Zinc Waxed Martha Washington Sewing Table

Jul 19, 2019 | Hemp Oil, Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint, Zinc Wax | 0 comments

a martha washington sewing table painted in miss mustard seed’s milk paint with a zinc wax finish

Martha Washington sewing tables are some of my favorite pieces to work on. Not only are they adorable, but they’re a great size to serve as nightstands or side tables. Plus, they have lots of functional storage, making them ideal pieces to have in your home!

Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Zinc Wax, Hemp Oil, Trophy, Typewriter

a miss mustard seed’s milk paint makeover

While I was at Morgantown Market one day last month, I spied a beautiful Martha Washington sewing table. The top lifted up, revealing lots of mechanisms and the housing for a sewing machine. While the machine was long gone, the piece had potential!

I took it home and removed all of the “guts” inside, including the sewing machine mechanisms. While they were neat, they no longer had any function and they added unnecessary weight.

Once the piece was gutted, I gave it a milk paint makeover using Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint products. My colors of choice were French Enamel and Trophy.

Trophy by Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Using a 1:1 ratio, or equal parts, I mixed up a custom color that was absolutely beautiful!

Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Zinc Wax, Corner, Hemp Oil

a hemp oil and zinc wax finish

Once the piece was painted and distressed, I applied a coat of Hemp Oil. This darkened my Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint and created a rich color.

Hemp Oil 250mL

I wanted a little extra “something”, so I applied a layer of Zinc Wax over top once the excess Hemp Oil was wiped away.

Zinc Wax Open 50g

Zinc Wax is the newest finish in the Miss Mustard Seed’s line. It has the buttery spreadability of clear Furniture Wax and an on-trend gray metallic tint that adds subtle sparkle and shine to your piece.

Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Zinc Wax, Knob, Hemp Oil

You can read more about using Zinc Wax by reading up on these custom pieces I finished recently.

making the martha washington sewing table functional

It seemed a little pointless to have the top of the Martha Washington sewing table open to reveal an empty chasm inside. To fix this, I screwed the top to the body so it no longer opens.

The panel on the front is faux and the drawers do not pull out. Using some wood glue, I sealed it shut and added some mending braces to the back to hold it in place. Now, when you pull on the knobs, the panel stays put instead of falling off completely!

Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Zinc Wax, Knob

side storage

While the top doesn’t open anymore and the drawers are faux, this Martha Washington sewing table still provides storage!

If you lift up each side flap, there are side storage compartments underneath.

Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Zinc Wax

The one on the right had a nifty organizer tray!

Good Housekeeping Label - Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Drawer Insert, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint
Good Housekeeping Label - Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Drawer Insert

And in case you were wondering, this Martha Washington sewing table has Good Housekeeping’s stamp of approval!

Good Housekeeping Label - Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture

So how about you? Now that you see how functional (and beautiful) Martha Washington sewing tables can be, will you pick one up the next time you’re out antiquing?

Martha Washington Sewing Table, Eight Hundred Furniture, Side Drawer, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Zinc Wax, Hemp Oil, Trophy, Typewriter

Welcome to my happy place!
I'm Jenn Baker - Milk Paint lover, photographer, blogger, and QVC Guest Host. Click below to learn more about me and my creative business.  LEARN MORE ABOUT JENN

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