When Noah was at the age where he could sit up and take part in some arts and crafts, I was on the search for a toddler table and chair.  It was difficult to find an affordable set that fit with what I wanted – durable enough for Noah and aesthetically pleasing to me.  I just couldn’t justify spending a lot of money on something that Noah would use that would end up getting scratched and dirty.

After a few weeks, I found the above set at Ikea and it occurred to me that I could fancy it up a bit.  These table and chairs were only $25!  I pretty much started with a blank slate and there were endless possibilities on what could be done.

To start the design process, I chose two colors that went well with Noah’s room.  I liked the color of the wood, so I didn’t want to cover all of it with paint.  I just wanted to add pops of color.  I bought sample size paint from Home Depot in navy blue and green.  I also purchased some chalkboard paint.  When chalkboard paint first became a trend, I was eager to give it a try and this would be the project!

I used frog tape to cover the areas that I did not want to paint to ensure that they would be kept clean.  James and I painted the bottom of the legs and the outside plank in navy blue, and the surface pieces in green.  The chalkboard paint was used on the table top.  A few coats were required.  NOTE:  We painted the wood before the table and chairs were put together.  This made the process a lot easier.

For the seats, I purchased thin foam and dinosaur themed fabric.  Hot glue was used to stick the foam to the seat and then we wrapped the fabric around it.  This part was tricky.  I held the fabric tight to the bottom of the seat, while James taped and glued it.

Noah was ecstatic about the new addition to his room!  He can write on the chalkboard or use the table for any other crafts.  Plus, clean up is easy.

Shop Noah’s Table and Chairs:

IKEA – LATT Table and Chairs

Home Depot – Paint

Joann Fabric – Dinosaur fabric and foam for seat

Photo credit on featured image:  Leslie Larson Photography