Painted Table With Flamingo Decor Transfer For Tropical Glam

This table painted blue was the perfect backdrop for a pink flamingo transfer.

Today is Furniture Fixer Upper Tour Day, and the makeovers are fabulous! My project started with an inexpensive auction table.

The JTS bought the table for $5 at a local auction. He and a good friend love all-day auctions—I can’t do all day! I prefer auctions held indoors that last only two or three hours. 

The table, nightstand, or side table was a good buy but had a few minor issues. The top is made of MDF, and there were a few small raised areas where it had gotten wet.

That’s the thing about MDF (medium-density fiberboard, not real wood) furniture: It is heavy as all get out and will swell up if it gets wet.

I’ve dealt with these issues before, and my remedy is to sand the raised areas flat and give them a light coat of primer before painting. The coat of primer is light enough not to make the MDF puff up again. A heavy coat of thin, wet paint would be bad.

Before painting, I applied painter’s tape to the inside edges of the table to create a nice, crisp paint line. 

Next, I had to decide on a paint color. Since I already knew I wanted to use the pink flamingo and tropical transfers, blue seemed a good choice. 

I try to use the paint I have on hand instead of buying new. I combined two paints from my stash to get this beautiful blue color. I think one of them was a Behr paint sample, and the other was Folkart Chalk paint.

I had a new paintbrush (Amazon affiliate link) for the job. I spray-painted gray primer over the sanded problem areas; you can see those in the photo above. 

The first coat of paint covered very well and dried in less than an hour. I applied a second coat for total coverage.

The flamingo transfer has been on the workshop shelf for at least two years. Time to use it. The transfer is from Aussie Decor Transfers and is called Flamingo II.

You can find it here (not an affiliate link). I noticed the transfer website is having a good sale, so I will have to visit the site again after I write this post.

The flamingo transfer set contains several designs. I chose the floral tropical design for the tabletop. 

The first step in applying a transfer is to remove the backing from the transfer itself. The back of the transfer is sticky. Next you position the transfer on your surface and make sure it lays flat with no bubbles or wrinkles.

Once the transfer is in position, use the tool included in the transfer kit or a hard plastic item such as a credit card to rub over the design. Rubbing the design will adhere the transfer to your surface and release the clear film on top of the transfer. 

The transfer should be rubbed thoroughly and especially pay attention to the edges of the design. The instructions say the design will look cloudy once it sticks to your surface and releases from the film but I didn’t find that to be true.

Gently pull the clear film up and check that the design is stuck to the surface. If you see that parts of the design are still adhered to the film, lay the film back in place and rub the design until it is free of the top film.

If I fold the film back instead of pulling it straight up, the design tends to cling to the surface instead of the film. That has been my experience. 

Transfers with tiny cut-out areas, like the thin leaves on this design, are tedious to work with. It took me a while and a few bad words before I finished the transfer.

The pink flamingo transfer is the star of this show. I cut the flamingo and greenery from a large sheet so it would fit the door panel.

After laying it in place, I used an exacto knife to trim the extra stuff from the sides of the flamingo piece. Then, I used the same method mentioned above to adhere this piece to the door.

And, how perfect. The colorful flamingo and floral design pops against the blue.

Apply a clear sealer to prevent your transfer from getting nicked or damaged. I applied two coats of Dixie Belle Clear Coat Satin over both transfers.

The pink color in the flamingo wasn’t as vibrant as the tropical flowers on the tabletop transfer.

The blend of colors in the florals is so pretty. I need to work with transfers more often. They really dress up a plain old painted furniture piece.

I spray-painted a wood knob in a fuchsia color, but after thinking about it for a while decided that the bold color would compete with, instead of complement, the flamingo. 

The blue glass knob from my stash looks great on the table. I bought a lot of these glass knobs in various colors on Amazon (affiliate link).

If you have the time, please leave a comment about the table and the transfers before taking the tour. Take the Furniture Fixer Upper Tour by clicking the text links below the “before” makeovers photo collage….

Furniture Fixer Upper Tour:
Black Painted French Provincial Dresser – Confessions of a Serial DIY’er
Magnolia Painted Desk – Salvaged Inspirations
Furniture Makeover Free Nightstands – My Repurposed Life
Painting A Wooden Dresser – A Ray Of Sunlight
Painted Table With Flamingo Transfer – Petticoat Junktion (you are here)

As always, thanks for being here, Kathy