Ginger Spice and Everything Nice: My Super-Awesome Craft Table (AKA- Worst DIY Tutorial Ever)

Last week, I mentioned that the Chavo was helping me to build a craft table right out of my imagination. Well, it is complete!!!

"But Ginger Spice, that is a framed chalkboard!" Oh, but it is not JUST a framed chalkboard. It is pure magic. A craft table that folds down, and looks like a beautiful picture when up? Genius, I know.

I wanted to share this magic with everyone, especially considering that Chavo and I could not find a tutorial on something like this. We found one, but it totally sucked. And I am not about to waste my life building a sucky craft table with directions that I don't understand, so we made our own directions. Like bosses. Here are all the magical instructions that you need to build a wicked sweet craft table like mine.

Step 1: get supplies.

Chavo and I planned for this to be a 2' by 2 1/2' table with about 4" depth for cabinet space, so we got all the junk for it. That junk being 2 pieces of wood that were 2 ft long, 2 that were 2 1/2 ft. We also went ahead and got the wood for the frame, which was just wood moulding and some rod- looking like things, in the same dimensions. We also got a 2 by 2 1/2 ft panel that was thick enough that it won't break if I put my sewing machine on it. Also got 6 Small hinges. Don't worry too much about measurements, because they will get all screwed up later and you'll just end up eyeballing it anyway.

Step 2: Make a wall box.

Get the whole family involved, if you have to. This is not the frame, this is the part that is mounted to the wall, which also serves as a little space to hide a bunch of crap. Whatever, just screw the pieces together. If you are like the Chavo and me, the wood we got was super-hard (hehehehe) and took forever to screw together.

Step 3: attach the panel to the wall box.

Find some sort of magic fairies that will help you line the panel just right so you can put the hinges on without it being all crooked. We used 3 hinges, just for good measure. Two would probably work fine, but we don't know what we're doing.

Step 4: Make the frame!

A problem that Chavo and I faced was that we couldn't find moulding that was sturdy enough to serve as table legs, so we went a different route: we cut a frame out if slightly smaller wood that was sturdy enough, attached the hinges to that, and then glued the pretty frame on with wood glue.

Your craft table is now ready to be put up!

Step 5: Mount that mother to the wall!

This is by far the hardest part. I wish there was an easier way to do it, but I have yet to figure it out except to drill serious holes before screwing it into the wall, make sure you charged the heck out of your screwdriver, and try not to get into a fight with your husband. He will win this one, because he has the power tools.

Find some way to mount this thing to the wall. If it takes you less than 3 days, congratulations, you were faster than us!!

Ta-da! The table is done!

Now slap some paint on that bad boy!

I wanted to try an antique-ish look on the frame, as well as have a chalkboard. So I painted the frame and then used homemade chalkboard paint.

Side note: homemade chalkboard paint is simply 1 tbsp of Nonsanded tile grout for every 4 oz. of acrylic paint. Color doesn't matter!! I got the Nonsanded grout at Home Depot. I went for a simple black chalkboard though, because I'm boring.

Now, all you need is a way to keep is closed when you're not using it! I went for a super easy eye and hook latch. You only need one. How do I know that? Because I broke the second one. Go me!