Years ago, I found a great set of wooden salad bowls at Goodwill. The set included a large mixing bowl, and three individual bowls. So, I suspect something happened to the missing fourth bowl and that’s why the set ended up at the thrift…
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Right out of the gate, though, I put the large bowl to good reuse for a Fall project and turned it into a pumpkin-shaped cake plate cover. But the three smaller bowls languished in my garage for a year before I finally did something with them- for my first book!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And while that tutorial is in my book, the step-by-step photos are not. So, I decided to finally add that project here on my website. It’s still flannel season, after all…
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
So, let me show you how I turned these wooden salad bowls into decorative “junk” bowls, thanks to fabric from these flannel shirts.
This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post. This project and tutorial originally appeared in “Crafting with Flannel” by Sarah Ramberg.
Lining the Bowls with Flannel
So, my plan for these salad bowls was to decorate the interiors while leaving the exteriors alone. The best of both worlds, right? I love the look of natural wood and with a little wood conditioner, the exteriors would be glorious. But back to the project…
First, I opened up one of the flannel shirts and set the bowl on top of particular pattern spot that I liked.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Using my fabric scissors, I then cut out a square of flannel fabric that was slightly larger than the base of the wooden salad bowl. Next, I grabbed some fusible interfacing and cut out a similarly sized square.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Why add the interfacing? Well, cut flannel fabric will fray like nobody’s business, and I’ve found that giving that fabric a lining of flexible, fusible interfacing keeps it much cleaner to work with.
After using my iron to fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the flannel (and subsequently remove any creases in the flannel square), I grabbed a drawing compass. A drawing compass which I’d outfitted with a white fabric pencil.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, I set the anchor point of the compass in the center of the bottom of the bowl. I then pulled the pencil half to the inner ridge, taking care not to touch the pencil tip to the actual wood. From there- and also without changing the width of the compass- I drew a circle on the back of the interfacing, making sure to set the anchor point in the center of the flannel design.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
With my fabric scissors, I then cut out my circle as smoothly as possible. Just to make sure it was the right size, I set it in the wooden salad bowl- and hurray, it worked!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Turning the Wooden Salad Bowls into Junk Bowls
Once I finished the first of my wooden salad bowls, I repeated the previous steps for the other two!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, I set aside the three flannel circle inserts so that I could paint the interiors of each bowl. I used samples of latex paint that complimented the colors in the flannel inserts.
Before painting, I dabbed my finger in Vaseline and ran it along the top edge of each bowl. This way, I wouldn’t get any paint on the lip. Then, I gave the interiors two coats of paint each.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Once the paint was fully dry, I used a soft cloth to carefully wipe off the Vaseline. I didn’t always get as clean an edge as liked, but it was better than nothing!
Now I could adhere the flannel inserts, which I did with decoupage glue (like Mod Podge). I also used the glue as a top coat over the painted sides.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And that was it, my wooden salad bowls had been transformed- at least the interiors had been. Now I could use them as “junk” bowls- for things like coins, keys, and other bits & bobs that need a place to go.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Flannel Craft with Wooden Salad Bowls
I don’t know, maybe my husband is the only one who loves a good junk bowl. But he’s been using them for as long as I’ve known him- in the entryway for his keys and wallet, and in our bedroom for his wedding ring and junk from his pockets. But if he’s not the only person who enjoys junk bowls, then perhaps this could be a fun gift idea, too.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
The flannel insert gives the junk a slight cushion when you drop it into the bowl. This way, it doesn’t clatter quite as much- but mostly, it just gives the wooden salad bowls some fun personality. Without totally covering over the wood grain, too.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing the process photos from this project, despite the instructions already appearing in my book. And don’t let this discourage you from purchasing the book, as I won’t be putting many of these projects on my website! Hint, hint- nudge, nudge. But…since my book has been out a few years now, I figured I could add a couple of the projects to my website, as well.
And if you’d like some more inspiration for all the wooden bowls (salad or otherwise) that you find at thrift stores, then definitely give this collection a perusal! So many fun ways to repurpose them and give them makeovers…
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
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