I am so excited that today is kicking off the second summer of “Knock out Knock Offs” with a fantastic group of blogging friends! Do you remember this series from last year?
On the first Monday of each month this summer (May through August), we will be sharing DIY projects inspired by our favorite home decor stores. The theme for this month is Anthropologie, a place I’m sure we all know and love! (Check out last year’s Anthropologie-inspired project right here!)
While browsing the Anthropologie website for inspiration, I came across this Jute-Wrapped Console Table that really grabbed my attention. I knew that I couldn’t hope to recreate it perfectly, but I decided to take the idea of wrapping a piece of furniture in jute and adapt it for an existing piece of furniture I had sitting around.
I have intended to use this desk as a vanity in our room ever since I “borrowed” it from my parents’ garage over a year ago. With the new look for our bedroom and the addition of the vintage jute wall hanging over the dresser, wrapping the desk in jute seemed like the perfect way to bring some more neutral color and texture into the room.
While the legs aren’t as curvaceous as the Anthropologie piece, I thought they were still interesting enough that the jute would make the details shine.
So how much jute does one need for an entire piece of furniture like this?
That was the question of the hour.
Somehow the little 50-foot balls of jute twine I’ve encountered in the past didn’t seem like they were going to cut it. Visions of running to the store over and over again for more jute ran through my head, so I jumped online and did a little searching.
The jute twine I ended up using is a little smaller in diameter and less rope-like than the Anthropologie version appears to be, but quite a bit more affordable than the thicker versions I found!
*Today’s post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here. I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love!
Supplies:
- 5-Ply #28 Jute Twine, 10 lb. tube – This roll of jute contains over 3,000 feet of jute twine, for just $25, and I would estimate I used about half of the roll (I know! I’m floored as well), so I’m going to have to brainstorm another project requiring 1,500 or so feet of twine!
- Low-temperature glue gun + glue sticks – Skip the hot glue for the sake of your poor finger tips, and definitely go for the 100-pack of glue sticks – you will need them!
- Mod Podge – I don’t believe “gloss” versus “matte” matters very much in this application, but the gloss finish Mod Podge was what I had on hand, so that’s what I used.
- Sand Paper – a medium grit. I just grabbed what I could find in the tool box!
Now, here’s the part where I’m supposed to give you a nice step-by-step tutorial for this project, right?
Step 1:
Start wrapping the piece of furniture with twine, securing with glue as you go. It doesn’t really matter where you start – I picked the bottom of one leg and worked my way up.
Steps 2 through 100:
Continue wrapping with twine and continue securing with glue. For flat surfaces, like the desk top or the front of the drawer, I started with the perimeter and wrapped my way in to the middle.
Continue. Continue. Continue. Continue.
I completed the jute-wrapping over the course of five days, but I would heartily recommend, for your health, safety, sanity, and to avoid developing “hot-glue-gun-claw” and rope burns, that you tackle a project like this in shorter sessions over a longer period of time.
It is pretty mindless and time-consuming, and you might think I am absolutely nuts for spending probably around 20 hours on this project (and you might be right), but the process really is as simple as “Wrap, Glue, Repeat.”
Step 101:
Once I finally finished wrapping all surface areas of the desk, I wasn’t happy with how fuzzy the jute twine was, stray hairs sticking up everywhere. I actually attempted to give it a buzz cut with my husband’s electric razor (shh, don’t tell him!), but that really didn’t help matters. So I decided to try sealing the jute with Mod Podge to help all the little strands to lie-flat (and maybe make the whole thing look a little less like a cat-scratching post).
I used a paint brush and my bare hands to slather a light coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface and smooth down the fibers, which led to me picking bits of dried Mod Podge off my hands and fingernails for the rest of the day and evening when we went out for dinner with friends.
When I came home late that night and touched the now-dried surface of the desk, all that was going through my head was “I’ve made a huge mistake.”
I’m not sure exactly what I thought would happen when I coated the jute twine in a hard-drying glue sealer like Mod Podge, but what one might think would happen, happened – it had hardened into an incredibly rough, weird surface that was far from pleasant to the touch.
I was pretty bummed out, but not ready to give up. I remembered my painted-fabric chairs and how stiff the paint had made them before I took some sandpaper to the surface.
I grabbed a piece of sandpaper from the tool box and lightly tackled the surface and edges of the desk top, and I was pleased to find that it took away much of the hard-tacky texture that I found so awful to touch!
Do I love the way the jute-wrapped vanity feels now? Quite honestly, no.
I didn’t love it as un-sealed jute (scratchy) and I still don’t love the texture now (kind of hard/crispy), but I do love the way it looks.
I would absolutely shy away from jute-wrapping a frequently used piece of furniture like a coffee table or a chair. The Anthropologie context of a console table is perfect, or in my case, a vanity (aka a flat surface for jewelry and makeup storage), that won’t see constant use.
Is it weird to hear me admit that? I just feel a compulsion to be completely honest about the texture issue. If you are in love with the natural, boho jute-wrapped look, by all means go for it, but I would simply suggest using it on something that is more of an accent piece.
Actually, I may have a piece of glass or plexiglass cut for the top, which would totally solve the textural issue I have with the piece and make it completely functional as an actual desk/writing surface if I ever decide to use it that way.
All that being said, are you ready to see how it turned out?
I replaced the knob on the front with this black, white & brass pull from Anthropologie that I found on clearance and have hoarded for ages. It just seemed fitting!
And here’s the vanity all decked out with accessories and a Craigslist score Chinese Chippendale chair that might have a makeover of its own in the future…
So what do you think?
While the texture of jute-wrapped furniture is a little funky, I do love the way the vanity ended up looking! As I’m usually a form-over-function kind of girl anyway, I think I’ll consider this project a success!
Ready to check out the other incredible Anthropologie-inspired DIY projects?
From top left:
Upcycled Treasures | The Gathered Home | Delineate Your Dwelling
Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body | Bigger Than the Three of Us | Brave New Home
you don’t love it?!?!? i think it looks amazing! but also like a crap-ton of work. 😉
Haha, it was a crap-ton of work and I really do love the look! Just not the way the sealed jute ended up feeling, although I think it looks better and will last longer sealed.
Wow, 20 hours?! I adore how it looks and I LOVE that you took something that you already had. Perfect! I think I would have glass cut for the top and then you’d be set. Great job girl!
I was a little embarrassed to admit that… Much Netflix was consumed in the making of this project! I wasn’t able to get a glass top in time, but I’m pretty sure that’s what I will end up doing.
I think it looks fabulous! I’m building guest room night stands similar to West Elms Mid Century ones but without drawers (just open). I think those would look cool wrapped in jute.
Thank you Kristin! Those night stands sound lovely & I bet they would look amazing jute-wrapped! I’d love to see them when you’re finished!
All that hard work really paid off as it looks lovely!
I especially love how the sides of the drawers turned out. They remind me of mini-mazes.
Thanks girl! Yes, the maze-y spiral is my favorite part too!
Brynne, I LOVE how this turned out! The texture and color are gorgeous but most of all I really enjoyed reading your tips and experience with the before, during and after. You did the dirty work and then laid out all the info for us 🙂 Also, adding glass to the top is a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing such an inspirational piece, and all of the handy tips.
~Katie
Thanks so much Katie! I figured it’s always good to be up front about any project hiccups 🙂
Well even if it doesn’t feel so great, it sure LOOKS awesome! Great diy, as always Brynne!
Thanks Amy! That’s really the most important thing in my book, haha! 🙂
I call this a smashing success! I found myself holding my breath as I read! I didn’t want to cheat and go straight to AFTER! I think it is amazing. I would love to do this, however I’m afraid I might not live long enough to finish. LOL! I am definitely going to do a smaller piece. Thanks. Great job!
Thank you Linda! Hehe, I was worried I put the “after” photo too far down and might lose people 🙂 It is a little bit of a tedious DIY project, but a great excuse to catch up on some favorite tv!
PS – Thanks for being so honest and for such details. It really helps us.
I think you are either completely nuts for doing this or a super hero of some sort! I cannot believe you stuck it out! I would have given up in a ball of tears and sticky fingers….seriously! I cannot get over it! It looks amazing of course and makes an incredible statement, I have never seen anything like this. I think I am going to have to spend today just processing the incredible amount of work and dedication it took to complete this….you never fail to inspire!
Oh Gilly – I think you might be right and I AM completely nuts! 🙂 I am not a patient person, but I am a very stubborn person, so I absolutely have to finish a project once I’ve started, kicking and screaming notwithstanding… Which just might color me a little insane!
But seriously, you’re so sweet – your comment cracked me up and made my day!
Whoa Brynne…you must have A LOT of patience to do something like this! I do not know how you do it! The piece turned out GREAT and by your little photo tease the other day…I definitely did not think this was your project, but it was a nice surprise. Good going!
Thanks girl! A whole lot of stubbornness and maybe a little crazy thrown in… 😉 I’m so glad you love the finished product! I don’t think I’ll ever part with it, that’s for sure!
It’s so amazing and looks like so so so much work.
Thanks Julia! It was! But I’m glad I did it 🙂
Both versions are amazing! Kudos to you for having the patience to wrap that big of an item!
Thanks so much Amanda!
So cool! And, as always, I’m impressed with your dedication–20 hours! Also, my heart sunk a little when I found out those knobs were clearance finds and that I can’t get my own….I think I need them for my bathroom! Probably there are a bunch on ebay for like 50 cents, right?! no doubt.
Thank you Gretchen! Yes, I’m no help when it comes to current sources – I think I found those in 2012, and I’m just now getting around to using one! Hoarding pays!
This is amazing! I’ve wrapped many a things in jute before but never anything of this magnitude. This is exactly what I love about your style, Brynne. You just go for it!
Thanks girl! I think I may have met my lifetime limit of jute-wrapping with this project! 🙂
It looks AMAZING! All those hours of wrapping were worth it. I think the glass for the top is a genius idea too.
Thanks so much Alexis! I hope I’ll get around to that soon, but I’m such a procrastinator sometimes… It’s on the to-do list for sure!
Holy cow, that’s a lot of work! I have to say my cat would adore this (and maybe leave my rugs alone.) Maybe I could make him a little jute wrapped piece of furniture especially for his own entertainment.
Mini-jute-wrapped cat furniture? Oh goodness, that would be so cute!!!
HOLY BIG TIME PATIENCE, BATMAN !!! Its beautiful but I could never do it…. My hat’s off to you !
Haha, love that exclamation! Thanks Pati!
Ohmygoodness yes! So many levels of yes for this piece! Now I’ll stalk craigslist for the perfect piece to spend countless hours wrapping in jute because I LOVE how it looks!
Thanks so much Corinna! I can so see a jute-wrapped piece fitting perfectly with your style! Just give yourself plenty of time and no deadline to complete it! 🙂
You cray, girl! This is amazing but maaaaaaan…. I got tired of wrapping after one lamp. An entire table?! Looks AMAZING, but can’t imagine the time it took!!! 🙂
I worked with jute quite a bit in the 70’s (telling my age). I always got rid of the jute hairs by taking a lighter or grill torch to the hairs, woosh all gone nice surface left. Be careful one small section at a time (working from the top down) and always outside, after all you are playing with fire. Be ready with an oven mit or a rag in some places it may want to catch fire if there are a lot of wooly hairs in one spot.
Oh wow – I’ll have to experiment (outside of course)! Thanks Val!