Clever Ways To Repurpose A Changing Table
A changing table can come in very handy when you have a baby or toddler in diapers. However, after your little one is potty-trained, the need for a dedicated spot to change diapers is eliminated. Rather than giving your old changing table away, selling it, or, even worse, tossing it in a landfill, consider turning it into something new and useful for your home.
With a few hours of your time, some basic tools, and some paint or stain, you can make modifications to an old changing table to give it new life. The table you once used for changing diapers or getting a little one dressed could transform into a piece of furniture to keep various belongings organized, shelves to hold several indoor potted plants, a table to welcome guests into your home, or even a home bar for preparing your favorite cocktails. The design of a changing table certainly opens the door for several new uses. Read on to find the inspiration to put yours to good use.
Turn it into a bar cart
If you have a changing table with open shelves, you can transform it into a bar cart like The DIY Cottage. This won't take too much time or effort and with a few modifications to the design, you can have a cart that's ready to help you host your next gathering. A fresh coat of paint will transform the piece to match the decor in your living space. You can keep the rails on to keep bottles and glassware secure. Or, you can remove the panel along the front of the changing table. This will give you more of an open top, perfect for mixing cocktails and pouring drinks.
Seal the cart with a waterproof sealer to protect it from drips and spills. And if you want to turn the once stationary table into a drink cart, you'll want to add some casters to the bottom of each leg. You can also attach a fun push handle can make it an even more custom design.
Make a desk for a child
Thrift Diving shows how a changing table can also be repurposed into a small desk, perfect for a young child. This project is best for tables that have flat shelves, rather than drawers because you'll need to remove all the shelving beneath the top changing section. After you've removed all of the shelves, move your focus to the top part that held the changing pad into a desktop.
The rails along the side and the back can stay — they'll even help keep papers and other supplies from sliding off of the desk. However, you'll want to remove the front rail to make it possible to write or type comfortably on a laptop. After you've made the structural changes to the table, you can move on to sanding it down and giving it a fresh coat of paint or staining it to coordinate with its new space.
Create a plant stand
Did you know that the old changing table that is just sitting and collecting dust could be given a makeover to help your plants grow? And, even better, this DIY project is super easy. You don't have to make any modifications to the design of the table. Just add some contact paper liners to protect the wood on the top and the shelves, and your plant stand will be ready to hold your gorgeous greenery. If the changing table you have has drawers instead of shelves, you can use them to store seeds, soil meters, and other gardening supplies.
If you want to make this project a bit more involved, you could add casters to the bottom of each leg. This addition would make it possible to move the stand around in your house to help your plants get more time in the sun. You can also purchase plastic sheeting to attach to the side to create a greenhouse-like growing station.
Make an entryway table
If you want to give your entryway a facelift, believe it or not, an old changing table can help you out. It can give you the base for an attractive piece of furniture with shelving to display family pictures and other decorations to welcome guests. To convert the changing table into an entryway table, the main thing you'll want to do is to remove any of the siding or rails attached to the top section. Doing so will give you a nice and flat surface. Once this step is done, paint or stain the wood to your preferred finish and consider adding a coordinating mirror to hang above the table.
This DIY project will work with changing tables with shelves or drawers. If yours has shelves, they can be used as an additional display space for pictures or knick-knacks. If yours has drawers, use them to hold keys, gloves, and other essentials you want to conveniently store near your front door.
Keep children's books organized
For this next idea, you won't even have to remove the changing table from your child's room or take off any of the parts. You can simply modify it to make it match their current age and new needs by turning it into a bookshelf for holding books and other small items. Paint the changing table a fun kid-friendly color to give it a more playful look appropriate for their bedroom or playroom. Then, apply a non-toxic polyurethane sealer to help protect the painted finish from the wear and tear that comes with little ones.
Once the shelf is painted and ready to go, you can stack books directly on it and use bins or baskets to organize small toys. Make sure to take the measurements for the height, width, and depth of the shelves for easy container shopping. Then look for uniform or mix-and-match options to create neat storage.
Convert it to a coffee station
If starting every day with a cup of Joe is part of your routine, consider using YouTube user Lindsey Michelle's idea to make a beverage station. Your old changing table can be an ideal size to hold your coffee maker, mugs, sugar, spoons, and everything else you'll need. The main thing you'll need to alter is the tabletop. Start by removing the front railing to open up the front. Then, you'll want to cover the wood with tile, contact paper, or a waterproof finish to protect it from damage and give your new coffee station a more upgraded look.
You can use baskets underneath if your changing table has open shelves. You can also add a decorative curtain to draw across the shelves for hidden storage. Then, make yourself a cup of your favorite blend to sip as you enjoy your home's new coffee station.
Turn it into a bench
Your standard three-shelf changing table can also be repurposed into a bench. For this project, you'll want to use the two bottom shelves of the changing table so you'll need to first carefully remove the table's top. Then, the second shelf will be used as the seat, and the bottom will serve as a storage shelf under the cushioned top. Sand the entire surface down to make a smooth frame for the bench. Next, choose a paint or stain color to refinish the piece, if necessary.
Once you have the frame of the bench finished, move on to making a padded seat cushion to make it more comfortable. For this, you'll need a piece of foam, some batting, and the upholstery fabric of your choice. You'll also need scissors to cut everything down and a staple gun to attach the batting and fabric to the bench top.
Create more kitchen storage space
Do you need more storage in your kitchen? Take a cue from Spending Weekendz with MiMi and give your changing table a second chance at life by making it into a kitchen island. Starting with a changing table with shelves will mean that you'll get plenty of valuable space. If your changing table has drawers, then you'll be able to use them to neatly store important kitchen items like silverware, knives, and small gadgets — and keep them out of sight.
Another perk of this project is the additional prep space a kitchen island provides. You can either remove the side rails from the top or add a new flat piece on top of them to create a higher workspace. Then, you can coat the shelves and top with resin to make them more durable. Or, simply paint the entire piece and coat it with a food-safe protective top coat.
Make a potting bench
Do you like spending time working in your garden? Do you need a space to hold soil, watering cans, gardening tools, buckets, and all of your other gardening supplies? If so, then put that old changing table to good use and turn it into a potting bench to keep all of these items organized.
For this purpose, you do not need to remove any of the upper rails. However, you might want to add a few hooks to the front or the sides of the table to keep scissors, gardening tools, or gloves easily accessible. Add some contact paper or tile to each shelf to minimize water damage. This will help you get the most use out of the potting bench over the next several years. Repainting the changing table isn't necessary, but you might want to liven it up a bit to match its new purpose.