From Trashy to Classy: Cart

Remember the cart I rescued from a pile of trash on a curb?

Well ... here it is NOW! What do you think?!

This was a really fun project, even though I had to do a lot of steps to go from trashy to classy! Here are the supplies I used: primer, spray paint, painter's tape, newspaper, sandpaper and a rag.

Here's the tutorial:

First I cleaned off the cart with vinegar. I love the smell and it already looked better!

I taped off all the metal and sanded each tray to a matte finish. I go by the feel and look. Is it smooth? Can I still see a shine? If it's smooth and dull, I'm ready to go after a quick rinse and dry!

Fun fact: The cart was made in Columbus, Indiana. I picked it up in New Salem, Indiana and live in Indianapolis!

Time to primer! I used Krylon white primer on each layer. There were a few rust spots so I had to pay special attention to them and use a little more primer for those areas. My honey restores and works on cars, so I've see this done a lot and have my own experiences!

After the primer was dry, I needed to sand down the areas where primer had built up and you could see drip marks. This was probably my most challenging step! You have to be careful not too sand down too much but you definitely need a smooth surface.

I rinsed and dried again and started painting. I went tray by tray and did a few coats because a few spots popped up that needed a little more sanding.

I did not do anything with the underside of the trays. They are r-u-s-t-y as you saw in the picture with the tag. I figured if I'm just going to use this for myself, I can ignore the rust that isn't really visible anyway.

After the paint was dry - and after a few days - I did a layer of Krylon clear. After removing the tape and newspaper, I saw there was primer on a few sections ... mineral spirits cleaned it right up.

And VOILA!

You'll probably remember a few of my spray painted goodies ... yep, I did them just to coordinate with the cart!

My trays and the cute wire basket.

I love the contrast of colors!

Another option for decor ...

I hope I can find another one of these trays in the trash or for cheap! With all the great spray paint colors out there, I definitely have a lot of options for color schemes. Hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did!