HERE’S HOW I TURNED 2 THRIFTED WOOD BOWLS INTO BEAUTIFUL DECOR USING A NATURAL FOOD-SAFE HEMP OIL FINISH!
Hello sweet friends! I hope you’re doing well. This past weekend we moved the clocks ahead an hour which always signifies spring is on the way. We’ve been getting snow almost every day here in the GTA (ugh) so I can’t wait for the warmer weather. On a fun note, today I’m sharing how I salvaged these thrift wood bowls using Hemp Oil. Just wait until you see the gorgeous finish this food-safe oil provides… and it’s SUPER easy to use!
It’s also the second Tuesday of the month which means it’s Trash To Treasure Tuesday! If you’re new to the #siblog, I join my talented T2T crew for more trash to treasure fun and I share links to their makeovers down below… so be sure to click over and say hi!
Here are the two wood bowls I started with. I picked them up from my local thrift store for $9.99 and $7.99 with 30% off, so just over $6 apiece. You all know how I love a good deal!
A lot of the finish was worn off on both.
And although I liked the shape and grain of the larger bowl, I didn’t like the existing dark finish.
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SOURCE LIST
Thrift Bowls – SALVAGED
Carbide Scraper (13% off as of writing this post)
Bosch Orbital Sander (25% OFF as of writing this post!)
Sponge Sanding Pads (for sanding curves)
CitriStrip Stripping Gel
Hemp Oil (for food safe finish)
Heat Gun
HEMP OIL FINISH ON WOOD BOWLS
Here’s how these two wood bowls were salvaged into styling decor. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
REMOVING TAGS
To remove the sticky price tags from these wood bowls I used my trusty heat gun. Adding a little heat to any sticker, contact paper, etc makes it so much easier to peel off neatly.
CARBIDE SCRAPER
Once the stickers were removed, I scraped off as much of the finish as I could using this Carbide Scraper Tool. If you’ve ever been curious to give this scraper a try, (as of writing this post) you can get 13% off. I find it really handy to have on hand and it easily removes old finishes without having to use smelly furniture strippers.
SANDING
To remove the rest of the finish, I added a sponge sanding pad onto my orbital sander and sanded these bowls with 120-grit sandpaper. If you’re in the market for an orbital sander, this Bosch Sander (as of writing this post) is 25% OFF. And it’s a workhorse/beast of a sander!
Below you can see how these sanding pads really help with contoured edges. Mine are really old so I need to replace them but it takes a while for them to wear out. I believe I’ve been using it for at least 7 months.
STRIP FINISH
To get finish off on the hard-to-reach places, I used CitriStrip. It comes in a bottle and can. The reason why I like this stripper is I can use it INDOORS without smelling up my entire workspace.
I poured some into the bowl and then using an old chip brush, I brushed the stripper over the existing finish. I forgot to take a pic of me scraping the old finish off but it’s easy to do.
CLEAN & SAND
Once ALL the old finish was stripped off both bowls, I washed all the remaining stripper off and gave both bowls a wet hand sanding. Look at the GORGEOUS and interesting grain. It really pops without that old dark finish hiding it.
APPLYING HEMP OIL FINISH
Here’s the fun part! I let the bowls dry 100% and the next day I applied a hemp oil finish. This is SO EASY to do.
I poured some hemp oil into the bottom of the bowl.
Then using a chip brush I brushed it onto the entire surface inside and out. Then using a shop towel, I wiped off the excess. You can repeat this process as many times as you like.
Check out how it brings all this beautiful grain to life!
EASY STEP-BY-STEP HEMP OIL FINISH
- Sand and clean wood surface.
- Cover the wood with Hemp Oil using a brush, cloth, or even your hands.
- Allow the Hemp Oil to absorb into the wood for 10-15 minutes or up to a few hours.
- Wipe excess oil off.
- Repeat if necessary.
FINISHED LOOK
And here’s the finished look. Hemp Oil is food safe so I may use this as a fruit bowl in my kitchen…
… or a plant holder. I haven’t decided.
But I have to admit my favorite bowl is the one I liked the least when I first bought them. Check out all this interesting grain.
I believe it’s rubberwood but if any of you can confirm this, I’d love to know for sure.
My guess is I’ll be moving it around my house until I find the ‘perfect’ spot for it…lol. But hey, that’s half the fun of these DIYs, right? 😃
AND NOW FOR SOME TRASH TO TREASURE FUN!
You’re going to LOVE what my creative team of Trash to Treasure ladies do! Below are their BEFORE photos. Visit the links below to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well! x
1. SALVAGED INSPIRATIONS (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)
2. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER
3. ARTSY CHICKS RULE
4. PRODIGAL PIECES
MY THOUGHTS ON HEMP OIL
I love using hemp oil because it’s an all-natural product taken from the seeds of the hemp plant. It has no additives, it’s non-toxic, and safe to use around people, pets, plants, and food!
It’s SUPER easy to apply and can be used on outdoor and indoor projects. When applied, it nourishes and revives wood by penetrating into the wood fibers. Once absorbed, hemp oil provides protection from cracking, rotting, fading, and even letting moisture gets absorbed into the wood which makes it perfect for indoor or outdoor projects.
And the BEST part – it’s SO EASY to apply. It’s a goof-proof topcoat. No streaks. No fuss. You can’t go wrong!
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS HEMP OIL FINISH. FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂
Happy furniture painting friends!
Denise x
RELATED POSTS::
HEMP OIL FOR FURNITURE
HOW TO REMOVE CONTACT PAPER
VINTAGE CABINET W ALL-NATURAL HEMP OIL
HOW TO USE A CARBIDE SCRAPER TOOL
HOW TO USE SANDING PADS FOR CONTOURED EDGES
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Beautiful transformation. I’m going to start looking for wood bowls now!
How do you compare the Hemp Oil with the Booz food grade oil?
I’ve never tried the Boos food-grade oil so unfortunately I can’t compare. But I’m SO happy with the Hemp Oil I don’t have an urge to try anything else if that helps.😆
Hi Denise! I love picking up wooden bowls when I can find them but I havent tried sanding and using the hemp oil on them. Yours turned out amazing!! I cant wait to find some more wooden bowls. Thanks for sharing how you did this and then how you used them.
I love finding wood bowls as well! And ya, so many ways to use them, right? Planters, holding fruit, salads, decor or whatever. I even saw some really cute smaller wood bowls for toiletries and holding towels. they look great!
Wow ! Such an amazing transformation.
I’ve noticed more hemp oil being used lately…. Had No idea it rejuvenated wood like this.
These bowls are gorgeous.
I always love how you ‘see’ things. Thanks for sharing.
I see hemp oil being used more and more in this industry as well… probably because it’s so darn easy and all-natural! So happy you like the makeovers! XOXO
These are just gorgeous!! I am so glad you finished them like you did..my heart is singing!
YAY! Thanks so much, Shirley!😊
I use food grade mineral oil from the grocery store. I use it on all my wooden salad bowls and cutting boards & butcher block. Have been using it for decades. Don’t need another oil.
Mineral Oil would be great for nourishing wood!
These bowls are gorgeous! And, like you, I love the one you first found to be your second choice!!
You have inspired me — I have a wood bowl but it has been siting waiting for a miracle. It is laden with salad oils so thick it seems impossible to get off. Any help with this issue?
Thank you!
Thanks NJ and I really like that one too! For your built-up oil on the salad bowl, I’ve heard a few things work. Mineral oil will help reactivate the oils and then wash with dawn and warm water. I’m guessing hemp oil would do the same. Also lemon. If you rub raw lemons onto the surface it should help as well. If anyone else reading this has some ideas feel free to chime in!😃
What beautiful bowls! I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in future staging! And funny how your least favorite turned out to be the real winner! XOXO
Definitely perfect for staging and styling my painted furniture! And ya, I wasn’t overly excited about that one bowl but I love it! Thanks my friend! XOXO
Oh my goodness! These bowls are just gorgeous! Love the grain! You turned the ugly ducklings into beautiful swans!
Yay! Thanks so much Janet!
Hi Denise!
The bowls are beautiful! Thrift stores are full of things that lots of us walk right past, but you have the creativity and skill to see the potential and make them gorgeous. I’m trying hard to learn that from you 😊
I’ve seen furniture painters use hemp oil as the top coat and wondered how durable it is? Does it last long term or will it need to be redone regularly? Once it’s cured, does it protect from scratches, etc? I seem to really fight brush strokes so the idea of a finish that doesn’t have that problem is appealing if it’s strong enough.
Thanks for another excellent post!
Hi Val! 🤗 Hemp Oil is surprisingly durable. It seeps into the wood and once cured creates a hard finish. Many people use it on butcher blocks and dining room tables. It can also be used for outdoor projects as well as it protects from the uv rays and prevents fading. But yes, hemp oil slowly wears away with use and WILL require reapplying every couple of years… or sooner if the piece gets a lot of use.
Can I use hemp oil on my wood cabinets? Or, is it just for use on unfinished wood?
Hi Virginia!! You wouldn’t want to use hemp oil on an existing finish because this oil won’t sink in. So yes, it’s perfect for unfinished wood OR porous paint finishes like milk paint or chalk paints…then it sinks in and protects nicely. 🙂
Wow! So pretty!
Thanks Lizzy!💕🤗
Hi Denise. These bowls turned out beautifully. My husband used to use hemp oil on our butcher block counter in our first house. It’s a wonderful product.
So wonderful, right!?😃 And soooo easy to use! Thanks so much, Monique! XOXO
I love Hemp oil and how it makes everything better!! xo
It does make everything better… including my dry hands!😂
WOW!!! They look fabulous!!!!
So much better, right?! Thanks Michele! XOXO
Wow! You find the best stuff. Love the wood bowls and I love how the hemp oil gave them a fresh clean look.
Thanks for the inspiration. ❤️ xo
Hey my friend, thank you! The hemp oil really did freshen them up… and so EASY!🤗 XOXO
Yay for hemp oil! I use it often, including my project today and the one before it. You did these bowls justice and they’re so beautiful now, Denise. 🩷
Yay for hemp oil and thanks my friend! Heading over to see what you did with that gorgeous vintage dresser now!! XOXO