Vintage Metal Rolling Cart Makeover
Transforming A Vintage Metal Rolling Cart With Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™
Looking for a way to keep your crafting/painting supplies organized while also making them transportable? Today, we will show you how we transformed this vintage metal rolling cart.
We loved its charm, but it definitely needed a makeover. Not only is it cute, but it’s now a functional way to hold our supplies! It’s the perfect cart, from the wheels to the attached power strip.
Did you know that you can use MMS MilkPaint™ on metal? Well, with the help of MilkGrip™ Indoor/Bonding Agent, you can! And did you know that MMS MilkPaint™ is 100% Natural and non-toxic? Yes, which makes it safe to use in your home!
Let’s walk you through the steps of how we transformed this vintage metal rolling cart!
Supplies Needed
Here is what you will need to paint your own metal cart!
TSP and Water
Sander and Sanding Paper (80 grit)
Rustoleum Spray Automotive Primer
Paintbrush
0000 Steel Wool or SOS Brillo Pad
WD-40
Disassembly And Cleaning
We started by disassembling the cart. While it is not necessary, disassembly made it easier to clean, sand, and paint the piece. We set aside the side poles and got to work on the shelves. TSP and water is our favorite way to clean old and dirty pieces. We wiped down the shelves with our mixed TSP and rinsed them twice with water to remove any residue. TSP or soap residue can interfere with the paint adhesion, so make sure you don’t forget to rinse well. *Note: If there is excess residue, we like to use 50/50 denatured alcohol (not the same as isopropyl alcohol) water with no need for another rinse.
Sanding and Prepping The Cart Shelves
Next, we moved on to sanding the piece. An electric sander with 80 grit sandpaper was the key to removing the previous finish and excessive rust. We made sure to wipe down our shelves after sanding to remove any dust and debris.
To prep the shelves for paint, we chose to prime them with Rustoleum Spray Automotive Primer (any metal primer will work for this step). We choose this primer because it’s heavy-duty and can withstand the abuse of spills, and heat and prevent gouging. After spraying an even primer coat on both sides, we set the shelves aside to dry overnight.
Restoring The Side Poles
Now it was time to work on the side poles. The poles were dirty and were starting to rust. Since we liked the look of the chrome poles, we focused on removing any rust and mung and restored the original look of the chrome. To start, we scrubbed the poles with an SOS pad - 0000 Steel Wool will also work. The SOS pad removed the rust and any tough grime, resulting in shiny chrome side poles. We made sure to clean the wheels and remove any build-up so they were able to roll smoothly again! We used a bit of WD40 to make sure the swivel and rolling action were smooth.
Painting Our Cart
After allowing the primed shelves to sit overnight, it was time to start painting. We picked Aqua Sky because we wanted the cart to have a vintage feel. Aqua Sky is a cheerful shade of seafoam. It is reminiscent of 1930’s and 1940’s kitchens, so it was the perfect color to use on our cart. If you like the original color of the cart, Sunkissed is a close match!
Because we are working with a primed metal cart, we need to use MilkGrip™ Indoor/Bonding Agent to help our MilkPaint™ adhere to our newly primed shelves. Our Bonding Agent allows MilkPaint™ to adhere to non-MMSMP primer, metal, glass and painted, varnished, or lacquered surfaces. It can be mixed with MilkPaint™ or used as a primer, but in this case, we needed an extra heavy-duty primer. Automotive primers can withstand just about anything, and our Bonding Agent is more of a medium-duty primer. We mixed four parts of Aqua Sky paint with one part of MilkGrip™. We applied three coats of paint, allowing the shelves to fully dry between coats.
*Note: adding MilkGrip™ Indoor/ Bonding Agent will increase the drying time between coats.
Finishing With MilkCoat™
After the last coat of paint had fully dried on the shelves, it was time to apply a finish. We chose to use MilkCoat™. It is a protective, washable topcoat and can be applied over any painted surface. Because the cart will be a crafting cart, we chose to use High Sheen/Gloss because it is the most durable of all the sheens. If you don’t want a glossy finish and prefer matte or satin, then apply a layer of gloss underneath to increase durability.
To further increase the durability of our finish, we chose to apply two coats of MilkCoat™. MilkCoat™ can be applied with a brush (foam or bristle), lint-free cloth, or damp sponge. It dries quickly, so a damp applicator is recommended. MilkCoat™ can take 30 to 60 minutes to fully dry, depending on the thickness of the application. Once fully dried, we reassembled the cart.
Final Look
After reassembling our cart, it was time to organize our crafting supplies on the shelves. The shelves hold our painting supplies, MilkPaint™, and other crafting supplies, while providing a small work surface. We like to store our MilkPaint™ in glass jars that have an air-tight seal.
MilkPaint™ was a simple way to makeover this vintage metal rolling cart! Aqua Sky could not have been more perfect for keeping the vintage charm of this cart.
We hope this post has inspired you to makeover your own cart or use MilkPaint™ on a metal project.
How would you use this vintage metal rolling cart?
Make sure you share your MilkPaint™ projects with us on social media! We love to see your creations!
