Home > Best Recipes > Repurposing Vintage Milk Can to a Side Table

Repurposing Vintage Milk Can to a Side Table

Taking a vintage milk can off the farm and giving it a new purpose as a side table to use in your living room, bedroom, guest room, entryway or on your porch.
Love this project? You can buy your own by clicking the link below. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.
repurposing vintage milk can to a side table, painted furniture
To BUY this vintage side table, click here
Step 1: Prep your milk can for paint. Spray the milk can with a vinegar/water 50/50 mix solution and wipe away any loose rust, dirt, and grime. Let dry.
repurposing vintage milk can to a side table, painted furniture
Step 2: Choose your paint color of choice and add to the bottle of a spray gun. We find using a spray gun gives you even coverage. For this example we are using our Case IH red paint.
Step 3: With a stencil trace an 18″ round circle on your slab of wood. Cut your table top out with a jig saw. To round your edges use your router. We use our palm sander to smooth out the edges.
Step 4: Select your stain color of choice to stain the wood top. For this example we use an espresso stain.
Step 5: Seal your wood top with a polyurethane to protect it from any scratches, dings, dents, and spills. On the side that will be your top add a second coat of polyurethane.
Step 6: Center your table top on your milk can and secure with 3 braces – evenly space them apart.

Click ‘Next Page (>)’ to keep reading and don’t forget to SHARE with your Facebook friends

repurposing vintage milk can to a side table, painted furniture

You’re finished! The paint tends to bring out the lettering in the can that sometimes can be hard to read with the rust and dirt- -This is one of my favorite things to see with a finished can. Now your table is ready for any room in your home or on your front porch.

repurposing vintage milk can to a side table, painted furniture

To BUY this vintage side table, click here

repurposing vintage milk can to a side table, painted furniture

Here is how our top turned out.
The overall project takes around 3-4 days to complete. Having to give layers of paint, stain, and polyurethane coats time to dry – as directed on the cans.