Workbench Sewing Table...

Hi everyone. Long time, no see. I have been on a little summer hiatus. Nothing in particular prompted this time off, just lots of little things happening all at once. My idea well had run dry, cleaning and purging our home of "things", working on Courtney and Courtland's new home, my 91 year old dad (who lives with us) has signs of dementia, poor health and needs more attention...just all the things we all have in our lives.

I have been sewing a lot though, using up my stash and making things to hopefully sell in my Etsy shop. It's nice to be back at my machine...blogging just took a back seat.

During one of my cleaning out sessions in the basement, I noticed my dad's old workbench system that I was using for Christmas storage. He hasn't used it in years due to his health. I thought to myself..."Why is this great set down here in the basement. I need to bring this up to my sewing room!!"

Tah Dah!!!

A double sewing machine, ironing station with storage.

I keep light colored thread in one machine and dark in the other, so it's always set up for those last minute clothing fixes, sewing projects or a day quilting with a friend...right Tina?

I know this system isn't for everyone, but pop in for some ideas to incorporate in your sewing room.

Make Your Own Desk or Sewing Table With Things You Might Already Have...

I changed a few things around in my sewing room and thought I would share some ideas I used for a "new" to me sewing table.

I needed a shorter, not so wide desk. I scrounged around in the basement and found an old coffee table I wasn't using anymore. I unscrewed the legs and that wooden skirt box along the under edge and placed the coffee table top on storage boxes I already had in my sewing room. I had 4 of them, so 2 for each side was perfect.

Instant sewing table...

I just stacked the 2 wooden boxes and used flat brackets to keep them together and "L" brackets to screw the top to the boxes.

These boxes were hand me downs from my sister, but file cabinets and a coffee table top would work too.

This is the perfect height for me!

and it's just long enough to keep a small ironing board to press as I'm sewing.

Here's another idea for you too...

My old sewing table was made from this table top. It's a cheap hollow core core I covered in vinyl. I cut it down to a smaller size and recycled it for a cutting table. I used a file cabinet on one side and 2 drawers on the other.

Here's the vinyl covered door.

These are 2 kitchen drawers from our kitchen renovation. I tipped them on their side and used brackets to attach them together and "L" brackets to attach to the top.

The drawers are perfect to use as a book shelf!!

Old file cabinet for support on the other side.

If your two items on each side are not quite the same height, you can add pieces of wood on top of the shorter piece to compensate for the difference.

Perfect cutting table.

The best part about all of these is that I can take them all apart and use them for something else, store them away and they are easy to move around.

I hope I inspired you to look around your home and see what you can find to make a diy desk of your own.

You can also find all sorts of things to use in thrift stores and yard sales!!

Thanks of stopping by,
~Karen~

Vinyl Covered Sewing or Craft Table...and So Much More!!

I take one trip to Walmart for groceries and I'm tearing my sewing room apart. The Walmart fabric section has great utility fabrics...burlap, decorator weight, vinyl, canvas etc.  I always look when I'm there. Well, I found my favorite fabric pattern in vinyl sold off the roll. I've bought this vinyl fabric before in pre-cut packages and covered other things, but when it's sold by the yard, at any length I need and for $2.96 a yard, the possibilities are endless!! I just wanted to share that they sell it by the yard now!!

Here's the before of the table...

and here's the fabric up close...

It's so easy to cover a table and when you want to remove the vinyl, there is no damage to the furniture. Come on in and see how easy...

Tool Time Tuesday...No Assembly Crafter's Workbench

Hi everyone and welcome to another Tool Time Tuesday. You know I just love roaming the stores for ideas and find things to transform into something else. Well, today's idea is an easy one.  I just stumbled on it in...where else...Home Depot!

I didn't buy one for myself, because I can't squeeze one more piece of furniture in my craft room. I just wanted to share a "tool time" idea with you.

Again, as I mentioned in another post about the tiered tray organizer...this is our little crafter's secret. If we talk about this they'll raise the price! Lol

Come on in and see how easy and great this workbench will be for you.

Tool Time Tuesday...Finial To Raise Table Height

Hi everyone. Hope you're having a great start to the week. Today I wanted to share a quick tip to raise the height of your fabric cutting table or any table you are working at and you need it to be a little higher.

Here is an older picture of my sewing room that shows the height difference of 2 tables. These 2 tables aren't close enough now in my room to get a good picture.

The table on the left is my desk and the table on the right is my cutting table. These tables were hand me downs from my sister, so I'm not sure where she bought them. They are the farm table type with the oak tops and the white painted legs. I just painted them black.

As a side note, if you are looking for tables to use for sewing, cutting or crafting, I always look in thrift stores, yard sales or online. Just look at the basic style of the table and the legs, not so much the color or age. Paint is a wonderful thing!!

Now on to the leg extension idea...

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~