap.  And be sure to take your ID with you to buy spraypaint. I got distracted and nearly bought neon pink, orange, yellow, and green spray paint. I don’t know what I would do with it, but keep it around long enough and I would think of something!

I decided to use white primer because I don’t like grey. I also figured I would be able to see more easily where I still needed paint.

I used glitter that I have for making polish that didn’t pass the curl test – frankly, I don’t mind telling you I got it from Glitties, because it curls so badly you won’t want to use their glitter for nail polish making.  You’re welcome.  I mixed in some other sizes and colors of glitter I have lying around (and trust me, I have LOTS).

I sprayed the table pink…

…and poured on this whole container of glitter, carefully covering the entire space.  I used pink paint so that any bare spots would be less noticeable.

I liked it really well just like this – it has a sort of velour look.  I realized immediately that the paint hadn’t been sticky enough, and my glitter was blowing around in the wind.  I was highly annoyed, but had read someone had used Mod Podge to get their glitter to stay before applying the epoxy.

Don’t. Do. It.

I didn’t take pictures of this part because I was SO angry with myself and absolutely certain the whole project would be a huge waste of money.  The Mod Podge didn’t cover the table and left ridges where it refused to spread.  The glitter balled up and stuck to itself but not the table.  UGH.

My lumps. My lovely glitter lumps. Check ’em out.

I show you this to prove that this epoxy is amazing and will straighten up any stupid things you do. Try not to test that statement, though; even Jesus doesn’t like to be tested.

I took the epoxy out and read the directions about 27 times.  I had cups to measure it out, stirring sticks, and foam brushes.  Oh, and a dog who distracted me. Look.

So I measure the resin and additive carefully and followed the directions, mixing slowly to avoid air bubbles.   I poured on the first package (approx 1 quart, I ended up using 5 total)

It doesn’t look good, but the process itself was easy.  As I spread the epoxy around, glitter picked up on the brush, but I never struggled with any bald spots.  The instructions state to blow on the surface as you go to get rid of bubbles, as the epoxy will even itself out that way.  It does work, but I didn’t have a thick enough layer so I just ignored that for the first coat.

I did bring the table back inside for this part, as you can see.  The epoxy actually does not have an insanely strong smell, and between the wind and the rain, I knew there was NO chance of getting a high gloss, perfect shine if I left the table outside.  Be sure to cover your floor so the people buying your house don’t have a pink sparkly floor 🙂

These aren’t actually bubbles. This is chunky glitter balls, thanks to my Mod Podge experiment.  But never fear. Mr. WickedNails had the amazing idea to sand them down before my second and final coat of epoxy.  Brilliant!

I applied my final coat approximately 20 hours after the first coat went on, and I am thrilled with the results!

I picked a tough table to epoxy, as the sides are rounded. I struggled with drips the entire time, and the sides lack a thick coat of glitter, but a quick sanding of the epoxy icicles and I will be a happy camper!

I seriously love this so much. I want to take it back outside so you can have a sunlight pic…but seriously, I’m alone again and it is raining. So…eventually I will update this with a sun pic!

I hope you enjoyed this stray from the norm.  I would love for you to send me links to any projects you have tried, or want to attempt!

❤ Rylee