When we saw Jennifer’s adorable customized kids’ table, we had to share her clever DIY makeover. Here’s her note:
I recently bought my son this Ikea table and chair set for $39.99. Although I love the pricier sets from Pottery Barn Kids, I couldn’t justify spending that much, so I took a DIY approach. Here’s what I did: I applied three coats of red glazing paint from Ikea for $4.99 a can (one can covered all three coats). Then I dug out some whimsical foam letter stamps I had from a previous craft; I originally picked them up at Target on clearance for about $5. Using my stash of colored acrylic paints from Michael’s (each under $1), I stamped the letters across the tabletop in a playful, haphazard pattern to give it personality. I figured my two‑year‑old can learn the alphabet while playing in style. Finally, I followed advice from a blog post and used a high‑gloss Pour‑On finish from Michael’s to seal and protect the surface and give it a more polished look. Bonus: it’s much easier to wipe clean than the original plywood. Total invested: about $63 and a few days of time and effort. The result? A budget-friendly, one‑of‑a‑kind table and chair set. I thought your readers with little ones might appreciate it. Thanks and keep up the great blogging! —Jennifer
Here’s what the table looked like before the transformation (photo from Ikea):
Here’s Jennifer’s table in progress. You can see the foam alphabet stamps in the background and about half the tabletop already stamped with the whimsical letters:
And here’s the table after the full alphabet makeover:
What a charming transformation. We love how Jennifer used simple materials and a little creativity to turn an affordable Ikea set into something unique and educational. The color choices are totally flexible—you could paint the chairs a contrasting shade, mix stamp colors, or stick to a coordinated palette. The finish not only adds shine but also makes cleanup easier, which is a major plus for kids’ furniture. Thanks for sharing the photos, Jennifer!
What do you think? This project seems very doable and fun—perfect for a weekend craft with big results.