Recycled chic: side tables

A nest of tables has been revamped with gift wrap depicting vintage-style maps.

Sand back the woodwork with a medium-grade sandpaper, wipe with a cloth, moistened with white spirit to remove any residue. Paint with two coats of eggshell. Measure the top of the tables and cut out map-design gift wrap to fit the exact size. Paint the top of the table with clear-drying PVA glue, right to the edges, with a thin and even coat. Smooth the map into place, working from the middle to the edge. Allow to dry overnight and then paint the surface with two coats of clear matt varnish.

Look out for

Tables that can be stripped back and topped with interesting details, such as an assortment of postcards, finished with a glass top for protection.

Sofa cushions covered in Paysanne Indigo linen, £55.50/m, Lewis & Wood. Base panel in Makeda Plains linen Ocean, £26/m, Harlequin. Caio blanket, £95, Toast. Terracotta mug, £25, Toast. Notebook, £19.95, The Conran Shop. Vintage nest of tables, £14 for a set of three, Past Caring; in Blue Blood water-based eggshell, £39/2.5 litres, The Paint & Paper Library; covered in gift wrap, £2.99/sheet, Stanfords. Jug, £30, Nicola Fasano at Few & Far. Frames, from £2 each, Sunbury Antiques Market; in acrylic eggshells, £14.25/1 litre, The Little Greene Paint Company.

Styling and words: Caroline Reeves, assisted by Celia Stuart-Menteth. Photos: Simon Bevan