Give your kitchen a style boost with these simple projects you can do in a weekend.
An extra work surface is always welcome in a small kitchen. Make a sturdy island from galvanized pipe fittings, floor flanges, and wood planks found at a local home improvement store.
Two lower shelves provide space to display vintage kitchen linens and stash pots and pans.
We found this happy pattern on Spoonflower—it fits nicely into our color scheme—and ordered fabric to make tea towels and giftwrap for a decoupage project.
This basic wooden stool gets a style upgrade with patterned paper. Kurtis dips strips of our Spoonflower giftwrap into Mod Podge and wraps it around the legs of the stool.
He wraps the rungs and top last (they’re the trickiest parts) and uses a craft knife to cut and fill in around connecting areas.
When the entire surface is wrapped in paper and allowed to dry thoroughly, Kurtis applies a final layer of Mod Podge to the entire stool. When dry, it provides a hard protective layer that will stand up to hard use.
If you’ve got a small stretch of unadorned wall space, add some open storage with a bracketed shelf to hold daily necessities. The support brackets are painted and distressed to add a bit of character to the plain shelving.
Pick a pack of glazed ceramic mugs glorified with freehand floral designs. Find inspiration in the floral fabrics you use for other projects.
Keep kitchen linens and aprons handy by hanging them from a distressed pegboard made with antique doorknobs. Tuck it between the brackets supporting the shelf above.
An old doorknob from the New York City public school district is one of a pair. They add unique graphic appeal to the lineup of vintage hardware and act as conversation starters for kitchen visitors.
Add a little love to your kitchen with a pair of pretty, hardworking heart-shape potholders—quilting makes them extra sturdy. Follow these directions, but create your own version by using a patchwork design instead of a length of fabric for the top layer. Our potholders feature old feedsack fabric remnants that coordinate with vintage kitchen linens.
Flour sack towels are just about the best tool for drying dishware and glasses (and washing windows!) but they’re pretty plain without embellishment. Dress up a few with some simple embroidered kitchen motifs using easy stitches like these.
Altogether, these simple crafts (along with a beaded board wainscoting) add a comfortable and clean farmhouse vibe to a plain kitchen.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts where we’ll show you how to craft some of these easy projects.
© Caruth Studio