Turn a Sewing Table into a Bar Cart
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A while back, my parents were going to throw out Mom's old, vintage sewing table. The sewing machine hadn't worked in ages, and the table really needed some TLC. I stopped them immediately, because I knew I could refurbish it and breathe some new life into it!
My favorite part about this table is that the sewing machine is mounted on hinges and folds down into the table. So clever!
Then the tabletop just folds over to create a charming little table that you can't even tell contains a sewing machine.
But I didn't need a sewing machine table. What I needed was a bar cart, and I knew this would be the perfect piece of furniture to start with.
Dad was really intrigued by this restoration project, and helped me with the construction aspects. After removing the sewing machine and extra hardware, we squared off the hole and made it just a little smaller than a steam table pan. Then we mounted some rails underneath to hold the pan, and converted the side of the table into a swinging door for easy access.
The steam table pan would be great for holding iced beverages, but I knew that sometimes I would want to use the table for serving food, so I wanted a flat surface. We cut a piece of clear pine to size, making a removable cutting board that could be cleaned easily.
We also added a shelf to the bottom, for extra storage and to stabilize the whole thing.
Then Jo and I painted it with Chalky Finish paint in Relic, first using a small brush to get into the grooves.
We used a larger brush on the rest of the surfaces, then a foam paint roller on the top. We sealed it all up with Americana Decor Light Satin Varnish and let it dry throughly.
For the tabletop surface of the bar, I wanted to do something really unexpected and fun. So we went with a retro sci-fi theme! We used large copies of a Robby Robot / Forbidden Planet movie poster and decoupaged them to the surface. Since this table will undoubtedly have liquids spilled on it, I went with Outdoor Decou-Page to provide some water resistance.
Oh my goodness, look at how cool it came out!
When we did the other side of the table, we just let the poster cover the hole entirely. Then after it had dried, we cut away the excess with a craft knife.
I mounted a wide drawer handle to the side door. I actually couldn't find any towel racks that were small enough to work here, but this handle was the perfect size. The only problem was that it was silver! No worries — a couple coats of black multi-surface paint and it matched perfectly!
This handle works great to hold towels, or S-hooks from which to hang bar tools.
I am so thrilled at how this bar cart transformation came together. With everything in place, it's such a fun addition to a party, and a real conversation piece!
The steam table pan is perfect for holding iced beverages.
And the cutting board is a great option for a flat serving surface.
The flip-open tabletop is great for holding special items... I just need to be sure not to put too much weight on it!
And the extra shelf on the bottom is great for holding bottles and glasses.
And when the party is over, the fun folds away for a clean and simple look.
20 comments so far:
Brilliant idea.
Oh my days!!! I love this, well I know what I'm doing next time one of these pop up on my free up site!
Does the ice-filled pan drip water from below with condensation?
Ruth, we haven't noticed, but I could see that happening if the ice is in there a long time. A towel tucked underneath would work to catch the drips.
I am so gonna do this with my mom’s old sewing machine.
This project is amazing! You did so many extra things to this upcycle to make it unique and I will definitely have to try them on the sewing table I have! Thanks for all the details - probably the best I’ve seen on Pinterest for repurposing sewing tables.
Amy, thank you so much! We'd love to see your table when you're done. Tag us on social media if you post a pic!
I just picked up 2 of these in a road side trash pile...1 of them is headed this way! LOVE THIS IDEA!
Kim, what a great find! Tag @chicaandjo on social to show us what you create!
2 questions...what size steam table pan did you use? And what kind of rails did you install inside?
Molly, you should measure your table's opening and choose a steam pan that will fit your space. Don't forget to measure for the available depth as well, so you don't get something too deep. As for the rails, we just used some strips of wood and we screwed them into the sides (from the inside) to hold them in place.
How did you attach the shelf? Is it sitting on corner bracket?
Ruth, you guessed correctly. We used corner brackets to attach the shelf to the bottom.
Amazing ?
You did an amazing job on this! I want to do a similar project but my concern is that if someone puts any weight, whether from bottles, platters of food and such or if they lean on the open top part, it will cause the whole table to topple over. Any ideas on how to add a leg or legs to the table to support the lid when it is open?
Lisa, we're glad you like this project enough to try it yourself! We have found that the weight of the ice/bottles in the main part of the table is enough to counter balance the weight from average items being placed on the open top. If you want to add extra support, though, your idea to add a leg would probably work well. Maybe attach a flat board to the top and bottle of a leg (sort of like a capital letter "I") and then tuck that under the leaf when it's in use.
Absolutely, brilliant idea. I had a vintage sewing table like that where the hinge broke that connects the machine to the table. The table being made out of that sawdust particle board there really is or wasn't a way of repairing this family heirloom. Being the in the family I really couldn't just through it away, I mean that would be like making a landfill a gravesite for a loved one. :-(
The only pan that I could find to fit in mine, believe it or not was a cat litter pan that is made of stainless steel from amazon.
I have not started the project yet, but I wanted to thank you for helping save something that is a treasure to my childhood memories. Such an awesome blessing.....
Jack, we're so glad we could inspire you to restore the table in some way! If you share the finished project online, be sure to tag @chicaandjo so we can see how it came out.
I have that exact model table. Do you happen to know the year or approximate era? and was it a singer?
Anthony, I'm sorry but I don't know the year of the table. The sewing machine was a Singer, but I don't know if it was original to the table or swapped out at a later date.