Thrift Store Wood Salad Bowl Makeover

by ScavengerChic

I have a fantastic project for you today. While this may look like a plain old ordinary salad bowl. It's not...it has unbelievable hidden potential. And if you're looking for that unique one of a kind perfect gift, it could be that too.

thrift store wood salad bowl makeover, crafts, repurposing upcycling

This project starts with a plain wooden salad bowl from a local thrift store. I absolutely love when I have a project in mind and I find what I’m looking for (the salad bowl) at the very first place I look.

Actually, in my mind, my salad bowl would have had sides that bowed out slightly. Nevertheless, this salad bowl was perfect, it was wooden, it had seen better days, and it was therefore a perfect candidate for my makeover.

Before my salad bowl's extreme makeover, it got the chalk paint treatment. A layer of black chalk paint, followed by a light sanding on the edges and a final coat of antique wax.

Now he's ready for his extreme makeover. Gather up a good supply of sticks, the less bumps and knots the better. Most of my sticks were cut from my wisteria vine. When I asked my husband to trim our wisteria away from the surrounding trees, he got a tad carried away and I was left with a huge pile of wisteria vines. I guess I need to thank him now.

However many sticks you think you’ll need, double it.

Trim all of your sticks to the same height. I found it easiest to cut the sticks on a chop saw cutting several at a time and using tape to show exactly how long each stick should be. Mine were two inches.

I started to use builders adhesive to attach the sticks but I could only work in one small area at a time, the sticks started to slide and the glue was extremely noticeable since it was white.

A much easier method was a hot glue gun. So quick, so easy and the sticks dried almost immediately.

If you are going to do the larger sticks like I did in the middle, attach them first and use the smaller sticks to fill.

While this looks really time consuming, it only took a few hours. Most of that time was the chopping, gluing the sticks on goes super quick.

This could be a fun gift idea. Take it to the next level and fill with fruits or muffins (yum).

Hope you get a chance to come by and visit. More pics, and more step by step.

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Frequently asked questions

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3 of 6 questions

Karion jones on Dec 09, 2015
could I use grapevine wreath wrap it around the bowl still using the glue gun

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Alison Hood on Jun 25, 2016
It looks absolutely fabulous. Did you have to dry the wisteria sticks first? If so, for low long - and did you air dry them, or some other method. Thank you

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Judith on Mar 20, 2023

I never “ wood” have thought to do this with a wooden bowl ! Kudos to you ! That would be a perfect centerpiece bowl for a cabin/ ski lodge !

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2 of 49 comments

Tcooper9 on Jun 23, 2017

So making this ! Tsk for the share!!!

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Em on Mar 15, 2020

Great look. Have a suggestion. Try Loctite construction adhesive. It adheres immediately but allows time to move around. I have found hot glue falls apart in about one season on so many items. Also try E-6000. It comes in white and clear and holds very well even outdoors. I was thinking about this as a planter.

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