How to fix a wobbly table and paint it to last

How to fix a wobbly table – no tools needed! With this quick fix and a fresh coat of paint, you’ll be thrifting and curb shopping like a boss.

Money is tight and you refuse to pay even “big box” store prices for stuff that you know isn’t made well and will fall apart in a year. So you keep your eyes peeled every time you walk into a thrift store – or even as you’re driving around. You never know when you’ll find a well-made piece of furniture on the side of the curb. All it needs is a little love and paint.

Love and paint fix almost anything. 😉 Click To Tweet

Armed with grit and drive to figure stuff out on your own, you’re confident you can make almost anything beautiful. And you know you can even fix a wobbly table you snagged off the curb last week.

Meet my curbside find

This sweet piece was literally thrown out onto the curb and my Dad and I rescued her. You can hear the whole story in the video at the bottom of this post, as I primed this table 20 minutes before running out the door to get my kids from school.

*This post is sponsored by HomeRight and contains affiliate links for your convenience Full disclosure here.*

How to fix a wobbly table – no tools needed

When we brought her home, my Dad immediately took this glue and ran beads of it down into all the loose joints. This is miracle working stuff and our family has used it for years to tighten up loose chairs, piano benches, and tables. It holds up incredibly well, and it’s your key to fixing wobbly furniture without tools.

*Note: (If chairs glued with this can hold up to my four boys, you KNOW it’s good stuff) 😉

After she was all glued up, she sat as she was in my living room for over a year until I decided it was her turn for a makeover.

Let’s paint that once-wobbly table you know will be beautiful

Once primed and ready for paint, I set up my HomeRight large spray shelter in the backyard. (You can also use it INDOORS like I did here in my living room. Works like a charm. And gives me all the heart eyes.)

I love to use leftover paint, so I mixed together leftover white latex enamel paints I had from previous projects.

*ALWAYS run your paint through a cone filter if you’re not using brand-new paint. This will ensure that your spraying experience is free of frustration and angst. Don’t skip this step.

The table was sprayed so fast, it took me longer to grab the drop cloth and run the extension cord from the garage than it took to paint the table. I should have set a timer. 😉

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Also, let’s pause for a minute to note the handy screen that is on the HomeRight large spray shelter. You can use it to protect your projects by keeping out falling leaves, bugs, and nosy puppies (my dog apparently thinks this shelter is set up just for her). 😀

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but I can’t even imagine how many projects would seem so big and daunting if it weren’t for my shelter and Super Finish Max.

If you’ve not yet heard me rave about my sprayer, here’s the lowdown:

• You don’t have to thin your paint. (for real)
• No air compressors needed – for which my ears are so thankful.
• The spray pattern and paint flow is all adjustable so you get a professional finish every time.
• You literally fill with paint, plug it in, and go.

And she’s done!

Girlfriend, this whole project went so fast, I even forgot to stop and take process photos. It went from primed to painted in the blink of an eye – and when you don’t have a ton of time to spare, projects this fast are a DIYers dream, amIright? 😉

Once the table was dry, I considered lightly distressing it, but decided not to. I like the look of it as it is. However, if a little distressing on your piece makes you happy, you could certainly grab a sanding block and distress ’til your heart’s content.

Here she is, all ready for use!

I’ve got her sitting right next to my painted velvet chair (that I did distress a little). They’re a great couple.

So here’s the big-not-so-big secret…

Never, ever pass up a beautiful table that’s sitting on the curb. Especially now that you know how to fix a wobbly table without tools. If it has a shape you love and lines that make your heart skip a beat, snatch it up and bring it home. With a little (or a lot) of glue and some paint, she will surely give you many years of service.

No one will ever look at her and think she was once a piece of trash thrown to the curb. 🙂

See the beauty under the not-so-cute…and let it shine.

Want to hear the whole story of this table and see how I primed her 20 minutes before running out the door? Watch this video – 😉