Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket Inspired Upcycle

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. 

Hudson's Bay Point Blanket is the inspiration for this upcycle

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.

Sewing machine table before showing plastic container in sewing machine space 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!

Brass planters on thrift store shelf

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!

sewing table before Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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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.

Laying FrogTape for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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.

Laying FrogTape against ruler to get a straight line for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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

Burnishing FrogTape for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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.

Using a longer ruler on pegboard of Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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!

Back of pegboard for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

Colour Match Stripes

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

Colour sample chart before painting Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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!

Paint for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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)!

Cardboard on table to catch overspray from Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

Spray Paint Tips

Hubs hooked up a cup gun to our air compressor.

Spray gun on table used for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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 🙂

Pouring paint into paint strainer for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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!

Blue stripe of Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle painted

Get Ready for the Next Colour

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

Cleaning cup gun under sink

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

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.

Moving plastic to paint next stripe for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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

Sanding white primer before painting next stripe for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

….the next paint colour.

Pouring yellow paint into cup gun

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.

Spraying green stripe for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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.

Pouring left over green paint back into container

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.

Peeling FrogTape from Pegboard

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!

Peeling back of pegboard for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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.

Skadis connector pictures from Ikea assembly manual

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

Connector for Skadis Pegboard

We put a piece of foam underneath the table to prevent scratching as we tightened the connection.Skadis pegboard clamp under table of Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

The connector joins the pegboard to a table surface brilliantly!

Skadis pegboard connector from front of Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

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.

Ikea glass jars on striped Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle table top

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.

Before and after sewing machine table makeover

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!

After Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle with green, red, yellow and blue stripes running from table top up onto the Skadis pegboard

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!

Pinnable image for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle showing before and after furniture transformation

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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Pinnable image for Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle

Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle pinnable image

Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle pinnable image

Hudson's Bay Point Blanket upcycle pinnable image before transformation

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

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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34 thoughts on “Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket Inspired Upcycle

  1. I definitely prefer the Hudson Bay version. I actually thought you had just painted it white in the original post. I love the plants!

    • The paint is a very light blue and difficult to pick up on camera so it does read white 🙂 I ‘borrowed’ the plants from my MIL; I love them too – lol

  2. This came out very pretty! The table was beautiful from before with the white paint but now you have taken it to the next level!

    • Thanks Mary! It’s a lot of fun to be able to switch up the look as I please. If I ever switch it back to a sewing table, I can easily re-use the pegboard and table top in my craft studio. I’d love another injection of colour!

    • Thanks Alys! It was fun to do something bold and bright for a change.

    • Thanks Linda! I really love the pop of colour too. I’d like to add a piece of glass for the top so it’s more functional as a desk. I didn’t want to permanently fill in the gap where the sewing machine was.

  3. Wow, Sara, that’s a huge transformation and so unique too. Love how you can use it for so many different things and those attachments you used aren’t permanent.

    • I can never make up my mind so having versatility like this means I don’t have to – lol!

    • Thanks Deana! It never really feels like a lot of work when we’re in it, but looking back on all the steps it took to get there sure makes it look that way – lol!

    • Thanks Michelle! I’m a huge fan of colour so was excited to try this idea. So glad you liked it!

  4. I LOVE this transformation, Sara!!! What a great job you and your husband did taping and painting this old worn Singer sewing table and giving it new life. The Hudson Bay blanket painting idea is brilliant!!! Happily pinned several photos to my Crafts and DIY Projects boards for you. <3

    Happy spring!
    Barb 🙂

  5. Beautiful idea!!! I love that you saved the old sewing table. So many people just throw them away. I’m curious if you found a chair to compliment it. Thanks for the inspiration!

    • Thanks Veronica! We haven’t found a chair yet. When the time is right, I’m sure we will though. It never seems to happen when you’re looking – lol!

  6. Wow, you did a great job, love how you added the stripped peg board. I have had a spray gun for years and it is still in the box. Will have to get it out, your finish is great.

    • Thanks Anita! You really MUST get that sprayer out of the box and try it! Once you do, you’ll love the professional looking finish. You may never go back to hand painting again!

    • Thanks so much! Even though I made this removable, I love stripes too and probably won’t exercise the option to remove them 🙂

  7. Wow! What a fun way to bring a fresh look to a vintage piece. I love the bright colors and new work space.

    • Thanks Meegan! It’s nice to have the option to remove it anytime I want to, but I do love the bright colours.

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