Yahoo Lifestyle 
Mum's $39 Kmart coffee table makeover wows fans: 'I'd buy it!'
One mum’s incredible Kmart coffee table makeover has not only earned her a swag of admirers online but also several potential customers who want to snap up the ‘stunning’ pieces.
It’s easy to see why — the addition of the glossy, blue-green finish to the tabletops makes the cheap-and-cheerful items look ridiculously luxe and expensive.
Kristen, a psychologist from WA, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she transformed the two black tables — which cost her $68 in total from Kmart — using coloured epoxy resin and a little artistic flair.
She recruited two friends for the project, one of whom was local resin artist Sally Cruickshank who knew a thing or two about working with the gloopy, glue-like material.
While the tables themselves may have been affordable, purchasing the resin and various pigments to doll them up turned out to be rather pricey. Kristen tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the total cost for the entire project was ‘around $300’ — but, from the reception she received on social media, it seems like it was worth it.
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After sharing some snaps of the tables pre- and post-makeover on Facebook, Kristen was met with hundreds of comments from impressed fans.
“Absolutely love them!!” wrote one, while another added, “Wow, that’s beautiful.”
Others were keen to pay Kristen so they could own the tables for themselves:
“Wow! I would buy these!” one remarked.
“Please make me some (obvs will pay lol),” requested another.
More than one Facebook user wanted to know how to achieve the resin DIY themselves, with one begging, “Teach meeee!”
Luckily for them, Kristen says that the project is “100 per cent doable for a DIY enthusiast.”
“I was surprised at how forgiving the resin is. I made a few mistakes along the way such as burning the resin with the blowtorch and was able to give it a light sand with sandpaper and start again,” she explains.
While Kristen has ‘no plans’ to quit her day job and start producing resin tables full-time she has shared a step-by-step guide and a video with Yahoo Lifestyle.
How To: Kmart coffee table resin makeover by Kristen
1. Grab the table you want to makeover; we used two tables from Kmart. NB. Your table needs to have a lip around the edge to prevent the resin from spilling over.
2. Apply coloured silicone (we used black to match the tables) around the inside of the tables to prevent the resin from leaking through the gaps.
3. Get your hands on some resin; we purchased 4L of Art Cast Slow Set 3:1 Epoxy Resin online as well as a selection of epoxy pigment pastes.
4. Mixed the resin together using a 3:1 ratio and mix well (for at least three minutes) being cautious not to stir too fast and create bubbles.
5. Pour the resin into several paper cups and start to mix in the colour pigments.
6. Next step is to start pouring the different coloured resin cups onto the table to achieve your desired look. We did a ‘dirty pour’ on the large table which involved adding layers of colours on top of one another in one cup, then turning it upside down on the table.
7. Using a heat gun, ‘push’ the colours around the table until you’re happy with the effects.
8. Continue to pour coloured resin until the table is covered and you’re happy with the overall effect.
9. Use a blow torch to lightly remove any air bubbles from the surface.
10. Allow the tabletop to dry for seven days in a dry and dust-free location.
11. Finish with a clear coat of resin and allow to dry for a further seven days.
Kristen says she used a low-odour, low-toxicity resin so she didn’t need to wear a face mask but did use disposable gloves. Please follow the directions and warnings on the resin product that you purchase.
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