Treasures from the Trash: A Coffee Table

I'm delighted that you're here!

In previous posts, I mentioned that I see furniture on the curb ALL.THE.TIME. From benches, to chairs, shelves, more shelves, a side table and doors, they are no longer needed in their homes and are free for the taking. Most of them are still in good shape and if I had a warehouse to store these, I would scoop them up and transform them from blah to TADA! 

Another option, for all of you planning to get rid of furniture, is to donate them to The Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They have trucks that can pick-up the furniture from your home and they sell these pieces at their thrift stores. The money they raise goes to their different programs helping the underprivileged. Isn't that a thoughtful way to help?  

Here is my latest find:

It's a black, oval coffee table.

Except for a few scuff marks (that some buffing and cleaning can fix), it doesn't look bad at all. Maybe the previous owners wanted something more streamlined?

Anyway, here are a few ways to give it new life:

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Turn the coffee table into an altar, a special area that will both ground and energize you, where you can meditate, practice gratitude and your faith/spirituality. Learn more about creating an altar here and here. 

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Create a lounge area in a corner of a room and push the coffee table against the wall so that it's not in the way.  Use this area to read, listen to music, play your guitar...things to help relax and unwind. Fill the coffee table with a stack of books, plants, scented candles and favorite nibbles and beverages.

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Turn the coffee table into a low dining table. Use ottomans or pillows as your chairs. It's okay if the elements are mismatched -- they give a carefree, bohemian vibe.

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Since the coffee table is low, turn it into a kiddie table by adding small chairs. Assign this as the area for learning and doing arts and crafts.

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How about turning the coffee table into a Lego table? Attach the Lego baseplates on the table's surface and have bins of Lego pieces close by for afternoons of pure building creativity! You can find how to build a Lego table here.

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The coffee table can also be transformed into a jigsaw puzzle station in one area of the family room. No need to remove the jigsaw puzzle while it's being assembled.

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The coffee table can also become an official game table for card and board games. The game boxes can be kept underneath for easy access.

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And finally, extend the life of the coffee table when you have parties outdoors. Use it as a buffet table for snacks and drinks or turn it into a Jenga table for everyone to participate in. 

That is how we can turn an old coffee table from blah to TADA!

I hope these sparked new uses for the old pieces of furniture you might have. If you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.