diy inexpensive bar cart from ikea
I have been pretty hyped about having a bar cart for about 2 years now. I wanted to be a hostess with a semi-full bar for my guests to drink the night away. I'd been eyeing the one at Target and even this one at Crate and Barrel that's waaay beyond my budget. But a little tip from Google and Pinterest led me to Blush and Jelly, and I learned how to create my own bar cart for less than $40!
How I Did It
photo-1-copy
You know the drill with Ikea. You bust open the box, see the million nuts, bolts and pegs, feel overwhelmed, moan and groan and eventually just put it together. This cart was relatively easy to put together, it was only a 9 step process. The sides were already assembled, which seemed like the hard part. I was up and ready to go in 20 minutes.
diy bygel utility bar cart paint gold
photo-3-copy
I bought Kryolan 18kt Premium Metallic spray paint from Michael's for $7 (before my 40% off coupon). It was my first time ever using spray paint, and to be honest, I was so excited about the project that I didn't read the directions.
It was a cold, windy morning. I laid out a piece of cardboard from the original packaging, and sprayed away. In the beginning, the color was uneven and blotchy, but it got better as I stepped back and did longer, more even washes.
diy ikea bar cart bygel gold
Styling
diy inexpensive bar cart from ikea
Beyond buying all the booze and spraying the cart, I wanted to make it look good too. I found a New Years Eve themed printable (I have no idea where, sorry!) and put it in a clear frame. Then I got some festive paper straws (cute to look at, too mushy to sip out of) and threw them in one of my small mason jars. I bought champagne flutes (six for $2!) and appetizer napkins ($1). I added my wine glasses later (which I realize I didn't finish doing when I took this pic).
I still don't have the bar fully stocked, but having all that liquor is an investment! Baby steps. Overall, I couldn't be happier. I save a TON of money making it myself, and it came out way better than I could have imagined!
// <![CDATA[ !function(doc,s,id){ var e, p; if(!doc.getElementById(id)) { e = doc.createElement(s); e.id = id; p = '//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/widget-script.js'; var cb = new Date().getTime(); p += '?cb=' + cb; e.src = p; doc.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.ss_shopsense === 'object'){ if(doc.readyState === 'complete'){ window.ss_shopsense.init(); } } }(document, 'script', 'shopsensewidget-script'); // ]]</p></div>