7 Cheap Ways to Cover Tabletops, Cabinets and Furniture Tops

If your furniture is solid, but is scratched and marred on top, don’t throw it out - fix it up instead. There are several cheap ways that you can cover coffee tables, cabinets, dressers, drawer fronts, and other flat furniture surfaces, without breaking the bank.

One cheap and very quick way to change the look of a table or dresser is to cut cork and lay on top. Cork on a roll is very inexpensive but will make your table or other furniture top look spectacular. Use it to cover the fronts of drawers, too. The only thing about cork is that it’s very important to cut exact measurements for the top.

Fabric is another great way to give furniture tops a new look. Cut the fabric to the length and width of the table top, or cut a shape slightly smaller to allow a peek at the wooden top. Use decoupage glue to attach the fabric to the dresser or table. High gloss shellac will give the piece a new sheen while protecting the fabric. Use brass tacks, or another type of tack, to frame in the perimeter of the fabric and give the piece extra beauty.

Paper is another thing you can use to decorate furniture tops. It works just like the fabric: decoupage, then spray with high-gloss shellac. Tacks can also be used to bring out the beauty of the paper, be it wallpaper or scrapbook papers. The tacks don’t have to just line the edges of the paper; they can also be used in a diamond shape across the entire image, or choose your own pattern for the tacks.

If you can find a piece of glass at a flea market it’s a great start to making a tabletop look nicer. Arrange pictures, silk flowers, scrap fabrics, or other flat items on top of the table, then lay the glass over it all. It’s a beautiful look that takes minutes to accomplish.

Break mismatched dishes and make a mosaic top for a dresser or table. The grout is cheap and you can make any pattern, or arrange the pieces in a random pattern. It’s a really nice look for a small bedside table or bathroom stand.