Four DIY Coffee Tables

This country-style table is both pretty and practical thanks to a clutter-concealing skirt attached with hook-and-loop tape. To get this weathered look, follow our step-by-step instructions.

• Unfinished wood coffee table
• Satin-finish latex paint (we used Sherwin Williams 6321 Red Bay and 6221 Moody Blue)
• Light-color candle
• 100-grit sandpaper
• 1 yard of 54-inch-wide fabric (cut into four panels, two 48 x 6 inches and two 21 x 16 inches)
• Sewing machine and thread
• Adhesive-backed hook-and-loop tape

1. Protect your work surface with newspapers or a drop cloth.
2. Remove drawers from table.
3. For the distressed finish, paint the table using a red latex paint (we used Sherwin-Williams SW6321 Red Bay) and let dry. Wax all edges and flat surfaces with a candle. The wax will allow to next coat of paint to be sanded off more easily. Paint the table using a blue satin latex paint (we used Sherwin-Williams SW6221 Moody blue) and let dry.
4. Sand desired areas with an 80- to 100-grit sanding block or sand paper to allow red hue to show through. Pay special attention to the edges where normal wear would happen. Sand more, or less -- the choice is yours! Wipe clean with a tack cloth.
5. If desired, seal the table with two or three coats of a clear, non-yellowing, water-based acrylic.
6. To make the skirt panels, cut two 10-1/2-x-54-inch and two 10-1/2-x-22-inch pieces of decorator fabric.
7. Hem all sides using 1/2-inch seam allowance.
8. Using a gathering stitch (the setting with the least number of stitches per inch on your sewing machine), sew two rows of gathering about 1/4 inch apart at the top of each panel.
9. Pull threads to gather to fit each opening on the table.
10. Purchase hook-and-loop tape with one soft sewable side and one adhesive side.
11. Sew the soft side of the hook-and-loop tape to the top of each panel.
12. Secure the adhesive side of the hook-and-loop tape to the table just above each opening.
13. Attach all panels.

For a finish that's even more distressed, coat the table with a clear sealer before painting the red coat. Use a coarser-grit sandpaper and sand through the red coat to expose the table's wood tone.