Cafeteria Cart turned Bar Cart
If you’re like me, you can’t pass up a good deal at a thrift store. When I saw this sad cafeteria cart at an antique store outside of Wisconsin Dells, WI, I couldn’t pass it up. Twelve dollars; rust included.
Rusty Cafeteria Cart
With 2 cans of Rust-Oleum spray paint, this cart was going to get a second life. I chose a Satin navy for the shelves and a Metallic gold for the legs and handle. Make sure your spray paint is good for indoor/ outdoor (or wherever you want to use the end product).
In order to paint the cart, I had to take it apart and remove the extension cord (I wasn’t going to need that for my bar cart).
First, remove the wheels and unscrew the middle and bottom shelves. Once the shelves were removed, the legs were easily removed from the top shelf.
**note - save the screws! You will need them later!
After I had my pieces, I had to sand down the shelves to remove the rust. Make sure you are sanding outside or this will make a mess indoors. Wear a respirator so you are not breathing in the fine particles.
Once the shelves were sanded, I dusted them off with a tack cloth, and then you are ready to paint!
Typically I paint the bottoms of projects first. This way, when you flip it over to paint the top, if anything is scratched in the process, you are scratching the bottom of your project.
I sprayed about 2-3 coats on each side. For the legs, I laid them on some small wood skewers so I could roll the legs and spray the other sides (and then they would not stick to my table/ drop cloth!).
Find your screws and stick them into a cardboard box with the heads sticking out. Then, lightly spray the heads to match the legs.
After your paint is dry, it’s time to reassemble! Lock 2 opposite legs into the top shelf and screw in the second shelf. Then apply the remaining 2 legs. This is somewhat difficult to do by yourself, so you may need a partner to help hold the cart while you reassemble so you don’t scratch your fresh paint job.
When the second shelf is screwed in, it’s fairly easy to assemble the bottom shelf. Attach the wheels to the base. Screw in the handle and you’re ready to decorate!
I chose to layer some decor on the top shelf - HAPPYHOUR sign courtesy of the Target dollar section circa 2018. By adding some trays or plates, you can divide the space for more of a layered look. I have some cute gold rimmed glassware and sparkling water. The bottom shelf has the most height to hold the liquor and mixes.
Mix and match and feel free to rearrange as the seasons change :)
