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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Kids Art Desk Repurposed Armoire

    Kids Art Desk Repurposed Armoire

    Published by Gail | Published April 7, 2015 | Updated February 18, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    How to make a kids art desk out of an old armoire. This art desk has a unique fold down desk with lots of storage for all the needed art supplies. #myrepurposedlife #repurposed #armoire #furniture #kids #desk #artcenter via @repurposedlife

    I am so glad this kids art desk made from a repurposed armoire is done. I hope you can follow along with my crazy tutorial below because this is a pretty in depth repurposed furniture project.

    my-repurposed-life-old-armoire-repurposed-kids-art-center



    Roadkill Rescue

    curb-findsLast fall Leann picked up some great items from the side of the road for me.

    MyRepurposedLife-kitchen-coffee-charging-station I used the desk and the hutch to make this awesome coffee station/kitchen organizer.

    Small Kid's Armoire Redo  | Kids Art Desk

    old armoire new kids art deskThe third piece was this kid-sized armoire, perfect for a kids art desk!

    Ken-Wingard-sewing-cabinetOne of my favorite shows is Home and Family on the Hallmark Channel. Ken Wingard transformed a craigslist find into a craft and sewing cabinet. That inspired me to do something different with that kid-sized armoire above.

    Dismantle the Armoire

    kids-armoireThis is the armoire I started with. It’s a little different than the one Ken used for his project. This armoire-cabinet didn’t have any doors, and it was pint sized compared to Ken’s.

    In order for the table to fold up, it needed to fit in that space at the top where I’m assuming a t.v. was meant to be. However, in the case of this piece,  for the table to fold out and reach the ground, the legs needed to be LONGER than would fit in that space. In other words, the cabinet was too tall.

    how-to-shorten-cabinetSooo, I got to do one of my favorite things—saw some furniture!

    Using a saw to reduce the height

    how-to-shorten-armoire I was able to remove some of the pieces by taking out some screws. The more permanent pieces were sawed off with my Ryobi Reciprocating Saw , to make the cabinet shorter.

    Now, the table that I’m about to build for the space at the top, will  be able to reach the floor.

    Designing a Kids Art Desk

    fold-down-art-tableThis is still during the design stage. The legs were still too long to fold completely away, however I needed them to be this long to reach the floor. (note: you will notice in later pictures that the piano hinge changes color. I used a scrap piece while designing the art center, and then ended up cutting a long hinge that worked a little better)

    modified-armoire-art-centerI used my Dremel Multi-Max cut out the front facing of the shelf area to allow the legs to recess in order for doors to shut and hide the fold down table. You will also notice I have switched out the hinges.

    hide-away-fold-down-art-deskLook inside the top left and right of the cabinet—you will see I added some “stops” to keep the kids art desk from falling too far into the cabinet while it is closed. Then I decided it needed a shelf, which also enabled that from happening. The table top and the shelf were both recent finds at the peddler’s mall.

    Bringing the project together with paint

    painting-kids-art-centerI think this is my favorite part of the process—when I paint all the random pieces that then suddenly  it all makes more sense because it’s easier on the eyes when it matches. As usual,  I used my DIY chalky paint primer with a brush and a roller. I felt it was too cold to break out the Finish Max.

    In the background, you can see the back of the cabinet leaning up against the fence.

    painting-fold-down-tableGetting creative to allow the paint to dry.

    finish-max-paints-art-centerThe next day, it warmed up considerably, and I used the Finish Max to spray the semi-gloss paint. I hoisted the armoire up on some scrap 2x2’s to aid in painting it.

    Things don't always go as planned

    armoire-door-problemsI found some cabinet door frames in my stash and added some thin plywood to them to make chalkboard doors. I installed the hinges while the cabinet was laying on it’s back. When I set it up, imagine my disappointment when I noticed the doors do NOT open far enough to allow the child to sit on the side of the table. (If you are making this out of an existing cabinet with doors, this shouldn’t be an issue—check to make sure the doors open fully before you start this project)

    1. Plan B  Different hinges (purchased at my local hardware store)
    2. How about plan C? still more different hinges (another trip to the store, this time Home Depot)
    3. Plan D one more set of hinges (dug out of my stash)

    Hinges confuse me

    Those of you who are regulars may know I’m very “hinge challenged)  What’s a girl to do? Contact (in a panic) my best friends at D. Lawless Hardware about some hinges. They shipped me two different sets of hinges (to be on the safe side)  Guess what? they didn’t work either. The problem was my door frames were too thick—but you may have already figured that out.

    Plan E Build some new doors. At this point I was about to set this project aside and forget it. It was very frustrating to say the least. hmph!

    making-new-armoire-doorsI ripped some scrap 1x’s to fit the opening. I had to cut new plywood for the chalkboards because the others weren’t large enough. It was a simple build using my Kreg R3 Jig to make pocket holes and some Gorilla Wood Glue to give it long lasting hold.

    Need more details on using a Kreg Jig? See my article How to use a Kreg Jig Pocket Hole System

    I used my Ryobi Stapler to secure the thin plywood (chalkboards) onto the frames. At this point I was so frustrated and didn’t take any pictures.

    More issues with the hinges

    One of the sets of D. Lawless hinges worked, still not like it is suppose to, because the front facing of the cabinet is wider than is should be for those hinges. They are 270° hinges, and should fold the doors completely back to the side of the cabinet.

    Are you lost? Not only can I not install hinges—I’m finding it very difficult to explain. I hope that if you do this project you have a cabinet that already has doors on it.

    So, here is the final result!

    my-repurposed-life-art-center-armoireI don’t have pictures of the hinge or knob installation. When I say I was sick of this project, I mean I was not in the mood to take pictures. While closed up, it would fit in any room in the house and visitors would have no idea of the magic behind the doors.

    If it were in a playroom, abc blocks would be a perfect touch as knobs.

    Kids Art Desk | Repurposed Armoire

    my-repurposed-life-fold-down-art-tableLook at how fabulous the kids art desk is when it folds down.

    my-repurposed-life-armoire-art-centerIt was a an easy project for the most part till I got to the doors, and even a lot of fun to see it all come together.

    my-repurposed-life-armoire-kids-art-centerEven more storage in the bottom of the armoire - kids art desk.

    my-repurposed-life-repurposed-armoire-kids-art-center-tablePretty, practical AND useful, don’t you think? Thank you Home and Family and Ken Wingard for the inspiration for this kids art desk!

    Let's see how to do the Art Center Accessories

    my-repurposed-life-art-center-accessoriesI bought these cute little metal bins at my local $$Tree. After I decided what items I wanted to corral I brought out my Silhouette Portrait and some white vinyl and got busy.

    font-another-typewriterI chose Another Typewriter as the font for the vinyl lettering. I always make little boxes around my text boxes to make it easier to transfer to my project.

    transfer-vinyl-painters-tapeApparently I didn’t take any pictures, but I used painter’s tape to transfer the letters like I did for this project. I like this method for small projects with single lines of text.

    my-repurposed-life-art-center-accessoriesI also got the small little plaque and the plastic tote at the $$ Tree.

    little-kids-chairI got out a couple of small wooden chairs to see if they would work for the table height. I washed them down, and cleaned off some of the oils that had built up over years of use.

    small-wooden-chairI painted the chairs with a couple of quick, light coats of   Heirloom Traditions Chalk Type paint in Luau Green.

    (Use the code MYREPURPOSEDLIFE at checkout to save 10% on your purchase. I make a small commission and you save a little money.)

    heirloom-traditions-clear-waxI used Heirloom Traditions clear wax to protect and seal the chairs.

    MyRepurposedLife-kids-art-center-small-wooden-chairsI think the light green chairs are a perfect compliment to the Polished Pearl cabinet.

    I love the white vinyl on the colorful metal bins, don’t you?

    gail

    sharing here:  That DIY Party

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    1. girlfromwva

      January 29, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      what a great job at repurposing.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        January 30, 2018 at 6:43 pm

        Thank you!!!

    2. Jennie

      September 29, 2017 at 12:29 pm

      Aaargh... hinges! This would be perfect in my art room for the grandbaby. We could both be creative and I would get more time to be in my art room. That’s a win, win situation.

      Reply
    3. Rosa Maria

      May 28, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      Great ideas for creating art desk for kids. I like it. I have to make it for my kids. I think they love it. It will inspire their creativity. Thanks for this idea.

      Reply
    4. Sue Ellen

      November 07, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      Omg...I am sooooooooo inspired by this. I was in the middle of getting an armoire painted to create a creation station for my eldestand was looking for ideas on how to make it use able for the additional kids, we will have three by December. This is fantastic and you made it sound simple enough to add the hinged table to make it useful for more than one child....can I say awesome. I will take this idea and hopefully create something as beautiful as you have!!! Thank u for the great tutorial!

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        November 09, 2015 at 10:01 am

        I'm so happy you found my tutorial useful. Good luck with your project!

        gail

    5. Stephanie@cre8tive

      April 07, 2015 at 10:03 pm

      Love this! I remember talking to you on the phone right when you were in the middle of the hinges dilema. It turned out so cute! Great idea Gail.

      Reply
    6. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.

      April 07, 2015 at 9:20 pm

      Wow Gail, that is awesome! Kids and parents alike would love this. You just keep outdoing yourself!

      Reply
    7. Mindi

      April 07, 2015 at 3:56 pm

      Such an amazing project Gail, and despite all your frustration it turned out perfect!! I love it! The knobs are super cute! This would be so great for my kids!! Pinned!!

      Reply
    8. Brette

      April 07, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      Wow. You're good.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        April 07, 2015 at 6:20 pm

        Thank you Brette! I do love what I do-- well, everything but hinges. 🙂

    9. Patricia

      April 07, 2015 at 3:40 pm

      Oh wow!
      What a great piece... You did a wonderful job on this. I don't know if I could wrap my mind around all those cuts and folds and doors etc!
      Did you say you followed a pattern? I mean of course you didn't...because your piece was small... I guess you just get your ideas and run with it!
      You're my 'repurposed-hero'.
      I mean that in a GOOD WAY! 😉
      Patricia

      Reply
    10. Christina

      April 07, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      Wow!!! That looks great. I'm glad you hung in there and completed it.

      Reply
    11. Catherine

      April 07, 2015 at 2:10 pm

      WoW Gail-- THAT. is. SO. cool!
      This would be so fun for a kid and keep things orderly for a mom-
      -I some mom's who would be so happy for one of these! Hmmmm....
      Catherine

      Reply
    12. Gilmer Gal

      April 07, 2015 at 1:57 pm

      So, so coolio! Thanks for the tut. I'm making one of these from my wardrobe, for sure.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        April 07, 2015 at 2:34 pm

        Ohhh, be sure to share your project with me via email or the facebook page !! Can't wait to see it.

        gail

    13. Sally Van Brunt

      April 07, 2015 at 12:12 pm

      This is awesome. You are very talented. Who would have thought the finished project would be so useful and beautiful! I'm going to start trying to find these pieces and see if I can get my hubby to try it out. Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
    14. Bliss

      April 07, 2015 at 12:08 pm

      Most excellent, and pinned!

      Reply
    15. Julie @ follow your heart woodworking

      April 07, 2015 at 12:07 pm

      You have absolutely outdone yourself this time, Gail. That is just awesome! You should make these and sell them... if not then maybe I will!?

      Reply
    16. Tammy

      April 07, 2015 at 9:30 am

      Great job Gail..!!

      Reply
    17. cassie

      April 07, 2015 at 8:56 am

      this is just awesome, gail!

      Reply
    18. Pam

      April 07, 2015 at 8:50 am

      Awesome.....not sure where you find all this stuff but you are the QUEEN of the Curbs! LOL

      Reply
    19. Carol Stratford

      April 07, 2015 at 6:45 am

      Love your ability to see the potential in roadside finds! Not to mention the clever way you can piece parts together to make something original that looks fantastic too.

      Reply
    20. Tracy@www.bluridgevintage.com

      April 07, 2015 at 6:31 am

      First off...what a find on the curb!! I just love stuff like that. Second this was some really great makeovers and repurposed ideas, you definitely put your magic on them. I am hoping for the day that I come across a great find like this and attempt to put some magic to work. If you have any extra magic dust, please send it my way. Sometimes I am impatient and don't wait long enough for the piece to speak to me.

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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