Sewing Table to Drink Station

But when you open the lid, it's quite hacked up around the sewing machine opening and the back panel!

Watch Our Drink Station Video

Watch the video or proceed to the tutorial below:

Template

Draw out a template for the container you decide to use on a piece of cardboard (we used a file folder).

After that, our first order of business is sand all the old finish and remove the part under the table that catches oil drips from the sewing machine.

Repairs

There's holes in our back panel so we cut a new panel (1/8″ Masonite) to cover the holes.

Then clamp the new board in place and let dry overnight.

Cutting the Opening

Once dry, we proceed with cutting out for the drink holder using the template. Trace around with a marker so the lines can be seen. Then, use a jigsaw to cut.

A perfect fit! The bin we’re using for our drink station is a storage bin from Ikea – meant to be used for toy storage.

Fix Veneer

Because the table was so mangled, there’s still a gap after cutting out the template shape, so glue a piece of the cutoff to fill the gap. As you’ll see on the video, you can pin nail right through the green tape that holds the piece while the glue is drying.

We also glue down and clamp any loose veneer.

There are two types of wood filler we use to fill gaps. One can be used straight out of the container. We use it for smaller areas like shown below.

The other filler we use is Minwax Wood Filler. It’s a two part epoxy you have to mix first.

Two part epoxy is great for larger areas, like those left by the hinges and edges that will get a lot of wear.

Apply with a putty knife and let dry.

As soon as the wood filler is dry, sand it smooth.

Below is the gap we filled with a piece of wood and wood filler. Once painted, you’d never know there was ever a chunk of wood missing.

Some parts, like the routed edges, you will have to hand sand.

Patriotic Decor

When I first removed the front door from the cabinet, the proportions reminded me of a flag. With Canada Day coming up, it’s perfectly timed!

So I cut out a maple leaf using adhesive vinyl from the dollar store. Keep in mind that you could easily change this to an American flag for Independence Day. Just add stars and stripes instead :).

Stick the vinyl onto the front of the door. The vinyl is clear – you can see the shiny contrast of the leaf against the wood below. Tape off the sides with Frogtape. It will ensure you don’t get any bleed through! You can use cheaper tape beyond that.

Then I dry brush brush white paint onto the middle section, covering up the leaf.

Peel off the vinyl sticker to expose your design (which you'll see a bit later). Now to prep for paint!

I decide I want the legs to remain a light colour so we tape them up. Use Frogtape where you want to prevent bleed through.

Cheaper tape and special coated paper can be used for the rest.

Paint

Whenever we can, we tint our primer to match the paint colour. That’s because if the finish ever gets scratched, or we miss a spot when spraying, the same colour will show through instead of glaring white.

We use a paint sprayer to apply the primer and paint as you'll see on the video.

The most indispensible tool when spray painting are these Painter’s Pyramids. They allow you to spray one side and then flip it to coat the other side. Once the top is sprayed, we can let it dry to the touch. Then flip it and set it on top of four Painter’s Pyramids.

Pour left over paint back into the container between coats.

Then clean the sprayer. We have some tips on our blog on how to do that and get the best paint finish (link below where you see our logo).

Let all the pieces dry at least 48 hours. Then the drink station is ready to reassemble!

Pop in the bin.

Patriotic Drink Station

Are you ready to party? I think we all are!

Doesn’t the front panel look cool sporting a jaunty maple leaf?! It would looks just as great with any flag you choose to paint!

Just add ice and a few choice beverages. When you’re done, remove the bin to drain the water and close it back up again.

I love how versatile sewing machine tables are. To date, we’ve done a coffee table, a Singer Sewing Table Makeover, a tiered plant stand DIY, this Pallet DIY, and last but not least, a Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket Inspired Upcycle (which I think is my favourite). You can find all those links on our blog.

This upcycled sewing machine table/drink station would make a great side table if you wanted to keep it indoors until it’s needed. Or instead of a drink station, you could use it as a planter table. The flip open lid would be idea for potting plants too!

Crochet for a Cure

Before you go, check out our new pattern shop; we’re donating 100% of our proceeds to Alzheimer’s. You’ll find patterns, like our signature Kayla Pillow, Air Planter Pods and Tooth Fairy Pillow (shown below), available to purchase as a donation to our Alzheimer’s fundraiser.

Come visit us to purchase a pattern; with 100% going to charity, it’s a win-win!

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