Making the World Cuter: Flashback-Lemonade Stand/Desk Makeover

Since I am busy...or should be busy packing, I decided to post some of my older stuff that some of you may have missed over the next couple weeks...hope that's okay! :)

We have this desk that has been seriously abused by my children. I am fine with that, it is their desk. We took out the bottom cupboard and shelf so that it could be used for their computer, but then I decided they didn't need a computer-so for quite some time it has just been an empty hole. Not a pretty picture.

Speaking of not a pretty picture, they color, paint and stab the top of it on a daily basis. There is only so much a magic eraser can do children!

In comes the easy, time saving, no paint fume method of covering up that problem...Shelf Paper! I always have a bunch on hand since I use it instead of vinyl for my Cricut-time saver and money saver-got to love it!

I just stick it on there, add a few heavy duty staples around the edges to be sure the kids can't pull it off in the first day I give it back to them and Voila! Desktop recovered!

This drawer for the keyboard has some issues, we picked this desk up off the side of the road, and whoever had it before thought that the little paper clip holder was an ash tray. Silly people. Don't worry it's been bleached and cleaned long ago! I thought about getting rid of it all together since they don't have a computer anymore, but my daughter likes to have her books on it and then pull it out-so I kept it.

And slapped some more shelf paper on there just to hold it together and cover up the burn marks.

Then used the product for what it was actually intended for...Mind you I could have scraped this all down, painted it super cute, maybe added a curtain or a cupboard door-but this is a desk that is bound to be abused over the next few years-I just want it to be usable.

Last but not least, I had my hubs cut a couple boards to use as shelves and nailed those babies in. Desk complete...

...Until you look at the back. Yikes! Not that anyone ever saw the back-but I had a plan!

First I measured the back, had my hubby cut a piece of wood that would fit it, I nailed that to the back and painted it with chalkboard paint.

Then I cut a thin strip of wood and nailed that along the top to give it a more finished look.

Then came the fun part. I painted that piece of wood green, and painted a white swoop across the top.

Then I cut a bunch of triangles out of some colorful scrap paper...

Raided my stash of 12" border stickers from my scrapbooking days (I think these are from an old Stamp it up line)....

Then I just went to town and decorated it, mod podging everything down as I went. I was trying to keep it gender neutral, but it still ended up looking girly. Oh well.

Using my paint marker and some cardboard letters I added this little sign across the top...

...and surprised the kids with a little Sweet Shoppe/Lemonade Stand that they can use this summer!

The best part is, I don't have to worry about storing it! It is already in their schoolroom as a desk, and when it is against the wall, you wouldn't know it was anything but the desk-they can also use it in the house while playing store. Plus it took me less than a couple hours to fix up the desk and make it into something completely new.