Vintage Sewing Table Upcycle: From Discard to Desk

People are jettisoning these vintage sewing machine tables like crazy.

For those unfamiliar, the top flips open and the sewing machine lifts from beneath on a hinge mechanism. In most cases today, the sewing machines died long ago, leaving carcasses like this.

Most people don’t appreciate the craftsmanship that went into these tables. They had to be sturdy and durable — which makes them perfect for upcycling. Watch as this one becomes a study desk for a girl’s bedroom (matching the chair featured in last week’s post, Vintage Desk Chair: From Prized to Precious).

Step One: Deconstruction

Most of the mechanical parts of this table were long gone. But there were some remnants of the hinge mechanism left to remove. Unlike the last sewing table I upcycled (Upcycled Sewing Table: From Gutted to Glam), I was able to remove both flat sections of the hinged top. I discarded the slab with the hole in it for the sewing machine. The uncut piece that traditionally flipped open for work space would become my new top. As they are identical in size, this is an ideal switch out. All I needed to do was use wood filler to plug the gaps where the hinges were removed.

Step Two: A New Front

My client wanted the desk to have a small drawer. Unfortunately, the existing wood front could not be cut in an attractive manner to accommodate one. So, I needed to make a new front. Using the old front as a template, I jigsawed a new piece of flat wood and then cut out a rectangle for the drawer opening. Tip: when using a jigsaw to cut a shape with internal corners, drill a hole in each corner (as seen here). That way you won’t risk over-cutting into your “good” section of wood and you can turn the corner more easily.

After sanding the frame and the drawer edges smooth, it was time to attach the new front. I used the old front to make a template for the screw locations on the new wood. Then I flipped the whole frame upside down over my “new” desk surface and attached the top.

Step Three: Making it Match

I’ve been working on several pieces for my client, all painted white. Using white paint is always a challenge because of the risk of old stain or oils in the wood bleeding through. I could tell this wood was definitely a bleeder! My guess is it’s mahogany, a wood notorious for paint bleed-through.

That meant primer would not be enough prep in this case. I had to first coat the whole piece in Zinsser® shellac to seal in any remaining stain or wood oils. Then I was able to add a coat of Zinsser BIN® primer followed by two coats of Farmhouse® paint in “Classic White”. I protected the finish with multiple coats of Minwax® Polycrylic tinted with the white paint.

Step Four: The Drawer

Unlike a dresser or nightstand, where a drawer could be attached directly to the sides, this desk threw me another curveball. The sides were too far from the center to securely attach a drawer. Instead, I found a drawer online that attaches to the underside of a desk. I screwed this drawer beneath the top (this is the underside view), and voila! A drawer!

But the drawer front wasn’t a good match for the wood. It was smooth metal, which looked odd juxtaposed with the wood frame. So, to help it blend in, I applied primer and paint and then scratched it up with a putty knife to make it look like wood grain. Much better!