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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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May 17, 2012

DIY Kitchen Cupboard turned Dartboard Cabinet


DIY Dartboard from Kitchen Cabinet www.atthepicketfence.com

I’ve never been one to hold a grudge but there’s always a first time right? I don’t care that it is against an inanimate object.

I’m holding it responsible!

You see, it all began when I blinked and my oldest got older and the little wooden train table in the play-room which was loaded with tracks and Thomas characters somehow traded places with this:

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I went from impressing my sweet little boy with my train track-building skills to being walloped by that same boy at a game which I am pretty sure was made up by some maniac determined to make fools of mothers everywhere and leave their children rolling around on the floor in hysterical laughter as they slowly try and connect those tiny, annoying players with a ball that never stops!

Then, as if I hadn’t been humiliated enough, we went and added this to the game/play room too.

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So, I figured if I couldn’t get a tiny dart to do anything except bounce off of it’s target then at least I could make a pretty space for the game to be housed.
Actual dartboard cabinets can be fairly expensive, so I thought I might just try and see if I could create one myself.

I headed to our local ReStore where I found this old kitchen cupboard.

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And I transformed it into a DIY Dartboard Cabinet!

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I added bead board wallpaper to the back.

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Sprayed the inside door panels with chalkboard paint for keeping score. We all know what my score will always be. Ugh.

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And the entire thing got a nice coat of creamy off-white paint.

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Two little wire containers hold the darts, chalk, eraser and extra tips.

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And since there was enough room to put the shelf back in, I thought it would be the perfect place to put some board games. The “Clue” game was mine as a child and the “Perfection” game was my hubby’s.

I refuse to accept the fact that since they are circa 1970’s they are now considered “vintage”!

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I also added oiled bronze knobs to the cabinet doors.

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I suppose I’m just going to have to get used to the fact that even play rooms have to start growing up sometime.

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But, I don’t have to be happy about it! Winking smile

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38 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, DIY, Good Ideas

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    May 16, 2012 at 1:56 PM

    Neat idea, Vanessa! I love the fact that you can close it up when no one is using it.

    Reply
  2. Courtenay@Creek Line House says

    May 16, 2012 at 1:56 PM

    You’re such a fun mom. If you can’t win at the games, well, at least you’ll decorate the room around them!

    Reply
  3. Michele @ The Nest at Finch Rest says

    May 16, 2012 at 2:27 PM

    Vanessa,

    You are hilarious and so danged clever!

    WELL DONE – that is true genius, you are a gifted designer for SURE!

    Now lemme tell ya the time I was playing darts with my brother and I scared the cat…………..just saying…………

    Reply
  4. Katie Goldsworthy says

    May 16, 2012 at 2:33 PM

    Great idea! It looks so cute!

    –Katie
    @ Creatively Living

    Reply
  5. Savvy Seasons says

    May 16, 2012 at 3:12 PM

    Fantastic idea! Love the chalkboard to keep track of the score, how fun! =)
    Have a wonderful day! xo ~Liz

    Reply
  6. Tammy Partin Spangler says

    May 16, 2012 at 3:26 PM

    So creative! I NEVER would have thought of this!

    Reply
  7. The 2 Seasons says

    May 16, 2012 at 4:44 PM

    I love to play darts and putting the game in a cabinet is so creative. I took a wall in our basement and painted it with chalk paint and added the dart board. Mr. Spring and I like to go play up game every now and then, however I think I need more practice. Great project!!

    Reply
  8. Jessica says

    May 16, 2012 at 7:39 PM

    Leave it to you in thinking up such a fabulous piece that not only looks awesome, but is usable as well! Love it!

    Reply
  9. Janette - The2Seasons says

    May 16, 2012 at 9:47 PM

    That is so cute and creative. I love what you two come up with.

    Reply
  10. Judy says

    May 16, 2012 at 11:21 PM

    You are incredibly clever. That is such a super idea. I may have to copy this one.

    Reply
  11. Janet says

    May 16, 2012 at 11:26 PM

    Great cabinet!! I looks better than my kitchen cabinets, well for now anyway. They look more like the cabinet before, lol. When you’re really mad at someone, pretend the dartboard is his/her face. My bro put the dartboard on our hatchway door in the basement and drew in chalk all under it the body of the meanest kid in the neighborhood, the actual dartboard being his head. Got pretty good with aim.

    Reply
  12. Eclectically Vintage says

    May 16, 2012 at 11:37 PM

    Watch out for Colonel Mustard – he’s a wiz at darts! Only you could make a dartboard chic!

    And why oh why do those kids have to grow up?!
    Kelly

    Reply
  13. Gina says

    May 17, 2012 at 12:05 AM

    You are so clever! What a super idea!

    Reply
  14. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    May 17, 2012 at 2:38 AM

    Cute idea. Yea, be careful with those darts. I use to play them with my dad growing up.

    Reply
  15. Jen Lossing says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:27 AM

    What a fabulous idea! I love it. Great job!

    Reply
  16. thistlewoodfarm says

    May 17, 2012 at 6:15 AM

    Vanessa,

    What a cute idea! I love it. This project would be absolutely perfect in our upstairs “hang-out” room!

    blessings,
    karianne

    Reply
  17. Liz - Imageremix says

    May 17, 2012 at 11:34 AM

    Vanessa, we’re big game people here. This idea is so perfect, actually for lots of games. We are always needing to keep score of something, and some games get rowdy. Putting the chalkboard on an easel can get tricky and you have to lug it out and store it later. I can see using cabinets as score boards and game boards in general and for things like Pictionary as well as for darts. Good one. I’ll see what I can do with this in our game world!

    Liz

    Reply
  18. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:37 PM

    This is a fabulous idea, my boys would love love this. Ready to make another ??? Just kidding. Enjoy your weekend.
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  19. Linda @ it all started with paint says

    May 17, 2012 at 6:21 PM

    This past winter I officially got rid of the “toy box” … though, truthfully it became the dumping ground with a 2 inch layer of crayons on the bottom!

    I realized a long time ago that I cannot keep up with my son and his games …

    🙁

    Linda

    Reply
  20. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    May 17, 2012 at 7:06 PM

    What a great idea, Vanessa! I should do that for our dart board. Although we use real darts, I would back it with cork. Thanks for sharing. : )

    ~ Catie

    Reply
  21. Kathy A Delightsome Life says

    May 17, 2012 at 7:08 PM

    Very clever idea – looks terrific! Time does fly by way too fast! I was just thinking about my nephew graduating from the same Christian school I went to – I wondered which year he was – my class was the 4th to graduate. I calculated and was shocked to realize 30 years had passed since I graduated! What!? My youngest will turn 19 Sunday – our baby! I don’t feel any different – I just can’t believe it! Cherish the moments while they’re still bouncing around in your home!
    Hugs,
    Kathy

    Reply
  22. CAS says

    May 17, 2012 at 7:43 PM

    That is a great idea & turned out very nice. I really do think it’s harder to let our sons grow up than it is our daughters, so good luck to you!
    ~CAS~

    Reply
  23. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:42 PM

    Vanessa, How do you come up with this stuff? I am always amazed at your creativity. Love this idea and I appreciate you sharing it at the Open House party. Hugs, Sherry

    Reply
  24. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    May 17, 2012 at 3:16 PM

    Such a cute idea Vanessa! Love it 🙂

    Reply
  25. Taryn @ Design, Dining + Diapers says

    May 18, 2012 at 5:04 AM

    What a fabulous idea! Seriously this is so awesome, you amaze me. Love how this turned out, sharing on my FB page!

    Reply
  26. Alese says

    May 18, 2012 at 2:13 PM

    I LOVE this! I blog over at http://www.2crafty4myskirt.blogspot.com every Friday I feature a fellow blogger. I would love to feature you and this project in an upcoming Friday. If you are interested please email me at toocraftyformyskirt@hotmail.com

    Reply
  27. Jenny @ The NY Melrose Family says

    May 19, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    This is genius. It not only works great, but it looks great too. Im stopping over from the network blog hop a little early. I’m a new follower. I’m so gla d I found ou because your Friday link party looks fabulous.

    Reply
  28. Its So Very Cheri says

    May 19, 2012 at 11:25 AM

    It is just wrong to think that our toys are vintage.

    Great project.

    Cheri

    Reply
  29. Evelyn says

    May 20, 2012 at 12:36 PM

    What a super cool idea! I would so love it if you shared it at Freedom Fridays. Have a marvelous week!

    Reply
  30. malia says

    May 20, 2012 at 1:49 PM

    I’m with you! Those darn kids grow up too fast. Great idea and I like that it’s all self contained. xoxo malia

    Reply
  31. Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon says

    May 20, 2012 at 2:42 PM

    You are so smart! This is a great idea andn I love the beadboard wallpaper on the back! You have got to be the coolest mom on your street! Thanks for sharing!

    Take care,

    Trish

    Reply
  32. Pamela says

    May 22, 2012 at 11:30 PM

    Vanessa this is just too cute! If I ever get the boys game room decorated I will have to make one. Thanx for coming to THT!

    Reply
  33. Shirley says

    May 27, 2012 at 2:46 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  34. Shirley says

    May 27, 2012 at 2:48 AM

    Totally Awesome! Just what we need for our game room. Thanks for the DIY blog. I’m pinning this to my board. You know I can’t put vintage games up close by on ours cause I’ll be hitting them with the wayward darts I throw. 🙂

    Reply
  35. TheMoonAndMe says

    June 1, 2012 at 4:35 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  36. TheMoonAndMe says

    June 1, 2012 at 4:36 PM

    Great idea! It turned out awesome! I feel your pain…when do they grow up?
    I couldn’t play foosball to save my life! 🙂

    Reply
  37. Aimee - ItsOverflowing.com says

    June 1, 2012 at 8:56 PM

    My boys are begging me for this! I love it too! Great design! Featuring you tomorrow! XO, Aimee

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Are you a “Thrifting Diva”? says:
    May 7, 2013 at 5:49 AM

    […] have had some great thrifting finds over the years here.  Like Vanessa’s upcycled kitchen cabinet turned dartboard or Heather’s toolbox turned Dining Caddy and old crate turned faux wine […]

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
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