DIY Bar Cart: An Old Bookcase Transformed

Have you spotted the chic bar carts all over the DIY blogosphere? From IKEA hacks to industrial looking carts made from plumbing parts, there are a huge variety of them out there that have all had me inspired. I recently said yes to being a part of the challenge. The scoop? 8 DIY bloggers across Canada were asked to re-furbish or build something out of wood, using two Varathane products and 3 (of 5) "mystery products" that would be sent to them in a challenge box. I figured that this was the perfect opportunity to tackle this project that had been on my wish list for a while, turning an old bookcase into a DIY bar cart.

Here is how things started out. I already owned this bookcase, which had seen better days. It was made beautifully by my Daddio for my University dorm room, when I needed a space to store textbooks, but sadly it had been pretty neglected the past few years and it was showing. The wood had really yellowed and there was nowhere in the house where it made sense to use it as it was. Even painted, we just didn't need a bookcase that sort of size anywhere. And so, it made the perfect jumping off point for my new bar cart.





I started out by sanding down the bookcase to remove some of the old finish that had been on there. Once I had roughed up the wood and removed the old top layer of polyeurothane, I was able to apply the stain I had received in my "challenge box". Lucky for me, the colour was AMAZING and something I totally would have chosen myself at the hardware store. It's the Varathane Ultimate Stain in Sun Bleached and it is a milky gray colour that gives the wood a beautiful white-washed, beachy kind of aesthetic. Even this super yellowed wood was muted down to a cooler tone. I love it.
My stain process? Applying with a paintbrush, letting soak in for 2-3 minutes, then wiping off with a rag. Let it dry for at least 6 hours and then do another coat.





Once those two coats of stain had fully dried, I then applied a Varathane Poly Effects as a top coat.
For the inside of the bar cart, I grabbed some high gloss white paint I already owned and gave it a few coats. I really like that two-tone look and suddenly, the whole bookcase was feeling so refreshed.
To turn this bad boy into a legit bar cart, we added some casters to the bottom. You can buy these at any hardware store (usually in a pack of two) and then just drill onto the bottom of your piece. You want to put them in the far corners of the bookcase to ensure it's stable.





The "mystery" products that I had received in my challenge box included rope, a door handle, and some wire. I had to get a little creative with these to have them make sense for my bar cart, but ended up making them work:
The rope I turned into coasters with a little bit of hot glue (tutorial on these to come soon!)...





The door handle I glued to the inside of the cart to provide a hook to hang a dish cloth from...





And the wire I used as the back-bone for my floral B-A-R letters that I put on the back of the bottom bookshelf and also tried out on the wall - both ways looked cute (tutorial on these to come soon, too!)...





The most fun part about a bar cart is styling it. A little San Pellegrino, some bottles of bubbly, fun straws, glasses, lemons, bling. All of these things MAKE a bar cart.





My grand plan is to have this piece eventually up in my studio on the 3rd floor so that I have drinks to offer clients when they come over for meetings. And you know, to help me with my workdays. Apparently it's wine-o-clock over here.











OK so here is where I have a favour to ask of you guys. As I mentioned, this fun project was a part of a DIY challenge called My project is up against 7 other AMAZING DIYs from many of my blogger friends. I would be so, so appreciative if you would take a minute and head over to the Facebook page and vote for whichever project you like best! The grand prize is a whopping $2500, so I promise I'll take you all out for a drink if I win. Or at least do a sweet giveaway on here of some kind. You can vote once/day for the next couple of weeks. Go vote here (through facebook). Thanks loves! xo.
Oh and P.S. For those of you who noticed that this bar cart was shot in Maya's nursery (notice the ice cream wall behind it?), don't worry.... I'm not a ridiculously bad parent giving my 2-year old booze. I just needed a cute place with decent light to shoot this thing! Ha.
Do you guys have a bar cart at your place? If so, do you use it often? Ever come across one of those amazing vintage gold and glass ones? If so, I'm totally jealy over here.






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/9698306/diy-bar-cart-an-old-bookcase-transformed site