What is the best and most inexpensive way of surfacing a table top?

I'm refinishing a night table and the top has scratches that really can't be sanded out. I want to have a durable top because I'll be using it on a daily basis. I will be painting it, but the top was damaged from wear, tear, and some crazy destruction my siblings inflicted on it. I was kind of thinking of topping it with laminate, but I want to have it look nice, and match it to the rest of it. It will be brown and the drawers will be green. Any ideas are welcome. Anything that is easy and inexpensive to do would be very helpful.