Who doesn’t love a good repurposing win? For this easy, DIY sand-and-water table project inspired by Tattered and Inked, you start with an old sink and some wood and end up with hours of warm-weather fun for your kids. Plus, if you have a playroom or garage where your new table can live during cooler months, you can switch out the sand and water with other items for more sensory playtime.
Supplies
Ready to get started? You’ll need these items:
- 1 repurposed sink (Ideally, you’ll want to find a metal double basin for sand and water. Check local thrift and building supply stores for deals. You should be able to pick one up for less than $40.)
- 2×4 wood (This is for the base of the sink. You’ll need approximately 8 feet of wood, which you will need to cut down depending on the size of your sink and how you decide to build the table.)
- 1×2 wood (This is optional for creating a shelf to store sand toys, buckets, etc., below your sink. You’ll need approximately 10 feet of wood, which will need to be cut down depending on the size of your base.)
- Wood screws
- Nail gun and nails
- 1 can spray paint in color of choice (This is for your repurposed sink. Coordinate with the rest of your color scheme or leave the sink as is if it’s in great shape.)
- 1 can clear coat spray paint (This is to seal your spray paint color.)
- Paint or stain for the sink base (If you plan to keep your table outside in the elements, make sure to choose an exterior paint or stain to finish the wood. You likely won’t need a full gallon depending on the size of the base.)
- 1 drain cover
- 1 drain plug
- Liquid Nails
- 1 large bag of sand
- Repurposed storage containers, bins or shower organizers/caddies to store sand and water toys with the table
- 1 repurposed stool or bench to help smaller children reach the table (You can also construct one yourself out of extra wood.)
Directions
Now it’s time to make the base for your sink! If you’re not super handy, you may want to watch this video from The Woodworking Junkie.
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bkx4o8rNuQ” align=”none” thumbnail=”51405″ title=”Repurposed Sink Sand and Water Table”/]
After the base is made, you can go about personalizing your repurposed sink table. Paint the base a color your kiddo loves, or simply stain it to bring out the natural wood tone. Use spray paint and clear coat to seal the sink basin in a coordinating color. Load your bins or caddies with sand and water toys.
If you don’t build a shelf below your sink, you can add hooks to the sides of your table to hang storage containers or a shower organizer for easy access during playtime. Lastly, you’ll want to make sure your sink is well-sealed with the drain cover and Liquid Nails on on the sand side and drain stopper on the water side (so you can empty it). Fill it with sand and water and let the little ones go to town!
Go here for full instructions for making a repurposed sink sand-and-water table, and get ready for endless down time this spring and summer while your little ones stay occupied for hours!