Growing up, I always admired the Hudson’s Bay point blanket that adorned my Great Aunt’s bed – with it’s iconic stripes! When I saw this knock-off at my local Value Village, I grabbed it knowing that point blanket stripes would inspire this project. 

During the summer, I was keen on turning everything into a planter and this sewing table was no exception. My original idea was to plant INTO it. So we went to Ikea and found this container that I was planning on under-mounting below the table (much like an under-mounted sink). We did eventually execute this idea on another sewing table, but as a drink station.

However I nixed that idea when the Skadis pegboard we also found at Ikea started me thinking ‘outside the planter’. My new idea was to add plants to the sewing table using vertical space, but still leave it as a functional desk. Now that it’s in the bedroom, it even acts as a vanity with the addition of a small mirror.

When I spied these copper cups during the same trip to Value Village that I found the blanket, they completed my vision!

I was originally going to do a striped treatment on the table itself, but if you look closely at the table, you’ll see that the lids throw off the symmetry. So I came up with a removable treatment would give me a symmetrical look but still allow the flexibility to switch it back on a whim!

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Watch the video to see it all unfold:

Removable Table Top

Our first step was to remove the lids from the sewing machine so I could trace out a pattern of the top. Hubs used my template to cut a piece of 1/8″ thick wood board to function as a new tabletop. He primed and painted it off white as a base colour.

I also created a pattern of the striped layout as a reference as I tape each stripe. As it turns out, the EXACT same width as one set of stripes on my great aunt’s Hudson’s Bay point blanket fit perfectly onto the width of the board. Is that serendipity or what?

Tip for Masking Perfect Stripes

The success of this project relies on the tape you use! FrogTape* is hands down the only tape for this job because we know we’ll get crisp, clean lines with no paint seepage underneath! I used to think all tapes were created equal until Hubs schooled me on the benefits of FrogTape (see why choose FrogTape). As a matter of fact, I’ll do a little demo later to show you how superior FrogTape really is.

Did you know that when you unroll tape, the edge can stretch out of shape? So when you mark the top and bottom of the board and lay down tape between those two marks, you won’t get a straight line! I didn’t believe this until I tried it and got a wobbly line! Thanks to Hubs for showing me how he does it! Of course, you could lightly pencil in a line and then paint over it, but on a piece this small, I’ll show you Hubs’ ruler trick.

Lay out a straight edge (in this case a ruler) between your two marks. I weigh it down with a few antique irons so it won’t shift. Align the edge of the tape along the top edge of the ruler and butt the tape against it as you steer it to the other end. Burnish the tape down. Again, the ruler acts as a guide to achieve an absolutely straight-edged line.

Add more FrogTape in the areas you want to remain white and burnish that well too.

Transfer Markings

Once the taping is complete, we line up the centre of the board with the centre of the Ikea SKÅDIS pegboard shown below. The marks of the stripes are then transferred so they line up exactly.

As the SKÅDIS is wider than the table top board, we switch to a larger ruler to lay down the FrogTape as you see below. Be mindful of which side the line you’re taping on! It’s easy to get mixed up – which is why I keep my diagram close at hand to refer back to.

Tape the Underside

My intention was to leave the other side of the pegboard clean of paint so that we could make it reversible – giving us the option of displaying the white side. However, just for fun, let’s see how important it is to use FrogTape if you want to prevent paint bleed. So, on  the back of the SKÅDIS, where we will be painting the stripes, I’m using another brand. As you’ll see later, If you really want to make this reversible, ‘stick’ with FrogTape (pun intended)! It will prevent bleed and leave the backside free of paint!

Colour Match Stripes

I printed a colour version of my point blanket stripe template so I could choose the paint colours for the stripes.

I think I’m pretty close with all but the indigo. I should have added a touch of black paint to it because it’s not as ‘inky’ as I would have liked. However I couldn’t get the container of black paint open and gave up. By the way, that’s exactly why you should always wipe wet paint off the rim of the container after you’ve used it – so you can get it open again without a struggle!

We set up a spraying station in the driveway. An adjustable height table is very handy for spray painting. Here it’s set at the lowest height. Add a piece of cardboard on top to protect the table surface (this is a shot of the overspray after we painted)!

Spray Paint Tips

Hubs hooked up a cup gun to our air compressor.

If your paint is old and lumpy (ours was left over from other projects), take the time to strain out the lumps before putting the paint into the cup gun. Also, line up your paints according to your printed template, to ensure you get the order of the colours correct. If you don’t do this step, you could end up with stripes that are mismatched to the HB point blanket 🙂

Prep

Take the time to put plastic and/or poly coated paper onto the areas you aren’t painting so overspray can’t bleed through and ruin your work. We repurposed a piece of Home Depot plastic we used to line the trunk of our car during planting season, in combination with the poly-coated paper.

Before starting to paint, lightly scuff the base coat on the first stripe. Wipe the dust away with a damp cotton cloth. This will provide a bit of tooth for the paint to stick to – some added insurance.

Hubs sprays the first stripe and lets it dry. Although we work on another project simultaneously, we spend most of the time waiting for paint to dry and chasing away wasps that want to land on our fresh paint surfaces!

Get Ready for the Next Colour

In between coats (and when you’re done), wash the paint cup out thoroughly.

Run extra water through the cup gun outside to clean out any remaining paint before loading the gun again with the next colour.

Untape the plastic and slide it back. Uncover the next stripe to reveal an unpainted area, re-tape the plastic over the areas still covered with paper and then protect the just-painted stripe with poly-coated paper.

Start the process all over again with sanding, wiping and….

….the next paint colour.

While we manage to keep off the wasps, we didn’t tape the plastic covering on our make-shift spray table well enough and the wind blew the plastic into our fresh paint. I could have touched it up while it was still wet, but I chose to leave the ‘imperfection’ alone. I used to be quite the perfectionist, but I’ve learned to chill – and even leave our mistakes as reminders that nothing’s perfect!

Here’s Hubs in action spraying the last stripe.

Clean Up

The beauty of a cup gun, other than how fast it is at painting, is that leftover paint can be poured right back into the container; very little waste.

Wipe any drips around the container before it’s stored again so you can get the top open next time you use it!

Untape

As a general rule, once the paint is dry, peel off the tape. I left it for a few days and didn’t have a problem with ‘tear-out’ by peeling back at a 45 degree angle. You’ll be amazed at the clean, crisp lines you get with FrogTape.

However the back of the SKÅDIS is a different story. Where we didn’t use FrogTape, you can see bleed-through around the holes on the back. Like I said previously, stick to FrogTape to get the best possible paint job!

Assemble

We covered the table top with the striped board first. To attach the SKÅDIS pegboard to the table, we purchased these connectors separately. Pay attention to the thickness of the table top: the Ikea instructions suggest two different positions in joining the l-bracket to the connector, depending on thickness.

Once assembled, the connectors just screw on through the holes in the pegboard.

We put a piece of foam underneath the table to prevent scratching as we tightened the connection.

The connector joins the pegboard to a table surface brilliantly!

Accessorize

The SKÅDIS series boasts a lot of accessories but for this configuration I kept it pretty simple with two white SKÅDIS shelves, these Korken glass jars (minus the lids) and, of course, those copper cups you saw earlier that we picked up at Value Village.

Transformation

Here’s a reminder of how this sewing table started out. We took it from drab, humble beginnings in a state of missing veneer and water damage…. to the updated painted makeover you see on the left.

Now it’s a Hudson’s Bay point blanket-inspired desk or a vanity – with the addition of a makeup mirror! There you have it: two transformations, one table!

With this project, I can have my cake and eat it too – so to speak. I have a vertical space to display plants, but I also have a practical desk top on which to work! However, if I use this as a laptop table, we’ll either fill in the gap left from the sewing machine or add a piece of glass over top. There’s also the option of switching it back to a sewing table any time I want!

We’re still searching for a suitable chair to make over and pair it with. But for now we’re pretty stoked with the outcome!

Want more unique pegboard ideas? How about this pegboard craft organizer, or how to hang sliding pegboard? Both of these pegboard ideas slide out; sliding pegboard is a real game changer!

Want more planter ideas? Check out these amazing upcycled planters!

Please Pin!

If you enjoyed this Hudson’s Bay point blanket-inspired makeover and Ikea hack, please grab one of these pictures to pin! Pinning is always welcome and appreciated :).

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Previous Posts in the Singer Sewing Table Series

The Singer sewing table makeover series can be found at these links:

1. Veneer Repair

2. Singer sewing table makeover

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Pegboard DIY Ideas FAQs

How do you make a pegboard pretty?

Use FrogTape to design and paint a geographic pattern, then mount it onto a table to create storage for a desk!

Do you leave a gap behind pegboard?

Yes, you need anywhere from 1/2″ to 3/4″ of space, depending on the size of holes and pegs you use for your pegboard. The same holds true for if you mount a Skadis Pegboard to a table. Make sure the table is a fair distance from the wall.

How do you attach things to pegboard?

Metal and plastic hooks can be attached to pegboard in any configuration to hold all shapes and sizes of things you want to organize. To keep traditional metal peg hooks in place (they can tend to fall out), use Pegitz Pegboard locks.   Talon hooks are also a good choice; they have screws that stay in place just like drywall plugs!

Can you hang pegboard on drywall?

When installing pegboard on drywall, it’s best to hang it with a cleat if you want the most durable weight load. You can use a pre-made french cleat made out of metal, but it won’t provide enough space to insert the pegs. Create your own cleat out of wood by beveling two pieces on a 45 degree angle along the length. One piece goes on the pegboard and the other against the wall.

* [If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): Clicking on affiliate links means we may receive a commission. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more and it helps us make more unique crafts to share with you! Thanks for helping to support our blog!]SaveSave

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