Chalkboard Buffet diy
- By Joan
- July 30, 2015
- 42 Comments
Welcome back diyers. I hope you like this project as much as I do. This is actually my fourth project from props I managed to salvage from the theatre company a few weeks ago. This could be my favorite, but every project I work on is my favorite at the time.
The other projects were the painted bench, so cute with it’s bright colors…next came the sunflower seed packet sign that used boards just screwed together which I handpainted a huge vintage sunflower packet on and my last prop project was the vintage suitcase storage I shared at My Repurposed Life. If you have a stinky vintage suitcase, then that project is the one for you.
This cute little buffet had so much unfulfilled promise. It was made well, the drawers worked, but years of it being used as a theatre prop was beginning to age him prematurely.
I knew he was scratched up pretty bad on top and the veneer was flaking in the corners…
…but I didn’t notice he was missing 2 toes, a busted rosette and the swirly trim was broken off. Poor guy needed help bad.
Started with the top, because that seemed the easiest. Used a bit of varnish remover and a palm sander to take the finish off the top. Didn’t end up replacing the flaking veneer, just sanded it down a bit so the entire edge laid flat.
The top was then given a nice coat of warm oak stain.
After staining (not shown) he was given a few coats of handrubbed tung oil finish.
Since the drawers didn’t need much help either, they were next. The drawers were sanded down, one of the two holes where the drawer pull was, was filled in with 2 coats of wood putty. When the putty was dry, the hole was resanded. My new handles only need one hole.
Of all the repairs, replacing the rosette is by far the easiest. Couldn’t find the exact rose, but this piece will do just fine. Pried what remained of the old rosette off. Sanded off the remaining glue, then wood glued and clamped this piece in place. Home Depot and Lowes have wooden pieces but this one was found at Hobby Lobby for $2. ($1.20 with coupon)
Before I go on, I want to point out that I am not a carpenter…so here goes.
The broken toes were next…probably incurred dragging this stage prop across the stage a few too many times. Anyway, I noticed that this spindle was just about the same thickness and roundness of my toe. Just needed to chop a piece off that would fit. If you don’t have a spindle, you’ll just have to do a bit more shaping of a block of wood.
Look how nicely that fits. It still needed a bit more rounding, but it’s a great start.
The toes are glued and clamped into place. Once they finished drying overnight, the palm sander came out once again and made the corners round and the edges flush with one another.
The last piece to fix was the broken trim under the buffet.
1. Copied the pattern from the side that was still intact.
2. Cut out the pattern and flipped it, then traced it onto a piece of wood the same thickness as the original.
3. Cut out my replacement piece with a jigsaw, then sanded the heck out of it. The top of my replacement had a nice curve to it that you probably can’t see in the pictures, The look was copied with lots of sanding. Once finished it was glued and nailed into place.
All the repairs are done and you can barely tell even in the bright sunlight. At least I hope you can barely tell.
After sanding I gave the entire piece 2 coats of chalkboard paint (not chalk paint). Now this could have been the end of my project, but I painted him with chalkboard paint for a little fun.
This Rudge bicycle ad was found on Pinterest, originally shared on Flickr. You can also find it on my graphics board on Pinterest.
And this vintage bicycle was found at The Old Design Shop.
Images were enlarged in Publisher to fit over top the buffet. Publisher allows you to create any size picture which then prints out on multiple pages. You just have to tape them back together.
To transfer an image onto black paint, use chalk to cover the back of your printed page. Tape your pages in place on your piece of furniture then trace over your lines with a pen or pencil. Above you will see what the transferred chalk looks like. Now it’s just a matter of going over your lines with a chalk pen. A chalk pen is semi-permanent, it won’t smudge but you can wash it off if you want another design.
The knobs, you can also find at Hobby Lobby for $4, but wait for them to go on sale for half price. I liked how they looked a bit like my chalk.
The fun of chalkboard paint is that you can change your decor around for any season or party. What if you wanted a wine buffet at a party? Just draw directly onto your furniture. This wine bottle was done with real chalk and not the pen, in about 5 minutes. Voila, instant wine bar.
This is the perfect project for me because I get tired of graphics so quickly. All the wallpaper in my house has long since been removed since I get bored with it after a couple of years. ..but now I can have an instant facelift…boredom no more!!
Shared at Think and Make Thursday, Handmade Hangout, Home Matters Link Party,
Link Party Palooza, Upcycled Link Party, The Painted Drawer,
Be Inspired Tuesday, Wow us Wednesdays. Hit me With your best Shot,
Friday Furniture Fix,Vintage Inspiration Party, Friday Favorites,
Amaze me Monday, Share your Cup Thursday, Super Saturday
Treasure Hunt Thursday, Creativity Unleashed,DIY Sunday Showcase,
Silver Pennies sundays, Saturday Sparks, That DIY Party, Frugal Fridays,
and I was featured at
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Oh my oh my that is just stunning I’m jealous Also thanks for the good instructions on it
It is so cute! You are very creative!
You did such a beautiful job on this!! Love the end result!!
man chic this is awesome i love it great job xx
You are so talented! I just love to see what you come up with for all these pieces you picked up! I think I pin every single one of them! Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow mom, this one is awesome. So you repair all these wooden pieces, bracket, toe, sanding, oiling, (i’m sure there’s much more than you mentioned) and still don’t consider yourself at all a carpenter. hmmmmmm
Nope, just a mom. That boy needed fixin so I gave him a couple of bandaids. Just think what I did when you broke your arm, a little glue and clamp and you were as good as new. 🙂
OMG!!!! Love it, love it, love it!!!!
Wow – thanks for the chalk tutorial! I am tempted to give this a try :). What an awesome piece – thanks for sharing!
This is TOOOO awesome!!! I LOVE this!
Don’t know how I’ve missed your fabulous blog until now, but I’m here via Dwellings blog party and so glad I clicked! Can’t wait to look around and also to become a follower if I can make it work. Love this piece of furniture and now know what color to paint a coffee table top I’ve been ruminating over. thanks for the inspiration!!!
Wow!! What an awesome transformation. It turned out looking so pretty. Love how the cute knobs blend right in with the chalk.
That is so great! I LOVE the designs you put on there! What a creative idea. Thanks for sharing!
What detail you put into it! Looks great!!
Beautiful and functional, two of my favorite things! I’m not sure I would have gone to so much trouble to fix the broken pieces. You’ve inspired me to take that on next time I need to.
Thanks for sharing!
Actually, I would have been perfectly content to just paint over the broken areas, Just wanted to see if they were fixable. Who knew.
What an amazing transformation and you painted it my favorite color – Chalkboard! LOL! Seriously love your chalk art too! Pinning this one!
This is fabulous – I absolutely love the idea of using chalkboard paint on a piece of furniture. I could see this table used as a coffee/beverage station too. You did a beautiful job on it’s restoration as well.
Thanks Marie, A coffee station is a great idea and who doesn’t want to write on their furniture. 🙂
I love old advertising and typography. Your piece looks amazing! I would love it if you would share it at our new “furniture only” party tonight at 9PM EST. Hope to see you at Friday’s Furniture Fix. There are 5 co-hosts and 6 chances to be featured. http://www.patinaparadise.com
[…] A unique chalkboard buffet from Scavenger Chic! […]
Joan… once again, blown away. I LOVE this piece, the contrast of black and white and wood is outstanding! Featured you this weekend on Party Junk. 🙂
Absolutely amazing as always Joan!
Giving you a shout-out on Facebook this afternoon here – https://www.facebook.com/KnickofTime
Thanks for the shoutout and the party Angie.
Awesome, love the bikes.
[…] But here are a few of my favs… Chalkboard Buffet diy by Scavenger Chic […]
What a beautiful and unique piece Joan! I love the chalkboard art ans all the repair tips. Featured you this morning at Be Inspired. Thanks so much for sharing!
Joan,
I love how you transformed this buffet. It looks awesome with the chalk pen and chalk! You’re so talented and artistic!
gail
[…] Chalkboard Buffet DIY at Scavenger Chic […]
[…] Chalkboard Buffet DIY at Scavenger Chic […]
Wow. Your creativity is superb. The graphics and vintage art really make it a unique piece.
This is AMAZING!!! I love the work you put into this and that design on the front is sooooo cool! You did such a great job. I can see why it is your favorite to date!
[…] Joan from Scavenger Chic had the most clicked project for the week with this gorgeous chalk board buffet. […]
What a brilliant blog post. I now find myself looking at all my furniture to see what I can transform. I love the chalk drawings, thank you for the clear instruction of the process. Inspiring post.
This is probably one of my all time favorite chalkboard paint furniture makeovers. It is so whimsical & fun. I love that you left the sides blank so you can fill it in for parties, holidays, etc. I am like you & get bored. The graphics are so beautifully done. Thanks for sharing at Friday Favorites. I will be featuring this project as one of my favorites! Hope you will share with us again. Michelle
You did a fabulous job of fixing him up! I love the chalkboard paint and images! Thanks so much for sharing it with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
[…] Erin’s favorite this week is the diy Chalkboard Buffet. […]
[…] Chalkboard Buffet DIY from Scavenger Chic […]
You have done a fantastic job refurbishing this piece. I love the black paint and the pictures/words. I just love the whole thing. Thanks for making an old worn piece look fabulous and useful again!
[…] Erin’s favorite this week is the diy Chalkboard Buffet. […]
[…] Chic shared this absolutely amazing Chalkboard Buffet. Everything about it is beautiful! Farmhouse 40 updated a planter with stone textured […]
Beautiful results! WOW