Old wood cutting board makeover...
You can find them at thrift stores or garage sales for pennies...maybe even in the back of your very own cabinet.
Old wood cutting boards.
Over the years these kitchen necessities have gotten a bad rap. Probably for a good reason. They harbor bacteria so we no longer use them for the purpose they were originally designed. Instead we now use plastic boards or glass...anything that is easier to clean and sanitize while saving our counter tops.
But the wood used to make these old boards is beautiful...often oak or walnut...maybe even cherry, hickory or mahogany. So rather than toss them, or ignore them when you see them at a thrift store or garage sale, pick them up and give them a quick and simple little makeover to use as kitchen decor! With just a tiny bit of time and effort, they really can become beautiful again!
There are several great things you can do with old cutting boards. Here are just a few example. The possibilities are unlimited and I recommend doing a search on Pinterest or Google..."old wood cutting board." (Click on the photos to take you to the "source" site for these images!)
Paint or refinish and make a stand for your Ipad or cookbooks...
Holiday decor....
And one of my all time favorites...using vintage image transfers to doll them up!
At The Graphics Fairy you can get HUNDREDS of FREE awesome graphics and find tutorials on how to easily transfer them onto wood!
My mom gave me an old wood cutting board that had been in our family for decades and while I was out snooping through thrift stores, I picked up another old board that was pretty beat up! Both had little or no "finish" left on them and both had been used a lot...lots of "cut" marks and dings!
I used the Formby's varnish remover to strip all the old finish and clean them up, wiped them down with mineral spirits, and then applied 3-4 coats of new butcher block oil finish. Watco has a great butcher block oil finish specifically for this type of application and IF you wanted to use these cutting boards again for food preparation you could. (I personally don't recommend it!)
I sanded them with 0000 steel wool between coats and then ran a tack cloth over them. I continued to apply the oil until I got a nice even gloss finish on both! The wood grain and depth of the color on these old boards is AMAZING!!! No stain...just the butcher block oil! It completely transforms the color of the wood and really makes the grain pop!
I sanded each of the boards after stripping just a tad to remove the faintest cut marks, but honestly, I wanted the "used" look...if I wanted "new" I could go buy one. I like the "used" character!
I even picked up an old wood lazy susan at an auction months ago. The lady told me she remembered her grandmother decorating cakes on it for decades. It looked pretty old and beat up and was missing the little "ball bearings" that would have been in the channel on the base that made it turn. I just bought new little craft balls that fit in the channel, stripped it, and oiled it. Gorgeous. I put it in one of my booths and I don't think it lasted a day! Someone knew exactly what it was or at the very least knew it would make a beautiful piece to display! It made me feel good to know that I took something that appeared nasty and useless and turned it into a stunning, useful piece again with little effort!
Next time you spy one of these old boards, don't pass it up...no matter how nasty or beat up it looks! With a tiny bit of effort they really can be beautiful again! Whether you just strip it and oil it and display it as is, or put in a little more time and doll it up, you will have a awesome piece to display in your kitchen or dining room...on a picture stand or hanging on your wall...by itself or in a grouping...the possibilities are endless!
Auction Action
With spring around the corner (thank goodness!) auctions are starting to fire back up. There have been a few here and there over the winter, but nothing like what we see during the warmer months....2-3-4 every weekend...so many options to choose from every Saturday! Fun, fun.
We went to a living estate auction yesterday. In town, nice neighborhood, nice house. Honestly, not my favorite kind of auction to go to because there are usually a lot of people there and the prices are higher...yep, and yep.
But I did manage to pick up a couple of truckloads of stuff. Lots of frames, lamps, a few furniture pieces to makeover, an old piano bench, some large wood ammo boxes and a few knick-knacks!
There was a lot of nice furniture and it brought a pretty penny...mostly people buying for their personal use. Little I could sell for much more than what they paid. The furniture I did get needs LOTS of work...and that's okay.
Hopefully it will stay warm enough to get a few projects done and ready to share. Yesterday I painted a few frames and lamps. The old desk, bedside table and an old phone table will need some serious time and attention...and warm weather!
And it is ALMOST time to start prepping flower beds! My daffodils have usually popped already, but it was an unusually cold February so they are just now starting to grow. Maybe in the next week or so they will bloom. That is my green light to start trimming lirope and tilling flower beds! Can't wait!
