Here at the Style File there are always a few of us working on a project or two. (As well as a few more of us who have purchased all the necessary items for a project or two, but haven’t actually started them yet.) We decided that we’d take a few of our blue-ribbon ideas, turn them into reality and periodically share them with you to help spark your creativity (or encourage you to actually carry out those ideas you already have).

This time, we’ve taken an ordinary piece of household furniture and fashioned it into something totally unexpected. Several of you have probably had a baby changing table in your household at one time or another. It’s a handy piece of furniture until your tot graduates from the diaper brigade. Then what do you do with it? Put it in the basement? Pass it on to another tiny tot? Use it to stack stuff on until your 10-year-old insists that it be removed from his room? We came across an idea that takes it from diaper duty to entertainment worthy. (If your household has never needed a changing table, this project would work equally well with a small occasional table or maybe even a night stand. Hit those flea markets, we’re sure you can find something appropriate.)

Start with the base. You’ll obviously want to clear it off and clean it up. Primer and paint can go a long way to transforming something from old and tired to fresh and new, but if you like the way it looks already you can skip this step. We wanted a color change and here at the Amana® Style File we’re slightly partial to red.

Next add accessories. You’ll need casters—ours are basic black. We attached gleaming stainless steel handles at each end so that the cart is easy to push or pull wherever we need it. We also included a stainless towel bar and three hooks to hang ice tongs or maybe a snazzy apron. A clear bowl sits on the top to hold ice and beverage cans or bottles. Wine glass holders fastened to the underside of a shelf create a secure place for delicate stemware. And finally, a fabric panel on tension rods adds an interesting design element and easily hides the not so pretty necessities.

That’s about it. For less than $100 we took an unused changing table and turned it into a very usable beverage cart. And because we didn’t spend $400 on a beverage center, we still had money left in the budget to stock it with some of our favorite libations.

Have you taken an everyday item and turned it into something noteworthy? Share your project ideas below in the comments section. We’ll need something for our next weekend project.