Beer and rustic furniture – two things all college students love. Well, I found a way to combine these two together.
I had been saving/collecting beer bottle caps for quite a while and I knew I wanted to create some kind of table with them. While antique shopping with some friends, I found two identical end tables that were perfect for my project. I approached the store owner about purchasing one of the tables. He originally denied my offer in an attempt to preserve the collection. After informing him I’d take good care of the one – and upping my offer – he reluctantly gave in.
The first step of the restoration process was to sand down the old piece of furniture. After some sanding, most of the scratches evened out and the table felt smooth. I then purchased a piece of wood trimming that matched the edges of the tabletop. This created a surface to place the bottle caps. Following the installation of the trimming, I applied a black satin stain. I chose black to help hide the remainder of the cracks in the wood.
Then, after (admittedly) running to the liquor store to buy some more bottle caps, I hot glued them to the surface of the tabletop. I arranged them in no particular pattern, but I did separate the similar colors and brands of caps.
When they dried in place, I mixed up some polyurethane for a glossy finish. I gently poured the polyurethane till all the caps were covered. The polyurethane settled out and was completely dry in a few days. The finishing touch was distressing the edges of the table. A quick, sloppy sanding job completed the “distressed look” and the project was finished.
Pleased with the results of the end table, I renovated my dresser in a similar fashion. After a little sanding, a stain job, and replacing the hardware, I had newly restored set of furniture for my new room!
