Thrift Store Butcher Block Riser

6 Materials
$15
6 Hours
Easy

I found this small butcher block at a thrift store for less than $2. I knew immediately it would make the perfect riser with a little bit of elbow grease!

Supplies


Wood candle cups are the perfect size and shape for small risers, they're also very cheap which is perfect for budget DIY projects.

The first thing I did was clean the butcher block a thoroughly. I then gave it a good sanding, starting with a course sandpaper and working my way up to a finer grit. When sanding it is important you go with the grain of the wood. My goal was to create a smooth surface and lessen the appearance of the dark stain.

After sanding and wiping away saw dust I applied wood conditioner. Wood conditioner helps stain apply more evenly and get rid of blotchiness. I allowed the conditioner to sit for 10 minutes before wiping away the excess.

During those 10 minutes I went ahead and stained the candle cups. I used a small foam brush and wiped away excess stain after about 5 minutes.

I then went ahead to stain the butcher block. If I had chosen a darker stain the black stain on the butcher block would not have stood out. I chose a lighter stain because it matched the rest of my kitchen.


I let my pieces dry for about 2 hours before attaching the candle cup legs. I only used wood glue.

I applied a thin coat of the glue to the base of the legs and gave them a little twist. I allowed the wood glue to dry for several hours before moving the riser.

Ultimately the dark stain on the butcher block bothered me more than I thought it would. I ended up adding two stripes to camouflage it better. To make the stripes I mixed black acrylic paint and baking soda to create chalk paint. I used painters tape to create the design I wanted and a foam brush to blot the paint on.

I hope you've enjoyed this project and feel inspired to hit the thrift store and get creative!

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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Kristi Mooneyhan Kristi Mooneyhan on Aug 25, 2020

    Why didn’t you just turn the block over and use the other side for the top? If you don’t want to do that you could still sand that down past the black stain and knife marks. I like the raised/leg idea!

  • Debi Debi on Aug 23, 2021

    Where can I find wooden candle cups?

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  • Maureen Maureen on Sep 12, 2021

    Cute project!! Nice save with the black stripe!! Thank you for sharing ❤️

  • Reena Reena on Sep 21, 2021

    Love how this turned out. Will definitely try making one ! Thanks for sharing

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