DIY IKEA Bar Cart

This little cart purchased on a yard sale site has come in pretty handy in our household. It's first purpose was an eating area for the kids in our narrow kitchen. Then it moved to the garage as a work surface (collect junk area) and then to the deck where it looked out of place in it's unfinished wood state. I decided it needed a little update/love.

I'm lazy or I should say impatient when it comes to prepping pieces to be painted. (It's like having to read the instructions to something) I wiped it down to get off all the dirt and started staining away. I used a gray stain to match the grey deck. I thought this color would work well outdoors because it would naturally weather into a gray color. You could use an outdoor stain to be water resistant if you'd like. I had this sitting around the house so I just used what I had. 

Since I was starting with a blank slate I thought it would be fun to add a little detail on the drawer fronts. I taped a border with painters tape to add a little dimension/detail. You could add fun drawer pulls as well if you're doing a similar project. I'd also like to add a little towel bar to the side of this as well but that's another project for another day. 

Frog Tape I have found works best for this type of project. I've found that it is the best for preventing bleeding of paint. It would also be fun to add stripes to the top of this cart. 

 

This cart works great for entertaining because of the open shelving below. Extra bottles of water, glasses and a throw blanket are stored for easy access. It would also make a great gardening cart and an arts/crafts cart.  

Place glasses in baskets so they stay contained and when cleaning up you can fill the basket to carry everything inside. 

For cool nights I love having extra throw blankets on hand. The kids love them for picnics too! 

Store backup items on the shelves below 

Look for items around your house to store fruit etc. used for cocktails. Here I use a vintage white pedestal bowl I found at an antique store and a tea-light holder to hold straws

Use a tray to hold all the items needed for your cocktails  

I love these little glasses I found at Homegoods that say 

DONT WORRY BEE HAPPY

 Cheers!