An Epoxy Resin End Table Makeover

 Ever looked at your old, tired furniture and thought, "You and I both deserve better"? Well, you're in luck because we're about to dive into a DIY makeover that will turn your drab end table into the fab centerpiece of your living room. Welcome to the ultimate epoxy resin end table transformation!

To illustrate the possibilities, we’re going to be giving a pair of end tables a complete makeover.

Tools You'll Need:

• Promise Epoxy Table Top Epoxy Resin
• Nightstands
• Gloves
• Safety Glasses
• Color additive of your choice (we used Alumilite dyes)
• Stir sticks (wooden paint stir sticks work really well for the amount we’re using)
• Popsicle sticks
• Heat gun
• Plastic sheets (to protect your workspace surface)
• Leveling tool
• Blow torch

For your ideal surface finish, it can also help to go through the process of proper sanding and polishing. For that, you’ll need:

• Respirator
• Power sander
• Buffing attachment
• Promise Epoxy Polish & Cleaner
• Sandpaper

1. The Prep

The furniture pieces we’re looking to customize are two end tables of the same make and build. We wanted to start with a pair of them because we’ll be trying two different techniques when applying resin.

If your furniture arrives assembled, you’ll need to disassemble it. Since you’re going to be pouring resin onto the surfaces of the tables, it’s better to have them separate from the overall piece. We recommend setting down sheets of plastic across your workspace to prevent any resin from spilling on a surface that won’t be easy to clean up. We also have more tips for cleaning up after resin projects, if you need them!

 Lay the aforementioned pieces so that they are level and slightly elevated from the surface of your workspace. Use a leveling tool to double check and small plastic cups to get some elevation. Once everything is level, it’s time to suit up! Slip on your safety glasses and gloves before pulling out your resin.

2. Mix, Measure & Pour

We're using Promise Epoxy Table Top Epoxy (formerly ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy) to get the job done! If you need help estimating how much resin will be needed for your project, you can definitely make use of our epoxy resin calculator. 

Thoroughly combine equal parts of Side A (the epoxy) and Side B (the hardener) via the instructions on the bottle, stirring using a folding motion with your paint stirring sticks. Set aside a small amount, which you’ll be using to create a marble effect later for a more elegant epoxy resin end table. Make sure you mix your secondary colorant in with this cup as well. 

Next, decide what your base color is going to be. Mix together the dye for the base color with the large amount of resin and pour in the center of your surface, allowing it to flow outward.

Take a paint stick and use it to help smooth the epoxy out, evenly covering the entire table’s surface—including the sides!

3. Creating Your Design - Faux Marble

Now is the time to use that second portion of epoxy. Create thin lines of that secondary color throughout the base by dipping a popsicle stick and trickling it overtop as shown below. Do this as many times as you’d like to create the beginnings of a marble effect.

Once you’ve finished that, you’ll take a heat gun and use the air to push around the resin and warp those lines. When done correctly, this technique emulates the marbling you see in stone countertops and surfaces.

Last, but not least, eliminate bubbles using a blow torch. 

4. Creating Your Design - Bright Colors

For the second end table, we’re planning on using four colors in total, so our resin is split into four separate cups. Again, the amount of resin in each container is based on how much of the color you’ll be pouring. For this pour, we’ll be using a lot of white.

After properly combining both parts of the resin and then the colorants, it’s time to pour! Once you’ve poured to your satisfaction, we’ll be turning to the heat gun to push around the resin and blend it to create those unique shapes and patterns that we couldn’t do otherwise.

When you’re satisfied with how it looks, you can use your preferred bubble-popping method to remove bubbles and allow the projects to cure for the appropriate amount of time.

5. Sanding

Next up, let's talk about how to achieve the perfect finish through sanding and polishing. As always, it’s important to equip yourself with the proper protective gear beforehand. We encourage wearing both a respirator and safety glasses for this segment.

Use a power sander and a grit of around 180 to slowly sand down the cured surface of all the end table pieces. We used 180 to get a finish that is slightly more matte, but if you’re looking to keep it glossy, you can either use higher grits or opt out of sanding and polishing altogether. Then, use some sandpaper to sand the sides of the end tables. It’s best to do this by hand, since it’s a thin surface area to work with. Once you’re done, you can wipe up the accumulated dust using some isopropyl alcohol to help clean it off.

6. Polishing

Apply Promise Epoxy Polish to the end table surface. Connect the buffing attachment to your power sander and pat down the applied polish. This ensures both the buffing pad and surface have adequate amounts of polish.

Now we make it shine! Polish up and down in circular motions before wiping away any polish that remains. Do this for every surface.

Once that’s finished, you only need to reassemble your end table and your epoxy resin furniture makeover is complete!

Watch The Full Tutorial Here 👇

Thank you for joining us for this project! Let us know if there are any project ideas you’d like guidance through, or show us the cool things that you make over on our social media.

Happy making, everyone!