Antique-ified Dough Bowl

Psssst… this post *might* contain affiliate links: see my disclosure here.

I’ve gotten better about loading my cart at the thrift store. I’m trying to be more deliberate. Can I use this somewhere? Will I learn something new with this project? I still bring home my fair share of… er… excess, but not NEARLY as much as I used to in the early days of blogging. Today’s thrift store makeover is SO simple, but it takes something that was just off the mark and with a few simple little steps, it’s now right in my wheel house as an antique dough bowl!

DIY Antique Dough Bowl

Make your own antique dough bowl.

Do you know about antique dough bowls? They’re rustic and textured and useful and amazing. Carved by hand, these bowls were prized possessions for many cooks and sat with flour at-the-ready. They come in all shapes and sizes and I love them. More recently, you’re just as likely to see these dough bowls in home decor. Images like this:

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Make your own antique dough bowl.
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And this.

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And this.

Make your own antique dough bowl.
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And this.

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Imagine my happy dance when I saw this one at Goodwill for… $5. I’m no Antiques Roadshow expert (although trust me… I wish I were!!), but this was no antique. It’s probably Hobby Lobby for all I know, but I had plans for it, so I didn’t care!

Make your own antique dough bowl.

The first step of my devilish antique-ify mission was to sand, sand and sand some more. As hoped, the stain came right off. I used a low grit sandpaper because I wanted a fairly rough/ rustic texture. Also? I was lazy and just wanted that stain GONE.

Make your own antique dough bowl.

After 20 minutes with my sander, I was down to this. (Better already.)

Make your own antique dough bowl.

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to 1. stain, 2. wax. or 3. use my favorite concoction (vinegar + steel wool) to age my dough bowl baby. I did a little test patch on the bottom with the wax I had on hand and didn’t notice much of a difference. Aaaaand, technically I didn’t have the right stain in my stash. So… ding ding ding… door #3: vinegar and steel wool!

Make your own antique dough bowl.

It IMMEDIATELY grayed up and is the perfect antiqued color. It’s mottled a bit where I didn’t sand as much and it’s darker in one patch where I must have painted on a little more. I like the flat finish, but might go back and add some wax to give it a *hint* of sheen. What do you think?

Make your own antique dough bowl.

Better, right? Fingers crossed, I can get some spring bulbs for it in the next few days… might make up for our polar temperatures here in the Northeast!

Make your own antique dough bowl.

Update: Remember a little while ago when I mentioned a visit from Better Homes and Gardens to photograph the ombre dresser? Well… My issue is ON THE STANDS! March 2015. Head over to your local newsstand and flip to the last page… HI!

I Did It Feature from Better Homes and Gardens

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Make your own antique vintage dough bowl for a fraction of the cost of a real one!

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20 Comments

    1. Oh my goodness, I’m so cheap it’s the only ‘stain’ I typically use. 🙂 Just fill a mason jar with white vinegar and let a thing of steel wool sit in it. I just have one on my tool bench!

  1. LOVE. have a similar bowl that DMIL brought back from Ecudaor years ago. Has folk painting on it which I don’t love…stripping seems better than donating.

  2. Awesome! I love how it turned out. And I love the contrast of the rustic wood bowl on top of the metal cabinet. Thumbs up! I just found your blog thanks to my March issue of BHG. I thoroughly enjoyed your home tour. It’s totally the look I’m going for in my nondescript 1989 home. Ahem. Anyway …. you have a loyal new reader!

    1. Yay!! Welcome!! Who says 1989 wasn’t a great year for architecture… 😉 Good luck with it all! I was SO impatient at first, and now- 3 years later- I realize how long the whole thing has taken to fall into place a bit more.

  3. Found your blog today in BHG. Can’t wait to read through all your previous posts! Love dough bowls, and love your style!!!! Cheers from Tennessee!

  4. Might this be a monkey pod bowl? Yours is just the right shape as a dough bowl substitute and I love the finish.

    1. Hi Teddee! Mine was pretty light weight… I feel like monkey pod bowls are usually pretty heavy, right? Long after I grabbed mine at the thrift store, I saw something similar the one time I ventured into a Hobby Lobby so I’m wondering if mine was just a plain ol’ craft store knock off! Regardless… sanding and refinishing made a big difference! 🙂