Modern Card Catalog Table

Over the years I have refinished things that have held great personal value like my dad’s desk that is now my desk and the vanity that use to be in my sisters’ room growing up. I have also built many pieces that I hope will be around for a long time and that my kids will look back on and have memories attached to them.

I have partnered with Minwax again this year. Today I am sharing a project that has personal meaning for different reasons.

I have finally convinced my boys that it would be a good idea to have two bedrooms instead of the one boy room we have going on right now. It has taken years to get them on board. I love that they like sharing a room. I love that they tell stories and jokes and giggle before falling asleep each night. Part of me wants them to share a room forever and the other part (the part that trips over the ever growing piles) knows that as they get bigger, it just won’t work. We have been dreaming up designs and colors schemes and while nothing is set in stone yet, I know the feel I want for the bedroom my oldest will be in. He plays guitar and piano so it will be a hang out type music-y room. Loungey and casual. Depending on the layout there will either be a couple of chairs or a love seat. Either way, there will need to be a side table and we created the perfect one. Yep, we. My oldest and I got our DIY on together for this one :)

Not only was it fun to build this together, but the card catalog came to us thanks to my mom. When my dad got sick with cancer my mom went to work in a local bank. She has now been there over 20 years and will be retiring soon. That bank has been such a big part of her life and ours. It will be so weird to go there and not take the kids in the back to get extra suckers. We have had most of our family parties in the basement. When my mom gave me some of the metal card catalog drawers from the storage room that they were going to get rid of, I knew I had to do something special with them.

The biggest problem with keeping the boys’ room clean (aside from clothes!) is the over abundance of tiny, random things that have no real home. Annoying cheap toys from birthday parties, earphones, rocks, sticks, etc. I created a “treasure drawer” for the youngest ones who seam to have the most but soon realized that even my oldest has small things that needed a place.

While I have no firm date on when the room switcharoo will happen, at least we have a table ready to go when it does. I think it is safe to say he likes it!

It was a fairly easy project. We cut out wood to create the box that would go around the drawers. I lightly sanded them.

While I was sanding the wood, my oldest sanded the metal drawers. Nothing major. Just enough so the paint would adhere better. He used a 150 grit but 220 works as well.

A little glue and some nails will get it assembled!

Use a carpenter’s square to make sure the box is perfectly square before attaching a back.

Putty the nail holes and any other imperfections with a putty that is sandable and stainable. When it has dried, sand it smooth.

When staining soft wood like pine, always use a wood conditioner. It helps the wood accept the stain more evenly. If you are planning on using an oil based stain, use an oil based conditioner. There is a water based conditioner for water based stains as well.