How to Make an Outdoor Chalkboard Paint Table

My outdoor mosaic bistro table and chairs developed so much dry rot mushrooms grew in the table and chairs. I decided to repair it rather than replace it for a greener, cheaper, and more personalized patio table and chair set.

Also, I didn’t find a replacement that I liked in the store. That’s the real incentive for this project.

I got my reused bottle cap craft on and made four coordinating recycled bottle cap mosaic chairs. Read the bottle cap chair tutorial here on Condo Blues. Now it is time to turn my attention to making over the outdoor bistro table with chalkboard paint.

Outdoor Game Table Tutorial

 

Pin this tutorial for later!

I always wished the bistro table was a little larger to seat four more comfortably. I went the easy route and  bought a 36 inch unfinished wood tabletop from Lowes.

I decided to go fairly simple with the table top design and used chalkboard paint. That way, we can use it to keep score when we play cards and games outside on the porch.

Not to mention, I didn’t want to pull design focus from the bottle cap mosaic chairs because those little beasts took a big chunk of time to make.


You will need

1 metal outdoor table base – yard sales, Freecycle, Craigslist and thrift shops are your best bet if you don’t already gave a topless table.

Wire brush

Black Rust-Oleum paint for metal

Rust-Oleum Spray Paint Grip – This little gadget saves your spray paint finger and is my number one way to a no streak and even spray paint finish. I can’t recommend it enough!

Wood round tabletop

Sandpaper

Outdoor paint – I’m using what I have left in my paint stash kind since no one will see it once we finish the DIY makeover.

Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint

Chalk

Screws 

Screwdriver

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post for your convenience.


How to Make It:

1. Use the screwdriver to unscrew and remove the old outdoor table top.


2. Use the wire brush to dry brush any rust from the metal table base. There wasn’t much rust on my metal table base and it cleaned up easily. You may want to wear a dust mask for this step depending upon how much rust you need to remove from your project.


3. After the table base is free of rust and dust, use the spray paint grip and spray paint to paint the iron table base black. My table took two coats of spray paint.

I choose Rust-Oleum spray paint for this project because it is formulated to keep metal from rusting any further.

4. Sand the wood tabletop and sides smooth with sandpaper. I used 80 girt, 100 grit, and 120 grit sandpaper to sand my table. Remove any stray sawdust from the tabletop with a cloth before moving on to Step 5.

5. Paint both sides and the edge of the table top with outdoor paint. This will protect the wood from moisture and the outdoor elements.

This is a great project to use up leftover outdoor paint you may have.

6. Paint the top and sides of the table top with chalkboard paint. I used two coats of chalkboard paint on my table. Allow the paint to cure for three days before you use it as a chalkboard.

7. Use the screwdriver and screws to attach the wood table tape to the wood table base.

Screwy!

8. Prime or season the chalkboard table by covering the surface with chalk, allowing it to sit for a few minutes before erasing the chalk with a cloth or eraser.

Scribble time!

9. Plop your chalkboard table on your deck, porch, or patio pull up some chairs and party!

Game on!

Should I do something to the center of the center of the chalkboard table or leave it plain? What do you think?

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