Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Tool Time Tuesday...Sewing Table

Hello everyone! Hope you are having a great start to the week. Today's Tool Time is a little transformation of my sewing table.

If you sew, you know your sewing table is where all the magic happens! Years ago my sewing table was my dining room table or my kitchen table. You know the drill...pack and unpack your things each time so the family can eat Lol.

I then moved to the basement and sewed on a regular office type desk. When I finally moved my sewing room upstairs to a porch that we only used a few times a year,  I made a desk for myself. A desk made for a shortie like me...I'm 5' 2". Having a desk that "fits" me has really helped my shoulders and posture.

Here's the revamped desk with a pretty vinyl covering...I made it shorter in length and added a small desk in an "L" shape for when friends come to sew!! You're all set now Tina.

The final measurement is 60 inches long by 24 inches wide by 24.5 inches high.


Here's the before table. I made this from a $20 hollow core door and 2 old night stands (you could use small file cabinets too). I removed the legs on the nightstands to bring the height of the table down a little. Click HERE to go to that original post. I loved this desk, but with the changes to my sewing room, I needed it to be little shorter.


I floated the desk in the middle of the room , so I needed space on the sides for walking.


Here's how I made the length of the door shorter...hubby, a skill saw and 2 crates.


I penciled a line to be cut. I needed about 15 inches cut off.


and here's the tool to do it with.


You really need 2 people to do this...one to cut and one to hold the door in place so it doesn't move or jump around.

See...hollow core.


Just a quick sanding by hubby. You know I'm already thinking of what to do with the 15 inches of cut off wood.


Here's the shorter desk top in place on the 2 nightstands I used before.


This is today's Tool Time find...Vinyl covering. I found this in the sewing section of Walmart. It's made by Con-Tact, but it's NOT contact paper. You know the sticky stuff you would put in your kitchen cupboards.


It's a very big piece of vinyl and the package was only $7.99.


It comes in several patterns and colors, but you know I would pick the black and white one. This is a similar design I picked out in fabric to make my daughters Kelsie's duvet cover for school, so the extra vinyl will be put to good use.


Smooth shiny vinyl with a plain white back. The possibilities for this are endless.


Now, to cover the desk top...

Drape the vinyl over the top and leave enough on all side to wrap over to the back.


If it has a repeat design pattern, find a mark and cut on that.


This pattern was easy to find a repeat and the vinyl cuts like butter.


To attach to the desk top, I used a staple gun and duck tape...I never leave home without them.  Lol


Staple along all the edges.


Tap in any staples that don't go in all the way.


At the ends, fold the vinyl like you are wrapping a gift box. This is also covering the cut end of the desk too!!


Staple along the folded ends.




All attached.


Now cover all the ends of the vinyl and the staples with duck tape just to be sure. This will keep the ends from rolling up and the staples from scratching the top of the supports you are using.


Isn't she pretty?


The vinyl is awesome to sew on...fabric glides across as it comes off the machine.


Now for accessories. I found this black tape measure in Joann Fabrics for 99 cents. It's black!!! I bought 3.


I just used double sided tape to attach it to the table top.






Fits the length of the desk at 60 inches. Great for those quick measurements while sewing something.


Add a few tools...a little milk creamer for seam ripper, machine screw driver and other little tools, add a pincushion and a scissor holder too.


The scissor caddy is an old toothbrush holder!


In front of my machine, I used an olive tray I found in a thrift store for 50 cents.


Perfect narrow size for that spot and holds extra bobbins and thread...


needles and machine feet.


This is from an office supply. I think it's to hold papers while typing.


I use it to hold pattern instructions while I'm sewing.


I hope you like the transformation. It really was quick and easy.


Look for more projects from my sewing room while I'm changing things around a bit!!


Happy Tuesday,
~Karen~

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46 comments:

  1. Karen, It is gorgeous...I love the way you repurposed the olive dish, the typing stand (that is exactly what it was for!), and I love the measuring tapes attached to the table top. Beautiful job!

    P.S. Tried the toothbrush holder for scissors idea, but the points of my scissors kept sliding over the edge...it just didn't work for me (darn it!).

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  2. Absolutely love your room, and your creative ideas.
    Fabulous!

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  3. Of all the craft/sewing rooms I have seen in "blogland", yours remains my favorite. It is both pretty and functional. I love the color unification and all the ways you have made it work for you using things not necessarily as they were intended! You always amaze me with your ability to think (and see) outside the box.

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  4. I so love your blog Karen. You have such wonderful ideas. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming! Love what you've made here. hugs Sharon (South Africa)

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  5. I love it! I'll be right over!! So is that what I am, a "scrappy friend?" Haha!

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  6. I saw that vinyl too, but didn't know what to do with it so, now I know. Great idea for a second sewing table. Love your ideas!

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  7. Love what you have done. I just 'redid' my rm last yr. it is still a mess, and not exactly the way i want it. mostly bc the rm is too small. but we adpt till we figure out how to change it. thanks for sharing your ideas.

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  8. I think we should all hire you to come redo our spaces. I love all of your ideas! Can't wait to see the room finished.

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  9. Brava! The desk is FANTASTIC! Thanks for sharing how you made it. You have the perfect accessories, too. You must LOVE your space. :D

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  10. I've always admired your sewing room! I love what you did with the table. Do you think you could make a trip to Pennsylvania and redo my sewing room? It really needs help!

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  11. Love the desk, but I keep looking at the picture of the hollow core of the hollow core desk and thinking surely there is something that could be stored in there......maybe make cardboard box drawers that would just fit? Of course, using it as a storage space would ruin your vinyl wrap work, but someone as clever as you could work around that.

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  12. So inspired by this post! I have a gorgeous old desk that has been redone in gorgeous blue with a pink fabric on top, and next to it is a totally drab brown folding table. I'm definitely going to find some vinyl to put on top! And the olive dish and book stand are pretty genius!

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  13. Beautiful! I love the olive tray and toothbrush holder ideas. Great job!

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  14. Hi Karen! Love this idea - it's just what I've been looking for!!! One quesetion though, do you anchor the door to the tops of the bedstands in any way or just sit it on top? Thanks!! :)

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  15. Amazing! You can come live here with me and transform my space.....8-)

    XO Linda

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  16. Awesome! Thanks for the details and the Accessory thoughts!

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  17. You should sew yourself a cape, because you are Super Fab!! :-) Thanks for filling our lives with beautiful ideas.

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  18. I absolutely adore what you have done with the table! You are so creative and always give me lots of ideas. Love the tape measure attached to the table - so quick, clever and easy!!
    Keep bringing me your amazing ideas!!

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  19. I'm thinking this would be a great way to cover the top of a dresser so that it matches room decor. Is there a way to adhere the vinyl without staples?

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  20. A bunch of brilliant ideas here, Karen! I'm surely stealing some of them :) Being tall, I have the opposite problem as you, including long legs that don't fit under small desks. I specifically chose the sewing desk I bought because it had a very wide opening, but you accomplished the same thing with your core door and nightstands. Love, love the paper stand for patterns.

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  21. I was walking through Wal-mart sewing section just yesterday and saw that vinyl covering stuff and wondered 'what could I do with that'? I really like the black and white too! Your new sewing table looks fabulous!

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  22. What a great sewing/storage space you've created. I'll be moving soon and it will be fun to see what space I can have for my sewing, then to create it so it is a happy, fun, useful spot to "get lost in".

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  23. What a great idea for a table and the vinyl is really pretty. Your whole room looks great and really well organised.

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  24. What a great idea using the vinyl! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  25. Fantastic! I really must hit the thrift stores more often. An olive tray? Great use for that. Your ideas are so inspiring. Love your blog.

    Happy Sewing!

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  26. I love to cover stuff in contact paper. In my first classroom the sink area was disgusting so I used a green marble print. I also put some on the ugly book case tops. When I made my studio I found a light green and white print similar to yours. I put it on the top of the both desks, the 8 foot church table used for cutting and crafting. Recently I used the scraps to cover the stained white computer tray table. It is so durable and looks great.

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  27. Karen,
    It's nice to see Pinterest will have more ideas for a sewing desk, I am so addicted to Pinterest I don't think I have had a time that I was in there that I did not see one of your pictures. I am so glad you are not blocking pinterest like some other bloggers that do not want their items pinned, I say it's free advertising!! Kudos to you!!

    Love your new desk you sure you don't want to come to Florida and help me set mine up?? I spent all last weekend out there cleaning and sorting rearranging, still have much more to do. I can't wait to get it done, it's been so long since I had a proper sewing room.

    Nanette

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  28. You have the BEST ideas! I've got to check my Walmart for vinyl covering. Thanks!

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  29. It is looking so good and that vinyl is fantastic !

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  30. It is looking wonderful and it is so easy to wash/clean it. Keep the rotary cutter away from it! I can't take my eyes off from your pretty stacks of boxes!

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  31. What a wonderfully, adorable, easy idea!!! Thanks so much for sharing! I'm already trying to think 'where' I might be able to use it in my home!!!

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  32. I LOVE this!!!
    Now if I only had a room to put this in!

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  33. Damn.. impressive..looks fabulous...........

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  34. Very nice. Black tape measures....I might have bought 10!!!

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  35. The scissor holder and the measuring tape!!! Genius! I'm still in sewing-on-the-kitchen-table mode, but I am stockpiling ideas like these for my "someday" sewing room. :)

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  36. Hi Karen,

    Just checked out the local Walmart in our town - and didn't see the vinyl covering in the sewing area. We live in the same area - did you go to your town's Walmart? I want to use your idea in our school to cover a yucky counter. Thanks! Erin

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  37. Thanks for showing the cover for the door tabletop. I will not be able to find this cover from our Wal Mart. They discontinued fabrics etd. I will keep looking though. On my way to fix my new work table up.
    Thanks!
    Linda

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  38. I love your table! Are you having any vibration of your Bernina sewing machine? How does it compare in sturdiness to the table that you cut the legs down? I am considering doing one or the other, and would love to know!! Thank you. Beth

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  39. Love it, love it, love it! . . . except i am 5'8" so i think i will go with the table risers! What i love is the vinyl material on the hollow core door. Fabric will just slide so easily wherever you need it. Plus, it just looks so lovely. The duct tape is also a plus as well as the measuring tape. i am impressed!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment...I just love hearing from you!

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