• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
House of Hawthornes
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Budget Decor
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Decorating
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
  • 🛒 Our Amazon Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » DIY And Crafts

    Thrift Store Wooden Salad Bowl Repurpose

    Published by Pam Kessler | 593 words. · About 3 minutes to read this article. - 17 Comments

    How to repurpose a 1960's thrift store wooden salad bowl giving it a more modern look.

    Wooden salad bowls are one of those odd items that were used a lot at the dinner table in the 1950's and 60's and then sort of disappeared.

    Your parents may have had them.

    Your grandparents probably had them.

    How to repurpose a 1960's thrift store wooden salad bowl for a more modern look. A quick and easy way to give grandma's wood bowl set a new life is to upcycle it into stylish home decor.

    Your local thrift stores surely have them.

    Wooden salad bowls from thrift store

    But having a "formal" Sunday dinner complete with a salad course and all that jazz has sort of gone out of style and has been replaced by a casual barbecue or quick trip to Bob Evans. And the wooden salad bowl sets have paid the price.

    As nostalgic as I am about wooden salad bowl sets, I'm equally as grossed out by them.

    They're somewhat porous, so there's always the worry that "stuff" will seep into the wood and stay there and fester and grow until you're ready to use your bowls again.

    Ugh.

    Add in the fact that they take up a fair amount of shelf room in the kitchen cupboards and that explains why so many of them have been relocated to the shelves of thrift stores instead.

    1960's wooden salad bowls

    BTW, notice the massive amount of sticky packing tape that has a death grip on these poor bowls? Did my local thrift store learn nothing from My Letter To All Thrift Store Workers?

    If the bowls weren't dinged up enough to begin with, by the time I pried the tape off of them they had a few more battle scars.

    Just ripe for painting though.

    How To Upcycle A 1960's Wooden Salad Bowl

    Supplies:

    • Wooden Salad Bowl from local thrift store
    • Dark Blue Metallic Craft Paint - Craft Smart's Midnight Blue (bought at Michaels)
    • Gold Metallic Craft Paint - Craft Smart's Classic Gold (bought at Michaels)
    • Sponge paintbrush
    • Sandpaper

    Painting a wooden bowl

    Instructions:

    This is one of those tutorials that I feel a little silly typing out, but here goes . . .

      • Lightly sand bowl surface that you will be painting, in this instance the outside of the bowl.
      • Apply paint to outside of bowl.

    Painting wooden salad bowl from thrift store

      • Apply gold paint to rim of bowl.

    Gold rimmed wooden bowl

    • Step back and admire your craftiness.

    1960's wooden salad bowl painted navy and gold

    I'm digging the navy blue and gold look!

    And before anyone hates on me for painting a wooden bowl. The way I feel is that NO ONE in their right mind would use the bowl as an actual salad bowl anymore.

    Family germs are one thing, but thrift store stranger germs are another.

    Repurposed wooden salad bowl

    If you'd like to see a totally different take on thrift store wooden bowls, I recently updated a wooden bowl by bleaching it for a Modern Farmhouse Look - Bleaching Wooden Bowls For A Modern Farmhouse Look.

    And guess what? I'm doing the happy dance today, because it's the 2nd Wednesday of the month and that makes it Thrift Store Decor Team day!

    Now pop on over and see what the other gals are up to this month!

    Repurposed and upcycled thrift store projects

    Thrift Store Decor Team

    Domestically Speaking - Easy Patriotic Decorations

    My Repurposed Life - Small Wooden DIY Pedestal Planter Made w/ Spindle

    Petticoat Junktion - Vintage Tea Towel Calendar

    Refresh Restyle - Thrift Store Tray Makeover

    Our Southern Home - Basket Wreath Makeover

    My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia - DIY Painted Flower Pots

    Sadie Seasongoods - Jewelry Hanger From A Refreshed Memo Board

    House Of Hawthornes (that's me) - 1960's Wooden Salad Bowl Repurpose

    Other post you may enjoy:

    Boho Succulent Garden From Repurposed Thrift Store Tray

    DIY Reusable Bowl Covers And Food Wrap

    Resources For Vintage And Thrift Store Lovers

    DIY Rubber Boot Planters

    « Outdoor Potting Bench
    How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots »
    2.4K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan

      May 09, 2018 at 6:36 am

      Great simple and gorgeous makeover. The gold rim is the best!

      Reply
    2. Shirley

      May 09, 2018 at 7:29 am

      Interesting! I’ve never seen one of those bowls with a base on it. Do you think someone else added that?

      Love your makeover! My favorite colors!

      Reply
    3. Debbie

      May 09, 2018 at 8:47 am

      I love these colors!! That doesn't even look like a wood bowl! Gorgeous!

      Reply
    4. Bev

      May 09, 2018 at 9:31 am

      I would not use that as a salad bowl either!! The makeover is lovely, and functional!!

      Reply
    5. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      May 09, 2018 at 9:38 am

      That looks so great painted! I love the colors you chose, and now it looks great again! To me, if it looks better painted and will make it decorative again...I say PAINT. It's not like it's a valuable antique or anything lol.

      Reply
    6. Mary Boger

      May 09, 2018 at 9:40 am

      Great result! Got a set for a wedding gift 38years ago. Never used it.
      Maybe it's time to repurpose it? Lol

      Reply
    7. Christy Little

      May 09, 2018 at 9:56 am

      I am loving all things blue these days! This is so pretty and looks amazing with the pop of yellow!

      Reply
    8. Kristin

      May 09, 2018 at 11:41 am

      Those colors are perfect together, great makeover!

      Reply
    9. Maryann

      May 09, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      That navy blue is just dreamy with the gold and the lemons! So pretty!

      Reply
    10. Sheryl

      May 10, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      love the colors you chose. and I would add, use a better brush. sponge brushes do not give you enough control.to get a smooth brushstroke free look.Purdy brushes are wonderful and come starting in 1" width. sand lightly after first coat, will look much more professional.

      Reply
    11. Leslie

      May 10, 2018 at 9:52 pm

      The bowl is so elegant looking now. We had a set of teak salad bowls, which we used often when we had company. I should say we have them, because they still are around here somewhere.

      I also have a torn meniscus, which happened last September. I haven't done anything about it, because I didn't know who to see about it. It seems to have healed pretty much on its own. I had had my other knee operated on 14 years ago for the same problem. I don't think I want to go through that again.

      Reply
    12. Amanda

      May 14, 2018 at 2:28 am

      Love this article!! This wooden bowl looking awesome. I can't wait to try this. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    13. gail

      May 21, 2018 at 11:54 am

      Pam,

      I think I have the small bowls to this set. But not sure if I have the large bowl. If I do, it doesn't have a pedestal.

      Super rescue and I love the colors too!

      pinned, and sharing on Facebook.

      Reply
    14. Barbara

      June 01, 2018 at 7:53 am

      Love the blue & gold paint job. Now, I want to know what you're going to do with the small bowls!!! Please share if you are making them into another project.

      Reply
    15. Kathleen

      January 25, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      In November, my mom had me take all of her wooden salad bowls and refinish them. I sanded them then put several coats of a beeswax product that is specifically for bread boards, cutting boards and wooden bowls. I did four coats of the wax, leaving each coat to dry 24 hours. She loves them and it made a great Christmas present for he. But I might try YOUR idea for myself!

      Reply
      • Pam

        January 25, 2019 at 4:06 pm

        That sounds wonderful! I've done a cutting board with beeswax, but didn't think to use it on bowls!!!

        Reply
    16. Sharon Byers

      August 13, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      i noticed your glasses! i gave a set of identical glasses to mum&dad with the first earnings i got when i went to work. 50 years ago! Their set also included a glass ice bucket and gold metal glass holder.

      your bowl looks great!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Learn how to create a budget friendly home you'll love using repurposed thrift store finds, easy DIY & craft projects and seasonal gardening tips.

    Trending Content:

    • DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves
    • How To Grow Peonies - A Complete Guide
    • How To Paint A Front Door Without Removing It
    • Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe
    • DIY Earring Holder
    • How to Make A Penny Bowling Ball
    • Top 10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips
    • Blueberry Crostata Recipe
    • How To Make Winter Porch Pots
    • How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots

    About Me

    Pam Kessler | Author of House Of Hawthornes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories
    • Blog

    Let's Connect

    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook

    Shop

    • Amazon Favorites
    • Shop The Look

    Please use appropriate safety precautions when attempting projects. All projects are attempted at the reader's own risk.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 House Of Hawthornes, LLC

    🍪 We use cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    I Accept Read Privacy Notice
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non Necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.