Computer Hutch Repurposed Into a Child's Desk | Thrifted & Relifted 2

Do you ever see an outdated computer desk hutch like this for sale in thrift stores? Here's what you can do with them!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them I receive a small percentage at no extra cost to you(read my full disclosure).

I found this 1980's oak computer desk hutch, just the top part, for $10 at a local thrift shop a couple of months ago. At first glance I thought, "who would buy that thing?" But then I realized it's the perfect height to be a child's desk!

It sat on the porch since I bought it, so I started off by giving it a thorough cleaning.

Now when it came time to paint it, my little man had a very definite opinion. He wanted light blue. Definitely light blue. In the past I have used several brands of chalk paint. This time I decided I wanted to make my own. Have you tried doing it yet? I have to say I am completely hooked! I used the common recipe of 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup plaster of Paris, mixed well and then added 1 cup of latex paint. I used a sample jar of Valspar Schoolboy Blue. I pick up those cheap little sample jars whenever I see a color I like.

I forgot to take a picture of that part because someone was very excited about his new desk and insisted on "helping." Please excuse the shoes, but this is the only in progress shot I got.

I did two coats of paint and topped it off with three coats of Polycrylic in satin finish, following the directions on the can, sanding between each coat. When I use chalk paint on a surface that will get a lot of use, I always use poly instead of wax. I learned that the hard way after a table top I spent a long time on got ruined.

I thought it would be fun to add a little chalkboard for him on one end. I taped off a section and painted it with two coats of chalkboard paint.

Also that is an Ikea Bygel rod that I screwed to the top of the back board to attach the matching cups to, to give us some crayon and pencil storage. I bought those about three years ago and never used them. Last I checked, that line was discontinued, but I noticed Ikea has a new similar line called Sunnersta.

I already had this canvas bin on hand so I gave it a light wash of gray chalk paint to match better. It fits perfectly on the shelf to store art supplies and coloring books.

And I wanted to dress it up a little and tie in the red of the little storage cups so I decided to give it some stripes. I found the center of the bin and painted a blue stripe a little over an inch wide.

Then using painter's tape as a guide I measured of a stripe on each side of it and painted them red.

Make sure to pin this project to your favorite Pinterest board!

I guess I can call this project a success because my little man declared it to be "the coolest desk evoorrrrrr."

This post was originally part of the Thrifted & Relifted Blogger Challenge, part of a group of bloggers challenging ourselves monthly to share a thrifty find for under $30 that we have given a makeover or repurposed.