Reviving an old Ikea TÄRNÖ bistro set

I have been loving the beautiful weather we have been having at the moment. The sunshine has made this lockdown a little easier for me. Although I have a small garden, I have been so grateful for it. I am treating my garden as an extra room. I am also trying to reuse and revive items that I already have. In this week’s YouTube video, I share how I revived an old Ikea TÄRNÖ bistro set. I also share how I made an easy sew table runner as well as painting my potting table. 

I originally purchased the Ikea bistro set two years ago. Although it looks very bashed in the picture below, I am really happy with how the table weathered. Once I power washed the table and removed all of the grime, the wood underneath was in really good condition. I found it so satisfying to power wash the dirt off. I was able to get my power washer from my brother. It is one of the cheaper models from Lidl/Aldi that are often on the special buys. I was also able to hook my power washer up to my neighbour’s outdoor tap as unfortunately, my kitchen tap didn’t have the thread to connect to a hose. After my table set had dried, I whitewashed it with some paint. I mixed some white outdoor paint with some water, a 50:50 mix. Using a wet cloth, I worked it into the wood. You can apply some clear yacht varnish to your wood to seal and protect from the elements. As the hardware shops are closed, I will have to wait until I stock up on some to apply some varnish. 

Easy Sew Table Runner

I used some scrap fabric to make a table runner for my table. If you are a sewing newbie, this project is great for practising your hems. I laid my piece of fabric on the table and marked it to size. Using my fabric scissors, I cut the fabric allowing extra space for the hem. I folded over the edge once, ironed it, then I folder it over a second time and ironed it. I added some pins, and then I took it to my sewing machine. I applied a straight line of topstitching along the hem. I gave it one last iron to smooth out any imperfections and styled it on my table. Check out my YouTube video to see how I made it. Or, if you are a complete sewing newbie, then check out my online sewing course. 

Style Your Space With What You Have

My back garden area is grass. I have a really small area of paving, and I don’t have a designated patio area. I do have plans to get a larger shed or extend, so I am reluctant to commit to a patio area at the moment. A few years ago I purchased some rugs from TK Maxx. I pull these out every Summer. They are great for zoning space. I popped down one of the rugs and put my Ikea bistro set on top. I then styled the table using plates and cutlery from my kitchen. Why not save some pennies and shop from what you already have. 

I know we are restricted at the moment, and a garden party might not happen this Summer. However, it might be a nice treat to do for your family/housemates. As a solo quarantiner, my guests are the cats lol! But, maybe you are in a larger household at the moment, it might be a nice break to revive the garden table, style it up and have dinner in the garden. 

I hope you enjoyed this week’s video, please give it a thumb’s up and subscribe to my channel if you enjoyed this video. Let me know what you have been getting up to in the garden in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading, 

Chat soon, 

Catherine.