Sewing Cabinet Makeover

Are you looking for an easy way to give an antique sewing cabinet a makeover? Let me show you how we took an outdated sewing cabinet and made something useful with it!

sewing cabinet before & after

I had my first encounter with the world of sewing when I was nine years old. The youngest of four daughters meant that I benefited from the fun, elective courses that my sisters took in middle and high school. One of those sisters, Laurie, was especially interested in sewing classes with her beloved teacher, Mrs. Moore.

My sister loved sewing but she didn’t love fixing mistakes that she would inevitably make as a new seamstress.

Enter younger sister — me. She convinced me that ripping seams out with the seam ripper was a privileged job to have in the sewing world. It worked. I ripped out seams for her just because she told me it was such an honored position!

Wow, the power of an older sibling 😊

The sewing machine that my sister used at home did not include a cabinet. In fact, I am not even sure how she acquired the machine. The only thing I remember is that she used it on the floor and sometimes on the dining table.

Having a cabinet like this one would have been a luxury!

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upcycled sewing cabinet

Some changes had to be made so that the sewing cabinet would be useful. First, my husband removed the machine along with the knee pedal. See that black thing on top of the sewing cabinet? It was mounted on the inside bottom of the cabinet where the operator’s right knee would have been. The seamstress would use her knee to power the machine. We really wanted to use it in the finished project.

Second, we decided that storage was the perfect solution to the empty space left after removing the machine. He added a shelf using some scrap plywood. This shelf will be so useful.

Clean and Prep

The cabinet had a good once over with the sander and then a thorough cleaning using my usual cleaning method with Simple Green.

I also gave the cabinet one coat of a stain blocker. General Finishes Stain Blocker White Primer will prevent any bleed through of the reddish tones in the original finish. If you are concerned about bleed through, it is one of the best to use a stain blocker 🙂

painted sewing cabinet

Now for the color! If you have read this blog for even a little while, you know that I am a huge Miss Mustard Milk Paint fan! The colors of the paint have such an old-world feel to them and lend themselves so easily to the style of decor that I love! Mora is neutral with undertones of soft green.

The crackling began after the second coat of paint was dry. This paint creates a beautiful aged finish to furniture. It will look as though it has been passed down through the generations!

BTW, the image on the left was taken at night with with tungsten bulbs in lamps – the color is not true in this image. But the image on the right was taken in natural light and is true to color!

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I lightly sanded off the loose, cracking paint with a little bit of knife distressing.

vintage style hardware

The sewing cabinet only had one knob so I had to replace the knobs. Glass knobs look good on just about anything and Hobby Lobby has such a nice selection to choose from.

The glass knobs really do add to the restoration of this piece.

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knee pedal on sewing cabinet

Remember the power mechanism that we removed? Hubby removed all the electrical parts first and then reattached it in the same place it was originally!

Just another hint to the original use of this cabinet!

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Storage Area

The shelf creates such handy storage. Use it for a laptop or writing supplies. If you love watercolors as I do, this would be a great little work area with storage for all the supplies below!

This sewing cabinet makeover would also be a great desk for the student in your home!

Put this cabinet between two side chairs in a living or family room for storage of remotes or other electronic items that we need in our day.

look beyond the obvious

In whatever room you choose, this desk/side table would be a perfect addition to your home!

I encourage you to look past the original use of a piece of furniture and see its potential. Old furniture that is no longer used just needs a little love and care 😊.

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Sewing Cabinet Makeover!

Do you have a vintage sewing cabinet that could be converted into a useful piece for your home? I would love to know if you are inspired to transform it! Let me know in the comments!

Save this to Pinterest — you never know when you might come across a sewing cabinet that needs a makeover!

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Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Reinventing!