Mosaic Monday - Tea Cupboard Project DIY

This is a project I have been working for a week.  I have documented the basic details in the graphic but here's a bit of background.  I'm been cleaning up, de-cluttering and organizing.  One of the areas was my tea storage.  I had tins of loose tea and tea bags, bags of loose tea, tools like my tea spoon for loose tea, the strainer for the blue tea pot, etc.  I had been looking on line, at IKEA and second hand stores for a solution.  I wanted it to hold everything so that once it was in place I just had to keep the tea to the space I had.  I always checked the wood sections of the stores I visited.  About 10 days ago, I saw this little wooden cupboard.  I had not measured any of the pieces at home but I hauled around the store as I was mulling over the possibilities.  It was just the right depth, there would no stacking in front of something else. I was quite sure that it was going to do what I wanted but it was pink! Not so great for a white, navy and yellow kitchen.  The price was right so I decided to bring it home.  I washed it all up then set to seeing if it would hold the containers I had in mind.  After several configurations I decided that it would do the job!  Wood can always be painted right?  Not that I have much experience in that department but I come from a family of crafty people with can do attitudes.

I started the transformation stage next.  First, the doors had to come off because I was going to use it wide instead of tall as it was designed.  The hack saw then the Dremel tool came out and you can see the doors cut in half.  The feet were removed and the hanger rod were also removed.  Then all the surfaces were sanded down.  This took a little patience with all the nooks and crannies.  A turquoise plastic table cloth served to protect the kitchen floor from the mess that would come next. The color was next.  I had a jar of paint that would be enough I thought but the color had to be warmed up a little.  The red acrylic paint came out and I added a bit, mixed it thoroughly with my wooden skewer then painted a swatch.  No, needed a little more so a couple times later I was happy with the warmer color.  I painted all surfaces except the back and let that dry then the back.  At one coat, it was clear it would need at least one more.  Eventually, it was painted 3 times on all surfaces.  The jar then indicated that it should dry for 72 hours before the piece was used.  It was a long 3 days because I just wanted it set up.  I was patient and distracted myself with other things as it sat in the kitchen drying.

Today, I set up the cupboard on the counter.  I went looking for a couple pieces of fabric, cloth, whatever to protect that painted surface and bring in the navy. I found some microfibre towels which I had purchased for the kitchen which had not been used yet.  They will serve the purpose for now.  I filled the boxes with the navy blue metal boxes I found a few weeks ago.  They hold tea sealed in sachets. One for each, Chamomile, Earl Grey and Green tea.  Unfortunately, the set only had three, now, it would be nice to have another but I have no idea how they were originally filled.  The small navy round has the Lemon Tea for now.  The bottom shelf holds the Oprah Chai, the Jade Citrus Mint which is a regular, the red tin of Christmas tea, the turquoise brown tea tin holds my Roobios Chai which is another regular.  A few Tetley tins which will live there till the are empty.  On top of the cupboard I have a wooden box which holds all my loose tea bags. Masala Chai Black, Dragon Pearls Green, the extra Jade Citrus Mint, and a few others. Behind the box is the navy tea pot cozy.  To the left of the box is a couple of TAZO tins which hold Chai and other herbal teas. In front of that is a nice yellow ceramic container where I store my tea spoon for loose tea, my strainer, my tea ball.  The mug tree to the right and the new yellow tea pot on a Tuppeware hot spot in navy and white.  I'm thinking of putting cup hooks under the upper cupboards to I can tuck the tea pot right in the corner.  We'll see.
Submitting to Mosaic Monday hosted by Judith at Lavender Cottage.