SPRING: A Portable Potting Table

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You just never know what you can do with a piece of junk!

I found a vintage wood ironing board really cheap about a year ago at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in my area. I happily forked over FIVE DOLLARS for it and hauled it home, knowing that I would come up with a plan for it eventually. 

Even before I had a plan for how I would USE it, I knew how I wanted to spiff it up: Paint, of course... so I painted it. Last year. Since then, it's been folded up and leaning against the wall in my studio, only pressed into service - pun intended! - when I set it up to help store the elements of last year's holiday projects while I was photographing them. 

I recently began working on our backyard, doing all of the spring cleaning and prep for new plants - and that's when I decided that it would work splendidly as a portable potting table! And it couldn't have been easier...

The best thing about this use is that it can be set up anywhere I need it, anywhere in the yard, in just minutes. It is lightweight, easy to fold, and can be stored anywhere. (Once our weather heats up into the high 90's and triple digits, I'll be storing it back in my studio... heat that severe can warp anything wood.)

Let's move on to the 'before and after':

materials:

*  a vintage wood ironing board

*  acrylic paint in the shade of your choice, in flat or eggshell finish

*  flat paint brushes in two sizes (large + small)

*  drop cloth (canvas or plastic) to protect the floor


method:

Before painting, I dusted off the ironing board with a Swiffer duster, then cleaned the surfaces with hot water mixed with Dawn dish soap and a bit of white vinegar, using a microfiber towel.

I let it all dry completely before painting. But no sanding was necessary!

The left photo shows the 'before' state of the ironing board's legs. The top coat is a light yellow, but the scratches reveal an earlier paint coat of a warm green.... THAT's the color I wanted this to be. The paint shown on the right is wet, and will dry lighter to match the hue on the left.

I mixed leaf green paint with a bit of mustard yellow, then added in a drop of orange to get a shade match. If you're wondering, the drop of orange gave the green color a bit of 'dullness' to match the undercoat. ;) As I worked on the color mix, I applied tiny drops of mixed paint to the green scratches on the wood until it was the same color.

PAINTING TIP: If you are creating your own color, mix up MORE paint than you think you will need! Store it in a plastic container with a lid - I re-use the containers that soup comes from in my local grocer's deli section. Better to have a bit of paint left over than to have to try and create an exact match halfway through the project. 

The first paint coat was applied to the legs using the larger flat brush - and I started on the insides of the legs, moving downward then outward so I wouldn't bump up against it.

While those areas dried, I used the smaller flat brush to apply paint to the metal braces, hinges, and wire supports.

Once dry, I applied a second coat of paint to all areas. 
The second coat made the color much richer, and more durable as well.


You could spray on some clear acrylic lacquer or rub in some furniture oil to protect the paint and the wood top if you wish... I'm fine with leaving it unsealed at this point. (I have a final detail to add to it another time, then I'll seal it).

NOTE: A vintage metal ironing board would work, too - tho I'd use semi-gloss enamel spray paint instead of flat acrylic to paint it. 

Set up next to our raised-bed herb garden, this provides a helpful surface - at exactly the right height! - for me to tend to the plants easily. If I repositioned it, I could even sit on the raised garden wall as I worked. 


I was careful to be sure the legs were solidly balanced on the ground for stability, and I didn't put huge pots up on it - that would likely be too much weight for it to hold safely.

I mentioned that I have another detail to add - that goes along with another purpose that I have for this piece. I'll share that one later in the year... once I am done planting!

I've accomplished a lot in the yard already - the roses are pruned and leafing out, the last lemons are almost ready to pick, and am looking forward to the trees that just got pruned WAY back to start putting on new growth. Oh, and the hummingbirds are ravenous this year! I might need to buy stock in sugar to keep them well-fed LOL.

I hope your spring is already wonderful! 

related content:


salvaged junk potting bench


potting 'bar'

tutorial, painting, junk makeover, thrifted, garden, outdoors, spring, upcycled vintage wood ironing board, re-purposed, upcycled, re-purposed potting bench, portable potting bench.