DIY Countertop Makeover for Less Than $50

It has been a busy weekend at our house.  With weather in the 70's every day, its like perfect spring days.  And we have squeezed every minute out of them!

One of the things that was on the agenda for this weekend was countertops in our Pop Up Camper.  I completed this project for $42 and some change!  Less than $50 is a steal!

When we first bought our camper, a friend suggested that I use contact paper to recover our countertops.  This is a great idea, but I wanted something a little more durable.  With our color scheme, I went with a vinyl product that is a little more durable. VViViD XPO White Grey Marble Gloss Vinyl Wrap Film is perfect.  You can buy single rolls for $12.99 or 2 rolls for $23.99.  I recommend this option because I have a small pop up and still needed two rolls.  Each roll contains 6.5 feet each.  This goes quick!

Make sure that your surfaces are clean and dry before you start.  And also make sure that you don't have lint on any thing on your surface.  It will bubble the vinyl when you put it down!

I started it with just plain countertops.  Nothing special.  And I could have kept them, but they had some wear and could use some updating.

I also removed the moulding around the countertops because I was putting new in as well.

I recommend measuring the piece of vinyl and cutting it to fit with a little overhang.  For this counter, I was going to need more that the width of one piece.  So, I started with the small piece and fitted it closest to the door in a narrow piece that was wider than what it needed to be so that I would have some overlap.

Next I cut a piece the length of the counter top to cover the widest portion of the counter.  This would overlap the small piece that I put down.

Begin by peeling back a small piece of vinyl and lay down the edge on the counter.  Hold the exposed adhesive end with one hand and peel back the vinyl with your other hand smoothing as you go.  You can also drag a smoothing tool across the counter as you work to smooth everything down and get a firm fit.  I recommend this!


After you have laid down your piece(s) covering the entire cabinet, press your overhang edges down over the edge.  This will lay under you moulding.  And it will ensure that you have a snug fit that surrounds your counter.  It will also help to keep your adhesive from peeling up.  I used my smoothing tool to press firmly over all surfaces.

If you need a smoothing tool, these are available from Amazon.  It is totally worth the $4 with your project!

Rust-Oleum 95012 Flexible Smoothing Tool, Colors May Vary

Once the counter vinyl is down, you can add your moulding.  I bought a roll of plastic moulding that has the little center that mounts into the counter easily.  It is $16.99 for a 20 foot roll, and this was more than enough to complete my project! 20 Foot 3/4" Smooth White PVC T-Molding Arcade Mame

I was able to press the moulding into the counter with my hand.  A rubber mallet would work, but I would not recommend a hammer.  Cut to fit.  And done!



This was a crazy simple project!  I'll show all of my counters in our big reveal when we are done.  But, this is definite progress toward being done!

If you are looking for a quick update to pop up counter tops or other surfaces that need a face lift, this vinyl adhesive is great.  It has a nice glossy finish.  The adhesive is thick, and I think that this will hold up well over time.

Finishing this one part of my project makes me realize how close we are to being done with our pop up remodel!  It has been a lot of work, but our work is really starting to pay off.  When we finish, we are going to have a great camper with lots of memories that will last a lifetime!



GRACE IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM. THESE FEES ARE USED FOR FUTURE CAMPING FUN AND PROJECTS!

5 comments

  1. How did your counters hold up? I tried the spray paint/poly trick, but it’s started to peel by the sink. :/

    ReplyDelete
  2. They have continued to hold up well over the past 2 years! No problems so far.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did you have any chips in your original counter, if so did you fill in with anything before laying the vinyl?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't have any chips in the original countertops. This is a great question. If you had chips, you could fill them in just as you would for repairing a wall I would think. Just let it fully dry and sand it down before apply the vinyl. Let me know if you have additional questions!

      Delete

Thank you for your feedback and comments. I always review before sharing with other readers. Have a great day!