Turn an Antique Washboard Into a Nice Keyring Holder

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were out at some garage sales and I picked up this antique washboard for $1.00 with the intention of turning it into something. I wasn't sure what yet though! After mulling it over, I decided it would make a nice keyring holder to put somewhere near the front door.

It turned out beautifully and was finished fairly quickly as well with minimum supplies. The total cost to make it was roughly $6.00, although I already had many of the supplies on hand.

Here's what you'll need:

-Old washboard

-Some small hooks of your choice

-Chalkboard paint and a piece of chalk

-Painter's tape

-Sandpaper (I used 180 grit)

-A sanding block (A scrap piece of wood will work fine)

-Some white house paint or primer (I had a small can of Debbie Travis white paint lying around)

-A cheap paint brush

Time to roll up your sleeves!

Step 1: Tape Off the Areas You Don't Want Paint On

Pretty self explanatory. I just taped off the edges of the metal part of the washboard with some painter's tape.

Step 2: Paint!

Now grab your paint and brush. It's a good idea to lay some cardboard or old newspaper underneath the washboard while you paint so you don't make a mess.

I simply brushed on a single thin layer of white over the original wood of the washboard. You don't really need to make it perfect or even a solid coat of paint, as the idea is to make the paint look old. After painting it, I removed the masking tape and let it dry overnight.

Step 3: Sand It

Now that your paint is dry, it's time to give it a more "antiqued" look.

It's really easy. Just get a piece of sandpaper (I chose 180 grit) and wrap it around a flat piece of scrap wood or sanding block. Gently sand everywhere that you painted until the paint begins to fade from the higher areas of the wood grain. Don't sand it too much or you'll take all of the paint off!

Step 4: Wipe It Down

I just got a piece of paper towel with a bit of water on it and wiped all of the dust off from the sanding process. After you wipe it clean, allow it to dry fully.

Step 5: Make Marks for Hook Placement

I just used an awl to make four evenly spaced marks in the washboard so I would remember where to screw my hooks in at the end. You can use anything with a sharp point on the end (knife, screwdriver, etc.).

Step 6: Tape It Off...Again

Now, tape off basically the entire washboard except for the recessed area above the metal section.

Step 7: Chalkboard Paint

Now just spray a liberal coat of chalkboard paint on the area above the metal section. Just make sure you cover every part of that area with a good coat of the chalkboard paint.

After painting, remove all of the tape.

Step 8: Hook It!

Now, just screw in the hooks you chose to use in your pre-marked areas. The hooks I used were a bit longer than I would have liked, which made them a bit hard to screw in towards the end. There wasn't enough room for me to drill straight pilot holes, so that's why I didn't do that. If you are using a larger washboard, you may have enough room to drill pilot holes for the hooks.