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Simple DIY: Transform an Old TV Armoire Into a Wine Cabinet

turn-armoire-into-wine-cabinet

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not one of those super crafty/handy types who can fashion amazing necklaces out of old t-shirts or make a dining table out of an old barn door. I have nothing against those super crafty/handy types, but I'm telling you this to assure you that any DIY projects I share will be things that anyone can do. I truly mean anyone.

Aside from being extremely easy, this project is awesome because it’s “green.” This TV armoire was one of the first pieces of real furniture (aka: not plywood and/or found along the side of the road) that my husband and I bought after we were married, nearly 15 years ago. I can vividly remember strolling through the furniture store, feeling very fancy and grown-up as I pondered wood finishes and interest-free financing.

Even after our big boxy TV bit the bullet, we found other uses for the armoire. For a while it served as a media cabinet to hold our stereo/CD player and CDs. Then, after the CDs and CD player joined the big boxy TVs in technology heaven, we used the armoire to hold a small flat-screen in our bedroom. Unfortunately, our move to the East Coast left us without any space for the trusty armoire, and so it was relegated to the garage, where it sat alone in the cold for two long years.

With our move to Texas on the horizon, I tried selling it on Craigslist to no avail. Then I tried giving it away for free. Not one taker. My final option was to call a trash service and pay someone to haul it away, which I kept putting it off because 1) I'm cheap, and the thought of paying someone to take away my trash just didn’t seem right, and 2) I felt sad about having such a large (not to mention nostalgic) piece of furniture crushed up and dumped in a landfill somewhere.

That’s when I had my “aha” moment. It would make a perfect wine rack! Not only did it have plenty of room to store wine, wine glasses, and other accessories (freeing up precious cabinet space in the kitchen), but since it had doors that closed, all that stuff could be hidden away in order to make it look neat and tidy (and playdate-friendly, too).

So here it is—my first DIY tutorial!

How to Turn an Armoire into a Wine Cabinet

The only tools required are:

1) measuring tape

2) a screwdriver

See, I told you this was simple! The hardest part of the whole thing is the measuring and online researching.

STEMWARE RACK
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If you want to hang wine glasses at the top like I did, you'll need a stemware rack. To find the right size, measure the width and length of the inside top of the cabinet to determine your approximate dimensions. You’ll want your rack to be at least a few inches in from all sides to account for the round part of the glasses sticking out.

Once you have your measurements figured out, spend some time googling “stemware rack” to find one that meets your needs. I found my perfect match at the Container Store, but there are tons online in all finishes and sizes and price points.

WINE RACK

Next you’ll need to take measurements for your wine rack. IMPORTANT: When figuring out how high you want your wine rack to be, make sure you allow for the space that will be taken up by the glasses hanging above the wine. 

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Go to google again and search for a wine rack that’s close to your specifications. It doesn’t need to be a perfect match, as long as it will reasonably fill the space. I found ours at the Container Store, too. Note: If you’re having trouble finding one wine rack that’s the right size, look for ones that can be stacked on top of each other or placed next to each other to create the right dimensions. I ended up using two placed side by side.

When the items arrived, it took us all of about 10 minutes to put it together. All we had to do was attach the stemware rack with a few screws, pop the wine rack in, and start loading the bottles and glasses. We also used the shelves at the bottom of the cabinet to store our decanter, cocktail napkins, openers, bottle stoppers, stemless glasses and other spirit-related accessories.

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It makes me smile every time I look at this, knowing that I rescued my armoire and earned some crafty points in the process. FYI--if you want to make a wine rack like this, but don’t already have an old armoire lying around your house, look on craigslist—if you have the means to transport it, you can probably snag one for free! It will be way cheaper than buying a new wine rack, and you'll be helping to save the planet in the process.

Cheers!

Simple DIY project: turn an old television armoire into a wine/liquor cabinet in a few easy steps.

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