Skip to Content

How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair

Sharing is caring!

I had an old chair -actually there were two of them – and a few years ago I took them and shortened the legs so I could place them in front of the fireplace.  They were great there, all nestled up next to the fireplace, but as with any good thing they started to fall apart after so many years. 

Now being the good up-cycler that I am, I put the chairs in a corner and pondered what to do with them. At first I had a vague idea of making a sign and hanging it on the back of the chair.  Because that was the part I was going to re-use. It would be all fall-like and pretty.

But as things have a way of going by the wayside and doing what they want on this blog, I ended up with something totally different.  And so I am going to show you how to make a cool kitchen organizer from a chair.

old wooden chair, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
Disclosure: I was compensated for doing this post with product.  However, all the opinions stated here are my own. I only use products I love and would recommend to my viewers. 
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links and link to Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission, that way I can continue to provide you with lovely content.  There is no extra charge to you for purchasing through my affiliate links.


What I used:

​Here is a photo of one of them when they were still in good shape keeping my table company. 
chair with table, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com

The How To:

The first step was to take off all the extra pieces so that I was left with the back of the chair only. It was actually quite easy since all I had to do was move the wood back and forth and then just pull the pieces out.  I think all those years next to the fireplace have taken their toll on the chairs. 

I sanded it down as much as I could.  There was a lot of that glossy varnish we frequently find on these pieces of furniture here in Greece.

back of chair sanded, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
I then painted it two coats of DecoArt’s Americana Chalky Finish paint in Everlasting. This is a nice solid white.  It would serve as my base color. Sorry for the picture quality here, it was taken as the sun was going down.
back of chair painted white. How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
The next step was to paint the top color.  In this case it was some left over paint I had.  I had used DecoArt’s Americana Decor chalky finish paint in Escape but had mixed in a bit of white to make it a soft blue.
chair painted blue on top of white, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
After it had dried for a day I sanded it down in areas that had normal wear and then used my homemade beeswax to seal it in.
distressed and waxed blue chair back, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
You can see the white peeking through in areas where I did not sand it all the way down to the wood.
detail of distressed chair back, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
I put two nails on the wall and just hung it up like this!  Obviously it’s in the kitchen.

It is cool or what?  Certainly better than a purely decorative piece.  

Kitchen Organizer from a chair back with towels and strainers, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
I just added a bunch of hooks that I had gotten from Ikea. And hung my various kitcheny things.  Excuse the dirty glove, you can tell that we really use our stuff around here. 
hooks are hung on top to hold utensils, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
I took these last photos as I was getting ready to leave for the airport so I didn’t notice that a part of the twine had slipped off.  That’s also why the color looks a bit greenish. Gotta catch that plane!!

Basically what I did was take a large piece of twine and knot the ends together.  Then I folded it in two, then folded it again.  I passed the paper towel roll though it so that the knot is hidden inside the paper roll. So that one piece that fell over, well it’s supposed to be hanging.

paper towel hung with twine, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
For now we’ve left it with the holes on the sides.  We still have the wood pieces that were originally there and may do something with them. Even left empty they do add a certain character to the kitchen organizer.
S shaped hooks holding the gloves, How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
So the fall thingy went out the window, but I think this was a far better idea.  It is striking because you have this pop of blue in the kitchen.  But most of all it is practical.  You see we’d just finished the kitchen and we are a bit apprehensive about opening holes onto the tiles. This was the perfect way to organize all these things that normally go on the wall. Or at least hang somewhere. 

I hope you enjoyed my easy tutorial on how to make a cool kitchen organizer from a chair. Do you have any leftover chairs that need a re-purpose?

Picture
A wall hung kitchen organizer repurposed from the back of a chair to hold towels, gloves, utensils and paper towel roll, #repurposedchair #chairmakeover #kitchenorganizer #chairback #upcycledchair #repurposedfurniture How to Make a Cool Kitchen Organizer from a Chair www.theboondocksblog.com
If you like what you see, share it with your friends, or save it on Pinterest.  Above is a Pinterest worthy image!

​If you really like what you see subscribe to my blog and get my adventures once a week in your mailbox. The form is on the sidebar and on top.  Your e-mail will never be shared with a third party.

Picture
​The small apartment series:
<< Sweet Inspiration Link Party #77        HOME     Photos of the Day September >>

Linking up to these Link Parties

This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.

I love it when I get your comments and I will try reply to them or visit you on your blog. ​Please do not add a hyperlink to your comment, otherwise we cannot publish it.

  1. Leslie says:

    What a fun project! We’re in the middle of a kitchen renovation, and this would have been perfect for an awkward space we used to have next to our refrigerator. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!

  2. Beverly says:

    Love how you turned this chair into a great kitchen organizer. I love chairs and can never pass one by along the side of the road. Always so many things you can do with them.
    I will keep this in mind for one of my chairs.
    Hugs,
    Bev

    • Mary says:

      Glad I could inspire. Now Beverly maybe you can send one of those chairs to my because there are no more in the basement. 😉

  3. What a clever upcycle, Mary!! I think this is one of my favorite projects of yours. And such a cheery color. From Instagram, I see you’re in NYC. Have a lovely time!

    • Mary says:

      Thanks Cynthia. We moved here a few weeks ago and are loving it. The project was so easy and is so practical too.

  4. Jeanna says:

    This organizer is so clever and has just the look I want. My kitchen is sooo small. I may find a place for this project in my bedroom though since it matches the decor up there perfectly.

  5. zefi says:

    Love it. And useful is the best way to go!!! I made my own a while ago, did you see it? The back leg of the chair had broken so I had to cut it off shorter than you did. Here’s the link:
    https://junk4joy.com.au/2017/04/06/one-chair-back-three-ways/
    z

    • Mary says:

      I love your idea Zefi. The chair back is such a versatile piece it can be used almost anywhere. Thanks for sharing your idea. I will share on FB also!

  6. What a marvelous way to repurpose. It has so much charm.

  7. This turned out great Mary!

  8. Carol says:

    Mary, You never cease to amaze me with how creative you are in repurposing anything. It turned out perfect and very useful. Love it, my friend!

  9. Jamie says:

    I love your chair organizer. What a fun idea.

  10. BABA says:

    MARY YOU PUT ME TO SHAME. WHEN DO YOU EVER FIND THE TIME TO TRAVEL TO NY? BACK YET?
    I COULD NEVER COME UP WITH THESE IDEAS. I MEAN REALLY. NO IMAGINATION. BUT YOU MAKE THE ROOF EXPLODE WITH ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND THEN I SAY OOOOHHHH. I JUST DON’T BELIEVE THE IDEAS I WISH I COULD DO WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE THEN I COULD SAVE STUFF TOO. WHICH I DO ANYWAY BUT IT JUST BUILDS UP AND WE NOWHERE TO MOVE.

    • Mary says:

      New York is the place to be Baba!!
      I didn’t know how to do any of this stuff either till I started to follow lots of blogs and then I got so many ideas and inspiration from them. Good luck!

  11. Eleana A. says:

    Mary this is great!!! We have so many old chairs in Crete (in grandmas house) that I never thought to break one, accidentaly of course.. 😉 and make an organiser!!! It would be great for the storage room as well!

  12. Laurie says:

    Mary, I experience almost weekly the project ideas that turn into something completely different than the original idea! Making the chair into a kitchen organizer was brilliant idea and a great solution for organizing the kitchen!

  13. From the first moment I saw this I said wow!!! It is the most clever thing I have ever seen with a part of an old chair! You are my favorite repurposing blogger you know that???? Hugs & kisses 🙂

  14. Brenda Young says:

    What a great upcycle, and in my favorite hue as well. Nice project Mary, thanks for sharing it at #FridaysFurnitureFix this week, and also your project entry was selected for the giveaway! Can’t wait to see what you do with the products!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Brenda! I have loads of projects that need to be done so this comes at the perfect time. I’m so excited!

  15. Keri Roberts says:

    Mary, I love love this repurpose of an old chair!! Very clever and useful and it looks great as an organizer in the kitchen! I think the holes add character to it as well. Great job my friend!!

    • Mary says:

      Keri I did this one as an afterthought but it turns out to have been hugely popular. Thanks so much.

  16. Kathy A says:

    I loved your kitchen rack. I could see those holes being filled with some kind of peg to hold more stuff. I know I shouldn’t complained because my kitchen cupboards cover most of my kitchen walls, but I’d love to have an empty wall to hang something like this rack on!

    • Mary says:

      Right now I have no walls at all in my kitchen and I really miss this pretty organizer that held so much.

  17. Elise L Ho says:

    I love how country chic your project is.

  18. fiona says:

    What a great job, I love what you’ve done here and the colour is perfect.

  19. Mary, this is genius! Makes me wish I had an old chair to upcycle! I’ll have to pick one up somewhere.

  20. Wow! I absolutely love how you created an amazing functional piece for your kitchen. I would have never been able to even think about repurposing an old chair this way.

    • Mary says:

      Thanks so much. I am just glad I went with this instead of a decoration piece for it. Now I can fill it up.

  21. Julie says:

    This is lovely, such a quirky feature for the kitchen. And don’t worry, your oven glove is really not that dirty – we would never have noticed except you pointed it out!!!

    • Mary says:

      It is only fitting that a DIYer should have such a quirky piece right? Shhhh we don’t talk about the dirty gloves… haha!!

  22. This looks fabulous! I would never have thought it possible to make something so cool from a chair! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday

  23. Amber Harrop says:

    I love how you reused this chair Mary such a clever idea and I love that shade of blue

  24. Thank you for the tutorial: My husband is near to throwing one of our livingroom chairs out (he’s been at it for ages and it still wobbles and/or falls appart). Guess I will no longer protest when he wants to next time!

    • Mary says:

      It was a very easy project Marjan I just like to get fancy. I hope you share with us when yours is done

  25. Patricia says:

    So nice and original as always! Love it.

  26. Stacey says:

    This is such a fun idea! I never would have thought of this but I do love it.

  27. Kim says:

    I love this, Mary. The paper towels hanging on it are awesome! Plus I really like the color.

  28. It looks great Mary, and I love the blue color! It makes a great organizer. I still have half a wooden chair that I’m not sure what I’m going to do with, and one whole one that I’m saving for the master bath.
    I also see two potential pumpkins hanging on your organizer. (wink)

  29. This is like the ladders that are so in fashion as organizers but much cooler and better! Great work Mary! Are you leaving Greece for the states or just visiting?

    • Mary says:

      I am gone goodbye Katerina. It was long overdue. Thanks for the sweet comment. It is cool because it is that lovely shade of blue!

  30. Katrin says:

    Mary what a cool kitchen organizer. I really love the colour, it makes such an impact and love the idea of hanging kitchen utensils to have them handy!

  31. Stunning Mary. I love unique storage ideas so much and this is one of the best. I can’t believe how much hanging space there is. Pinned coz it’s really awesome

  32. Lynn Spencer says:

    Hey Mary! Hope you are enjoying your vacay during these wild and wooly times here in the USA!
    Now that’s a fun project! Great upcycle and a very useful too. There are so many things you could do with that chair back and I like the holes that you left in it.
    Have a great day my friend.
    Hugs, LYnn

    • Mary says:

      Lynn this is not a vacay it is the real deal. Greece is going no where, it was time to move on. The project was done in Greece for us to have a space to go back to.

  33. Jennifer Weaver says:

    I love this idea. Would be great in a girl’s room for purses or necklaces or whatever.

  34. What a great up-cycle – perfectly Farmhouse.

  35. Pili says:

    You amaze me, Mary. You keep finding ways to upcycle stuff and turn it into not only decorative things but useful too. This is really really cool. I still have the back of the chair I chopped to make the romantic bench and resisted to throw it away, so I may be copying your project.

  36. Amy says:

    Great idea! I love having things readily available in the kitchen, and this certainly keeps all of the essentials nice and handy. Turned out great!

  37. Mary, this is such a fabulous repurpose!!! Love it to bits!!

  38. You’re always thinkin’ Lincoln ;).
    Good job, and I hope you’re enjoying your time in the States!
    xxx

  39. Awesome upcycle of an old chair back, Mary. I love, love, love the color

  40. Marie says:

    What a clever idea for repurposing a chair back – you can hang a lot of handy kitchen gadgets on there! pinned

    • Mary says:

      So much stuff and I’m sure the hubs has hung even more stuff now. It truly is an organizing workhorse.

  41. Claire says:

    My favourite kind of upcycle, looks good and is practical. Well done!

    • Mary says:

      Claire this was such a smart idea to use it practically instead of just adding a welcome sign to it.

  42. Janine says:

    What a great project! I love the idea and how clever you are! I got to thinking you could add a some cute knobs in the holes and then you have more things to hang from it. 🙂 But it is perfect as is too!

  43. Now this is my kind of project. I love it. Very handy to hand and unique. It is just up my alley.

    • Mary says:

      And to think that I actually considered turning it into a sign! Silly me, this is so much more practical!

  44. Florence says:

    Oh, I want one of these chairs to repurpose! The last one I had I found in the woods, and I let it rot out in the weather. It would have been perfect for this. Love the blue color you painted it, and aren’t those rungs so handy for all kinds of hanging things? I like it.

  45. I wasn’t quite sure how you were going to pull this off, but you did and it looks terrific. Again, I love your blue!

  46. That was a great idea, Mary! It’s beautiful and practical and I love the color you’ve chosen.

  47. Carolann says:

    Super cute, Mary. I love the color you chose. What a great upcycle!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Carolann! The color matches those chairs in the apartment so we have pops of that color.

Comments are closed.