DIY Day - $5 Kitchen Table Makeover

I can't believe the summer is nearly over and I've only participated once before in Kimba's DIY Day! Hopefully I'll have some more projects to show off in the coming weeks so that I can join the party again.

So my project? A $5 makeover you say? What could it be...
A wrapping paper tabletop! Totally ingenious, I think!

Although when I googled it to see if I was the first person to come up with such brilliance, I discovered 'ol Martha had beat me to it. She has a funny way of doing that, hey? Below is her version, which I love. Note the little gift boxes on each place setting wrapped in the same paper as the table runner? Gorgeous...
Actually I probably shouldn't have even put that picture in, because it really puts my efforts to shame But I'm still pretty pleased with how well it turned out, how quick it was, and even better, how cheap it was!

The picture below was just after we painted the living room a month ago. I love this tablecloth, and now the colors go perfectly in this room. But in the process of painting, our plastic table top cover was ruined with paint splotches. So we've been without one for a few weeks. And in the meantime my tablecloth was not really holding up to the wear and tear of life with kids. Drip here, drip there, drip everywhere. So I was kind of feeling like I needed a tablecloth break for awhile. So I came up with this idea, and I think it will be a nice change. Although now I wish I would have gone with a bolder pattern, and perhaps something darker. But really, I can try that out in a month or so when I get bored of this one!
My disclaimer. Our tabletop is not in the greatest shape. It was the floor model at The Bay, so we got our table and hutch at a seriously discounted price ($500 for both. Solid oak, I think). So I am not at all concerned about damaging the table top, but for those of you who are, I might not recommend this project. Or at least use a different type of adhesive.

So you'll need a clean tabletop. Give 'er a good wipin' down before you proceed.
The three year old with binoculars is not a necessity, but always a nice touch!
Lay out your wrapping paper to make sure you have enough. I bought this roll at Hallmark. My table top is 4' acround. This package covers 20 Sq. Ft. I seriously only had millimeters on each end!
Get your handy dandy Vellum spray and start spraying (or whatever adhesive you use).
And please, please don't pay that much ($14.50) for a can. I didn't know. I bought it at a scrap booking store, only to find it at Zellers for 50% of what I paid!

Smooth out any bubbles with your hand as you go.
Then once the wrapping paper is secured, start cutting with an Xacto knife. You'll see in the second picture here, pulling the paper taut really helps to get a smooth cut.
I also decided to do a strip around the lower part of the table top with the leftover scraps. It only took 5 pieces, and 10 minutes of cutting to do this bit. Again, I used Vellum spray.
(My word, is the floor ever dirty back there. Eeek!)
And voila, my "new" tabletop, that only cost me $5! It only took 30 minutes start to finish.
The bigger picture of our dining area.
Back to reality, I have to put a plastic cover over this. With kids, the milk would have been spilled, the applesauce sprayed (that actually took place last night!), the food flicked, or just your basic food disaster would have happened before I could even put my supplies away.
So there you have it. Cheap, simple, and a fun way to switch up your dining room.
Head on over to A Soft Place to Land to see some other great DIY-ness!

And this is an aside, but I picked up these adorable little tassels today for 50 cents each. Totally simple, but I think they are so sweet and look just right on my hutch!