DIY Network

Trompe l'Oeil Lace Table From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-108

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Cut lace along the edge of the table, and apply the cut-out piece to the table skirt to give the appearance that the lace drapes over the table edge. Figure A Figure B

Debbie Stapley uses a technique known as trompe l'oeil, French for "fool the eye," to apply a painted lace table runner to a wooden table. The result looks so real, your friends might try to straighten it up for you.

Materials:

Finished wooden table, old or new
Piece of vinyl or fabric lace
Large sheet of paper
All-purpose spray adhesive
Masking tape
White spray paint
Polyurethane

You can remove the legs of the table if you find it easier to work with the tabletop alone. If using a new unfinished table, sand, stain and finish it before you begin.

In choosing lace, look for a pattern with larger holes: spray paint tends to clog up the holes in smaller patterns.

1. Turn the lace upside down on a large piece of paper, and spray the back lightly with an all-purpose spray adhesive. Let it get tacky for 10 to 15 seconds. Now place the lace right side up on the table, slightly off center (figure A), and press it down so that the entire piece of lace is thoroughly glued down: you don't want any paint seeping under the lace. When you spray-paint the lace, the design will be the opposite of the lace pattern because the paint will go through the holes and onto the table surface.
2. Mask off the edge of the lace by tearing off small pieces of masking tape or painter's tape and placing them right up to the edges of the lace. Try to tear curved edges of the tape to match the curved edges of the lace. Mask off the entire tabletop, the skirt of the table and the legs if they're still attached (figure B). This will create a clean edge where the lace ends.
3. If the lace piece drapes over the edge of the table, cut off the lace piece slightly below the edge. Apply the cut-off piece of lace to the skirt and mask off the rest of the skirt.
4. Spray a couple of light coats of white spray paint over the lace. Spray in a well-ventilated area. Let the paint dry between coats.
5. Remove the lace piece and the masking tape. Apply a couple of coats of polyurethane.