Tuesday, July 26, 2011

DIY! Trash to Treasure Party Cart Makeover

I saw this beauty and it was love at first sight.
It was still in the back room of the thrift store when I saw it.
I asked my "friend" at the store if I could go look
- she said yes...I said "I'll take it!"

Trash to Treasure Serving Cart from 504 Main
I had to have it...
even if it was $25.00 - not a bargain for sure.
This was the perfect piece for  a fabulous #makeover!



And so it sat for 6 months
(Oh yeah I am on top of things here!).
Until I turned it into a PARTY CART!

SUPPLIES
 

TOOLS
  • Screwdriver
  • Sandpaper
  • Paper plate or something for mixing paint
  • Paint brush
  • Drop cloth or newspaper to protect work area.
  • Towels and water for cleaning the cart you left outside for 6 months!



DIY IT!

  • Clean cart
  • I used the Purdy 6 in 1 Painters Tool to scrape off the stickers and gunk.
  • Repair cart: The cart was more abused that I realized - one leg was held together by screws. I removed the screws, and glued the leg together with Gorilla Glue. Let dry.
  • Once dry, I realized there were still some cracks, so I added some wood putty to fill those in. Let dry. Sand.
  • CONFESSION: I have only ever spray painted one piece of furniture (my son's locker) I was unsure of how I would do...I learned quickly - go slow with smooth motions and don't get anxious....I had a lot of drips from my own heavy spraying...BUT I got that under control and WOW so fast and easy!
  • I spray a coat of Krylon Primer and then more blemishes in this beauty of a cart appeared...more Gorilla Glue...more wood putty...more sanding...ta-da!
  • I sprayed a second coat and let dry.
  • NOW, my intention was to NOT make this distressed, but as I painted, The beautiful finish of the Dover White was marred by the numerous nicks and damage to the cart. It was not the look I was going for - polished and sleek and dinged up (that will happen soon enough).
  • Time for Paint.
  • NOTE: I had decided that my top was going to be chalkboard so I took no care to paint the top nicely with the Krylon. I did prime it with the Krylon Primer.
  • I LOVE Kylon's Dover White (I have used it on many projects), so I continued to paint the cart with it and the color was spot on and application super-duper easy.
  • After drying I knew what had to be done...distress it. The cart was begging for it - it was the only way to save the cart and camouflage the damage. So on this gorgeous base of paint, I sanded the legs and a few other areas to show the wear - I especially hit the places where the damage was already done.
  • Then I glazed the entire cart with a mixture of DecoArt's Dove Gray American Acrylic and Glazing Medium. I just mixed the two together and used a rag to wipe on and wipe off. It gave a subtle glazed, while letting the original color shine through.
  • Once dry, I spray the entire cart with the Deft Clear Wood Finish Sealer from Rockler. I sprayed now - before painting my top with the chalkboard paint because I did not want the chalkboard to be "sealed" - it was just easier.
  • Once dry, paint the top with chalkboard paint - 2 coats according to bottle directions. Let dry. Prime and get writing!
The cart needs new casters...
I thought I had some but I did not...
I am sure Rockler has something I can use!
I thought this is a fun way to serve hors d'oeuvres or drinks
or just a pretty little cart to sit my a chair.
Fun and functional!

Smile and enjoy a beverage of your choice.
I choose the Arancello cocktail from my friend at Fudge Ripple.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Fudge Ripple while I was away,
and she brought me a coveted bottle of HER Arancello!

After a very long drive home I tweeted (oops I meant) Facebooked I need a margarita and she suggested this cocktail. YUM! I'll have another tomorrow, thank you!

    Never give up on a fun piece of furniture!
    Saving this beauty was relatively easy...
    Clean it!
    Repair it!
    Signature

    DISCLOSURE: Some items/products have been received as part of my affiliation with THE DIY CLUB

    21 comments:

    1. LOVE this Holly!! I really want to find "trash" like this! I love that you did chalkboard paint...and the recipe written on the cart...just perfect. LOVE!

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    2. LOVE this, too, Holly!!! BRAVO!

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    3. What an adorable cart! I love the chalkboard paint you added to it! :)

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    4. Holly! This is so fun! I would have bought it for $25 (which is way more than I would typically spend!). Great find! And, of course, I love the chalkboard top. Great project!

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    5. Love it! The chalkboard top was a great choice. I'm so glad that you bought it when you had the chance because it would have been snapped up quickly once it hit the sales floor.

      I found a bistro set that I really liked at a thrift store last year. I decided to think about it over night instead of buying it on the spot. As you can guess, when I went back, it was gone. I'm still kicking myself over it!

      The cocktail recipe sounds wonderful!

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    6. cool beans holly! Glad you finally got around to it!
      Love the new look!
      gail

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    7. HOLLY!!!!! I love this. Seriously fantastic. I so have to figure out way to rip that off...you're a genius and I love you...but you know that.

      How's things girl? What's going on with you? Miss you!

      Lots of yummy love,
      Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
      www.mawhats4dinner.com

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    8. That turned out really well...great idea! Hope you are having a good summer!

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    9. You have a good eye for potential! It's adorable!

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    10. Holly this is fabulous!!! I love the cart - it's adorable - but the chalkboard paint puts it over the top!! It's so great - I love that you can write notes or cocktail recipes on it. Great job!!

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    11. Holly, This is AMAZING!! You did a fantabulous job!

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    12. Awesome as always Holly! Man, when are we going to get a chance to meet? One of these days I hope! :)

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    13. So cute! And any drink with tequila is a winner in my book ;)

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    14. Hi Holly!

      It was so great seeing you come by this morning & put a smile right on my face! :>

      There's just so much that I love about this! Love that it's a trash to treasure, love that it's practical, love that it's perfect for a party (& can still be used everyday), and just adore how fun it is when you write a party cocktail down on it for everyone to make!! Very cool! :>

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    15. Love the cart Holly. So, uh...when's the party?

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    16. Gasp, I love it! I probably would have paid $25 for it too. I've been wanting a cart for my deck. This would be perfect!
      Jen

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    17. That is so cool Holly!!! Thanks for the inspiration.

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    18. Amazing! I love it! This is my second visit to this post. (Clearly I was so flabbergasted that I forgot to leave a comment the first time. duh.)

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    19. Shoot! Did I miss happy hour??

      You get a hoo-ray for this one. A) For getting the project done (I have lots of "I'm going to do that's" here) and B) for having it turn out so fun.

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    20. i LOVE this! you are so very creative and clever.

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    21. I'm so glad you shared a link to this. I've always wondered what your chalkboard surface was! I LOVE this.

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    Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation! I sure hope you come back for more!