Transform an Antique Ironing Board Into a Buffet or Sofa Table

Antique wooden ironing boards offer a rustic charm to country or vintage decor when left as is, but they can become an eclectic addition many decor styles when given a little spruce up. They don't even have to be used as an ironing board anymore. I use a large metal ironing board for big ironing jobs and a small counter top ironing board for small craft projects, but that doesn't stop me from rescuing these antiquated beauties from flea markets, auctions and yard sales.

Decoupage an antique wooden ironing board with book pages to use as a behind-the-sofa table or as an extra surface for serving food at a party. The one I used for this project needed a little tlc before getting started, but any new additions and fixes were covered up in the end.

This is a quick project, as I am a firm believer in the benefits of spray paint. The paint I used was a dollar a can and I used two cans. I painted in the morning and completed the board in the afternoon. I had lots of down time in between for doing other things.

Things You Need:

Antique wooden ironing board
2 cans flat black spray paint
Book pages
Mod Podge
Paintbrush
Scissors
Sandpaper
Brown acrylic paint and water
Paper towels

Step 1
Fix any imperfections on your ironing board. The top of mine was split down the middle and required wood glue and clamping. It also had a broken brace. My husband removed the broken one and replaced it with a new one he cut to match. He had to use a new nut and bolt on the brace, as the one it was built with was riveted in place. These are the flaws I needed to fix before I could start on the transformation, but if your ironing board is structurally sound, you are ready to skip to the next step.

Step 2
Open the ironing board. Turn it upside down. You will not need to paint the top of the board. Spray paint the bottom side of the board, the legs and the braces using flat black spray paint. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 3
Collapse the legs down about halfway. Paint the areas that were covered by ironing board parts when it was completely extended. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 4
Fully extend the legs again and turn the board right side up. Paint the parts of the legs and braces that were not visible when it was upside down. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 5
Tear your book pages out of the old book you will be using for decoupaging.

Step 6
Working on the top surface of the board, apply Mod Podge to the first 12-inches, or so, of the ironing board's nose. Apply Mod Podge to the back of a book page. Place the book page over the Mod Podge on the nose of the board. Allow an inch or two of the book page to extend off of the end. Press the page with your hands to remove bubbles and wrinkles.

Step 7
Add more Mod Podge as you add more book pages. Slightly overlap the edges of the book pages on the ironing board's surface and allow the pages to hang off of the board all the way around the edge. Allow the Mod Podge to dry.

Step 8
Use scissors to cut the excess from the board's edge. Use sandpaper to smooth the paper edges with the edge of the board. This will remove a small portion of the paint on the edge of the board, giving it an aged appearance.

Step 9
Mix a little bit of brown acrylic paint with a lot of water. I didn't measure the exact proportions, but you want the mixture to be very watery. Paint the mixture over the top of the book pages. Work quickly. Immediately wipe off the mixture using a paper towel. This gives a wonderful aged look to the book pages. Allow the pages to dry.

Step 10
Cover the entire top surface of the board with Mod Podge to seal. This will protect the pages