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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

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Time: 1h00

Turning an ordinary thrift store find into a amazing decorative accessory!
I see these wooden salad bowls all the time in all different sizes and shapes when I'm thrifting. Some even have nice scalloped edges. They are normally very cheap, which is what you are looking for in a DIY project like this! I was able to pick up a pile of four bowls on a recent Goodwill trip, with each one being just a dollar apiece.

I love the look of furniture that has stained wood paired with painted wood. I decided to do a twist on just a regular painted bowl like I've done in the past and chose to paint and distress the outside of the bowl, but leave the inside unpainted. These bowls normally have a great wood tone, and I wanted to show that off.

The bowls are super easy to make yourself and look great alone or in a stack. They can hold some apples sitting on your counter. Add a candle and some greenery or grapevine for a great centerpiece. Use the bowl to hold your keys as you come in the door. So many possibilities!

Posted by andersonandgrant from Brockway, Pennsylvania, United States • Published 1st November 2014 • See andersonandgrant's 7 projects »

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Lisa S. added Painted Thrift Store Salad Bowls to Dream Room 16 Oct 00:34
Alissa B. favorited Painted Thrift Store Salad Bowls 08 Feb 23:55
Holly W. added Painted Thrift Store Salad Bowls to My Dream Kitchen 30 Jan 01:26
Chandra T. added Painted Thrift Store Salad Bowls to Chip & Jo, Yo 15 Jul 02:53
Julie added Painted Thrift Store Salad Bowls to Downton Abbey Kitchen 05 May 20:49
andersonandgrant published her project Painted Thrift Store Salad Bowls 06 Aug 12:33

Step 1
STEP 1: Use sand paper to rough up the finish of the wood. These bowls normally have a pretty smooth surface, so sanding will help the paint adhere better.
Step 2
STEP 2: Rub clear candle wax all over the outside of the bowl. Paint applied to places that have the wax will chip away easily, helping with the distressing process. Don't be scared of rubbing too much wax...it really takes more wax than you think to chip the paint away.

(Little tip....I used a leftover candle I had burnt at dinner one evening for this step!)
Step 3
STEP 3: Paint the outside of the bowl with two (or three) layers of chalk paint. They can be painted any color based on what the look is that you are going for. If you pick up a pile like I did, you can even paint each one a different coordinating color, like shades of blue, or red, white, and green for Christmas.

I did my painting in a very haphazard way, not really worrying about whether the bowl was covered completely in all places. This also helps achieve a distressed look. There were some small spots on the bowl that didn't receive any paint at all.
Step 4
STEP 4: Sand the outside of the bowl to make the paint chip away....places where you applied a lot of the candle wax should chip away. This also makes a nice smooth painted surface.

You can distress these bowls as much or as little as you would like. Maybe you don't like the distressed look at all, in which case, you can paint your bowls and skip rubbing the candle wax and distressing. Your version of a perfect distressed look might not be the same as someone else's. What is important is getting the distressing on any project to your version of perfect. You have to be happy with what you make.....not everyone else!
Step 5
STEP 5: Coat the outside of the bowl with a layer of paste wax or polyurethane. I used Miss Mustard Seed's wax, and I love, love, love it!
Step 6
Once you are finished sealing the paint, your bowls are complete!

Didn't they turn out fantastic?!?! I love how chippy the bowls look and think that the color of the wood looks perfect against the white paint. But the best part is, that you can copy this idea, but customize it to totally fit in with your own style and tastes!

So what do you think? Are you going to make a few of these bowls for yourself?