Nightstands Turned Kitchen Island...Really!

Here it is, the latest project that's eaten my time between life's usual craziness and necessary business...a "new" kitchen island made from our old (circa 1971) nightstands.

Yup, we made this from two nightstands!

Inside I covered a wooden box and the inside of the island in red checked craft paper. The Welding Man installed the old drawer pulls for towel hangers on both sides. I love recycling the hardware from vintage furniture and these work great!We had a BBQ for over 2 dozen people this last weekend (plus a couple of big family dinners for 14 the week before) and this island has turned to be a most excellent addition to our busy kitchen.

Here's our messy kitchen with that big empty space between the sink and the stove. Additional work space is always good, and I wanted a serving bar for our buffet style family dinners.

I saw this photo of a dresser restyled into an island and the wheels in my head started turning....

So last Thanksgiving we put our two nightstands back to back, threw a tablecloth over them and called it good.  The two of them together gave me a lower work surface for hand mixing and bread kneading so I knew they would work with a bit of tweaking. We also figured if I wanted it higher we could put chunky wood bun legs at each corner, but we did not have to. The cost to build a brand new country style island chalked up to about $130 so we decided the nightstands it had to be!

The rainy, cold Oregon spring  made outdoor work uncomfortable/impossible, so we set up in the dining room. I used an old oilcloth tablecloth under the nightstands and painted them blue with a grey wash, after cleaning and sanding them thoroughly.

The Welding man cut MDF (medium density fiberboard)  to fit the top. It passed inspection by our chocolate lab, Molly Brown. She's actually checking for food, lol! The Welding Man also cut shelving for the inside.

For the top surface I wanted something close to the color of the still serviceable linoleum floor. I had already added book pages to the side of a kitchen shelf and since I am all about book page recycling, you know what's coming next. What better way to use a way out of date Betty Crocker paper back cook book?

Here The Welding Man is spreading the Envirotex resin, a two part mix which was really affordable with a 40% off coupon at Michael's.  It takes 72 hours to cure. We poured it on a Tuesday and by Saturday it was totally serviceable. The Envirotex is commonly used for bar tops and wood crafts. We used it way back when on walnut and myrtle wood burl clocks. Hello, 80s! It is water and alcohol proof and cleans up nice and shiny.

Here's another angle taken before we added the drawer pull/towel holders. I like it. I like it alot!

Here you can see how the book pages and the linoleum are totally compatible color wise. Serendipity!

 I LOVE how this came out! The actual cost on this project was less than $40, with the money going to Envirotex and paint. We already had the nightstands, MDF, sand paper and brushes.

Making do with what we've got never looked so good. Now I've just got to get to my other "blue" project, the bargain priced buffet I got for $20. Just as soon as the weather gets nicer so I can work outside, because it's too big to put up on the dining table.

This was an easy project with minimal skills required. You would be surprised how easy projects can be once you break them down to component parts and a step by step "battle plan." Got a project you're holding off on? You can do it!

I'll be linking up to the parties in my sidebar. Come visit and check out the creativity!

Pretty Blue Glass Windowsill Project-Quick, Cheap and Easy

Do you ever look at something everyday and tell yourself you're going to fix it up or do something with it someday? I did that everyday with my kitchen windowsill. Something about the splotchy paint job, water stains and general untidiness made me "itch."

Trust me, I did NOT capture the true grunginess of this area. Even my beloved blue glass and house plants didn't do the trick. I stand here a dozen times a day and each time I would tell myself I would fix it up. Well, today I checked the clock and figured I could spare an hour for a little project to make this pretty.

 Ooooh aaaah! I like this alot! 

Now the unending Oregon spring rain isn't the only thing to look at from this window.

 Nice!

 I cut a piece of burlap to fit the space and took the glass bits out of the tall vase I had there originally. I hot glued the half marbles and sea glass and random glass pieces to the burlap then used a heat gun to tidy up all the wisps and strands.

Now when I am at my kitchen sink this area no longer annoys me. It actually makes me smile.

And the Welding Man put a shelf higher up in the window casing for more of my cobalt blue glass. This color soothes me and gives me a peaceful feeling, so the Welding Man, who is a survivor, puts up shelves where and when I want them. He is a smart (and nice) guy!

So, a wee bit of time and effort and no new cost at all, and I've added beauty and practicality to my kitchen. Gotta love that! What about you, do you have a small project that you could do quickly and cheaply that would lift your spirits everyday? Just do it!

I'll be adding this to the blog party links on my sidebar. Come visit and even join in the fun!