Hilary Walker’s Chic Refurbished Bar Cart

This week our friend Hilary Walker is here with a fun, easy, affordable D.I.Y. project for those who love to entertain. (Me!) Take it away Hilary…
 
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By Hilary Walker
 
For the past couple months, I’ve been itching to work up a few DIY projects for this “Feathering Your First Nest” column but the timing just hasn’t been right… until recently.
 
A lovely email popped up in my inbox several weeks ago with an invitation to participate in an Upcycle Challenge for the upcoming Great Big Texas Home Show and supporting the AIDS Services of Dallas. The guidelines were simple; thrift a piece of furniture and transform it with a $100 budget. Of course, I took the challenge. Who wouldn’t?!
 
So, today I’m here to show you how a rickety old changing table can clean up to be a glamorous bar table with a few key ingredients.
 
Herewith my first act of transformation.
 


The Before: A worn down changing table purchased from a thrift store in Fort Worth. (You could work with any similar piece of wooden furniture that has shelves.)
 
The transformation was easy. You’ll need black spray paint, a chic shelf liner paper for the shelves, and a screw driver to disassemble your piece. (Easy so far, yes?) Sand piece if necessary, and then spray with two coats of spray paint in a well-ventilated space. Be sure to let the first coat dry thoroughly before applying the second. After the paint is dry, you can use your shelf liner to make the top surfaces prettier. Once all surfaces of the piece are covered with their new finish, reassemble and style with your favorite glasses, serving dishes, and bar pieces. I thrifted all of mine, which turned out to be an incredibly interesting (and inexpensive) way to stock a bar!
 
Are you ready for the great, big reveal?
 

The After: Chic, glamorous entertaining on a budget.
 
Keep in mind, everything in this project (with the exception of the paint and shelf liner) was purchased at thrift stores for under $100. Not bad when your purse strings are tight but your penchant for entertaining is anything but!
 
Finally, the concluding act… Voting!! Cast yours HERE.
 
Happy bar table transforming!
 
(Ed. note: You can keep up with Hilary on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.)