Upcycled Treadle Sewing Machine Into Grooming Table

Christi Joyce
by Christi Joyce
5 Materials
$75
5 Days
Medium
My blonde Cocker Spaniel owns me. To say she needs regular grooming is an understatement. I searched for a table that would fit in a small nook, but decided I’d have to make one. That’s when an old treadle sewing machine that my father had lugged home caught my eye.
I forgot to take a before photo—this was a standard treadle machine that was badly weathered and the wood was peeling.
Dismantled. Having never done this before, and being a homemaker, I really had to stop and think about what could be salvaged and what to do with it.
Decided that I really wanted to somehow use the drawers..so handy! They needed to be lightly sanded, any really loose parts/layers were glued, then a fresh coat of stain and a clear coat to seal. The cast iron base was brushed and swept and treated to a glossy coat of black paint.
Since none of the larger pieces of wood were salvageable, at least by me, I used 3/4” birch plywood for the table. I stained the plywood and the trim before assembling.
My first idea was to put the intact drawers on each side, but the result was a table that was much too high! So I cut them in half and set them side by side. There’s still room in the middle for incidentals. Bonus: I found the drawer pulls in the bottom of a junk drawer! Sometimes it really does pay to save stuff. 🙃
And here we go: The final measurement for the table is 21”x31”. I managed—barely!—to salvage the drawer under the table.
Suggested materials:
  • 1/2 sheet of 3/4” birch plywood   (Home Depot)
  • Carved ‘Rope’ trim board   (Home Depot)
  • Stain   (Left over from other projects)
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