Easy Wood Lazy Susan Makeover

A few years ago, I bought two scalloped wood lazy Susan's at a local Marshall's store. They were finished in what can only be described as a light, creamy-leaning-yellow stain that looked almost like paint, but still allowed the wood grain to show through.

Clearly, it was not the finish that I liked; rather, it was the scalloped detail that won me over. I knew a coat (or two or three) of Benjamin Moore Simply White paint would transform the lazy Susan into a pretty pantry organization solution!

This easy wood lazy Susan makeover is one you can complete in a weekend, with only a few supplies (and a little patience between coats of paint).

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Why You May Need a Lazy Susan

A lazy Susan is one of the best pantry, closet, refrigerator, or vanity organization solutions you can have. They are an inexpensive way to easily corral cans, bottles, and other pantry staples to quickly make an area look organized.

In a pantry, a turntable makes it simple to organize:

Spices
Cooking oils
Hot sauces
Jars and canned goods
Baking essentials

We have two solid wood lazy Susan's that I found at a local Marshall's store - a great place to find home decor on a budget, by the way. They nest together, which means one is slightly smaller than the other - one is 12 inches and the other is 14 inches in diameter.

As I mentioned in the intro, they were finished in a yellowish stain that looked almost like paint, but it was extremely thin and unevenly applied, and the wood grain was still visible through the stain or paint or whatever the finish was.

I use the small lazy Susan in our pantry for sauces, honey, vanilla extract, and other jarred condiments, while the slightly larger lazy Susan holds small bags of specialty sugars, flours, and other baking essentials.

Using a turntable makes the deep shelves in the higher corners of our pantry more usable space. I can house many items together in a tray that easily rotates items into my view, as opposed to rummaging through a back-to-back stack.

Household Uses for a Turntable Organizer

Beyond a pantry, there are many other household uses for a turntable organizer. Think of anywhere in your home that you have smaller items stacked back-to-back that are difficult to sort through, or an area that just looks cluttered.

A lazy Susan could become an organizational game changer around your home, especially when you think about it as a tray to organize items.

Refrigerator

Lazy Susan's also work well in a refrigerator to organize jams, sauces, and condiments. You may want to use plastic or powder-coated aluminum instead of wood in a refrigerator.

Closets

Add a cute lazy Susan to a bathroom closet to make finding your favorite perfume easier. Organize toiletries and other beauty essentials as well.

lazy susan organizing bath products in a bathroom closet

Dining Table or Island

Add a lazy Susan to your dining table to make it easier for family and friends to access condiments - salt and pepper, syrup, jam, hot sauce, and more - while enjoying a meal. Put a lazy Susan on your kitchen island for game-day parties, birthday celebrations, or leave it there indefinitely and change things out seasonally.

Craft Supplies

If you have been following Mornington Lane for a while, or even if you just found us, I enjoy crafting and easy DIY projects. Of course, with crafting comes supplies galore, including paints, ribbon, tools, writing utensils, and other necessary things to complete any given project.

You could place a lazy Susan in the middle of a craft table to make it easier for everyone to grab supplies. A quick spin and they have what they need!

Some people place decor on a lazy Susan, such as a mini bud vase with flowers, a candle, a stack of cookbooks, or seasonal decor. There are too many uses to list here!

Where to Find a Solid Wood Lazy Susan

Many large retailers carry solid wood lazy Susan's, such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon. I usually see plain wood or decorated wood versions at these stores, so you may need to check back regularly.

Stay away from lazy Susan's made of bamboo. Bamboo is extremely soft and, in my experience, does not last. It tends to splinter easily. Instead, try to find solid wood. Not only will it last longer, but you can actually paint solid wood whereas I am not sure about bamboo.

Tip:

Look for solid wood. Bamboo may not work well for this project and, in my experience, will not last long before it starts to splinter. Furthermore, unless there is a feature of the solid wood lazy Susan that you don't like and that cannot be removed, ignore any sort of design, because you are going to make it over anyway.

Here are a few places to look for a solid wood lazy Susan:

Big Box Retailers - T.J.Maxx, Marshall's, HomeGoods, Target, Walmart, and Ross oftentimes carry lazy Susan's, as was the case when I found ours at a local Marshall's store.
Amazon - Online retailer Amazon carries near endless options at all sizes and price points. I found this solid Acacia wood lazy Susan and a beaded edge lazy Susan that may be easy to makeover. Double check the size you want and read the description to confirm you can do this type of makeover.
Thrift Stores and Estate Sales - Check out estate sales and thrift stores, including Goodwill, arc Thrift Stores, or local thrift shops. You may even find a solid walnut or maple lazy Susan for a song.

Caution:

A word of caution about buying a lazy Susan second-hand. If you plan to place food directly on the lazy Susan, skip second-hand and just buy new. Our's came with a sticker on the bottom that indicated it was not food safe. Second-hand goods you come across may no longer carry the label to indicate whether it is food safe or not. So, out of abundance of caution, buy new if you plan to have food come in direct contact with it.

Supplies You May Need

You may need a few standard supplies, as well as supplies unique to your project, to easily makeover a lazy Susan. This list of supplies may differ if you are painting raw wood or painting over a surface that already has paint.

Below is a list of supplies to consider if you are taking on a similar project:

Wood lazy Susan - Whether you thrifted a wood lazy Susan or found an inexpensive one at Marshall's, pick a lazy Susan you want to makeover to make it your own.
Paint - I used Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117) in a Satin finish color matched in Behr paint for our lazy Susan's. It's a warm, bright white that has a slight hint of yellow in certain lighting, which makes it feel cozy as opposed to sterile or cold. I also considered Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (OC-65) and Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17), of which the latter I used for a Stunning Nightstand Makeover, but I wanted a warmer white.
Paint brush - I used a 1 inch paint brush. You may be able to use a 1 ½ inch or larger brush, depending on the size of your lazy Susan. I felt a 1 inch brush gave me more control over brush strokes. This paint brush set may work for you.
Drop cloth or paper - Use a drop cloth or large pieces of scrap paper on top of the painting surface. I have plenty of scrap paper, so that's what I used.
Painters tape - Grab some good quality painters tape to tape off anything you do not want to paint, such as a decorative detail.
Sandpaper - Whether the lazy Susan you have is raw wood or already painted and you are painting it a new color, you will need various grit sandpaper. Our lazy Susan's were pretty raw, which meant I only needed to use a 220-grit sandpaper to get some of the surface off and smooth.
Lint-free cloth - Be sure to use a lint-free cloth to wipe excess saw dust from the surface before painting, including after sanding between coats.
Work gloves - Wear work gloves to protect your hands when sanding if you need to. I do not like the feeling of sand paper anyway, so I always wear gloves.
Mask - Wear a mask to cover your mouth and nose for protection if you need it.
Eye protection - Wear eye protection glasses or goggles to protect your eyes if you need to.
Embellishments - Stencils, stamps, vinyl stickers - these are just a few things you may need if you want to add a design aside from painting the lazy Susan one color. Plan accordingly for your own unique design.

Ideas to Customize a Lazy Susan

From vinyl stickers and stencils to a stamped block print pattern, you can be as creative as you want when making over your turntable.

I came across painted family initials, a stenciled laurel wreath, painted stripes (probably made using painters tape), and simple painted lazy Susan's like mine. Do what makes you happy!

Create a stripe pattern using painters tape
Use a stencil for family initials or a family crest
Add a block print pattern with paint and a stamp

I just wanted bright but warm white painted lazy Susan's for a clean look in our pantry.

Painting a Wood Lazy Susan

These steps may or may not work for you, as it depends on what finish is on your lazy Susan. For instance, my lazy Susan's were very rough, but still had a light finish on them that I lightly sanded to enable the paint to adhere.

In general, these steps should give you a sense of the steps to take in your unique case.

Start by sanding the entire surface of the wood lazy Susan with the appropriate grit sandpaper(s). Wipe away excess saw dust with a damp lint-free towel after sanding. Use painters tape to cover any parts you do not want painted, such as a decorative detail. As mentioned, my lazy Susan's were fairly rough wood that had a light paint-like stain finish on them. I used 220-grit sandpaper to lightly sand all over.
Paint the lazy Susan with one coat of paint per the paint manufacturer's instructions.
After sufficient dry time indicated on the paint can, lightly sand between coats and wipe away excess dust from sanding.
Paint a second coat per the paint manufacturer's instructions. If you are happy with two coats of paint, you are done. If not, read the instructions on the paint can and lightly sand before painting a third coat. In the end, I painted three coats and I am so happy with how they turned out! Below is the before on the left and after on the right.

Once the paint is fully cured, load up your lazy Susan with condiments for the pantry, bath essentials in a linen closet, craft supplies, or whatever you want!