DIY Art Desk

I see potential!! And for $30 it's perfect! 

This was a fun project! I had a vision from the beginning and I think it turned out perfectly!

Natalie is an art lover and collects all sorts of art supplies. She was quickly running out of space for all her markers, pencils and supplies. When I spotted this small desk on a Facebook for sale page, I snagged it up. It's small size is perfect- it's only 32" long and works well in the space. And to make the sale even sweeter, they threw in a matching chair that needed some TLC. With a little wood glue, nails, and a fresh coat of paint, it was back in business and better than before!


Thankfully for the rest of the project I had enough scrap wood and supplies that I didn't have to go purchase anything- including the paint! The paint I had left over from painting Natalie's bedroom.

For the back of the desk, I cut a piece of plywood to the length of the desk, 32 inches, and made it approximately 26 inches tall. I cut a shelf that measured 32" long by approximately 5.5" wide. The smaller of the two shelves was a last minute add on and I just eyeballed it and didn't even measure it!

I painted three mason jars the same pretty mint green color ('Scottish Glenn') as the chair and used dryer vent fasteners to secure them to the back. (I spray painted the fasteners gold). I secured three gold mug hooks into the bottom side of the small shelf so scissors or other supplies could be hung. A painted clothes pin was nailed to the board to allow pictures and other items to be hung!

I used the mint green color to add accent to the shelf and desk edges, knobs on the drawers, as well as the insides of the drawers.

I built a drawer organizer out of some more scrap wood and topped it off with some gold paint.

On the left side of the desk, I attached a Melissa & Doug paper roll/dispensor and cutter that Natalie got for Christmas. It literally was the perfect size and is a great addition to her art desk!

Paper dispenser & cutter!

All filled up! 

She LOVES her new desk and I can already see many hours of creativity pouring from it! I'm proud of how it turned out and look forward to another creative project!

Do you have any fun projects lined up or ideas for repurposing items?