Vintage Cheese Box Repurpose for Rustic Storage

Vintage wooden cheese boxes are one of those thrifted finds you know will make unique storage. How exactly I had no idea, but the aged wood, square nails, and sturdy shape make them perfect for creative repurpose projects and vintage decorating ideas.

This is the only cheese box I’ve ever found, and it was buried inside a dark garage sale. Even covered in dust, I recognized it right away and loved the aged wood and unusual round shape.

The old cheese box was very worn and needed several repairs, but I could already picture it repurposed as a unique rolling storage bin for our family room.

Supplies for Refinishing an Old Round Cheese Box

Besides a vintage cheese box, you will need:

How to Refinish a Vintage Cheese Box

Step 1: Clean the Entire Cheese Box

The vintage cheese box was still structurally sound, but both the lid and bottom section were extremely dirty. I started by cleaning the entire cheese box inside and out using Dawn dish soap, hot water, and a scrub brush. Once wet, the old paper label and leftover avocado green Mactac peeled away easily.

After three rounds of scrubbing and rinsing, the wood was finally clean enough to work with. I repeated the process on both sections and then let everything dry overnight.

Repairing the Cheese Box Lid

The cheese box lid was in rough shape, with large uneven gaps between the centre slats and the outer wood ring. The outer ring was also missing most of the original nails holding it in place.

Before refinishing the cheese box, I decided to repair the lid first. Your vintage cheese box may not need this much work, but here are all the steps I took to repair mine.

Step 2: Remove the Outer Wood Ring

My cheese box lid was in rough shape, the worst part being the large uneven gaps between the centre slats and the outer wood ring. The outer ring was also missing most of the nails holding it in place.

I began by removing the remaining nails and carefully lifting off the outer wood ring. Once the outer ring is removed, clean and lightly sand it the same way as the bottom section, then set it aside.

Step 3: Replace the Damaged Lid Slats

The top wood slats were very gouged and had chunks missing. The underside also had some ugly mystery stains. Aren’t those the worst? Beeyuck.

Originally, I planned to reuse the existing slats. Using them as a guide, I created a circle on 1/4-inch plywood to support the lid. Unfortunately, the old slats were too uneven and warped to fit back together properly.

After wasting an entire day trying to make them work, I finally decided to replace them using thin tongue and groove boards from my stash pile.

Each piece of tongue and groove was cut to match the shape and width of the original cheese box lid.

Step 4: Assemble the Replacement Lid

Once cut, the new tongue and groove slats were glued together and attached to the plywood circle backing.

Clamp everything firmly in place and allow the glue to dry completely.

Step 5: Reattach the Outer Ring

As my cheese box was missing most of the original nails, I searched for the most rustic replacement I could find at Lowes. I ended up using tiny 1/4-inch shingle nails, which matched the vintage look surprisingly well.

Starting on the inside edge, apply E-6000 glue to the wood ring and position it around the replacement lid.

Working your way around the lid, nail the outer ring into the plywood backing every 2 inches. If some of the original nail holes are damaged, simply skip them for now.

Once the entire ring is attached, use large clamps to hold everything tightly in place and allow the glue to dry overnight.

The next day, fill any oversized holes or gaps with wood filler before inserting additional shingle nails where needed. Wipe away any excess filler as you work.

Allow the filler to dry completely, then sand everything smooth using 150-grit sandpaper.

Step 6: Sand the Wood

Once dry, sand the entire cheese box with 150-grit sandpaper until it is smooth enough to handle without slivers, while still allowing the aged texture and character of the old wood to show through.

Step 7: Dry Brush Paint the Cheese Box

I would have loved to refinish the cheese box down to the natural wood, but the wood was too dry and brittle to risk stripping it. Instead, I used a dry brush technique with white paint, allowing bits of the natural wood colour to still peek through the finish.

Pour a small amount of paint into a container and dip just the very tips of your paintbrush into the paint. Wipe most of the paint off onto a rag before lightly brushing the surface of the wood.

Every time I do this, I am surprised by how much paint the dry brush still holds.

Apply the paint in sparse layers until you have the look you like.

Let dry thoroughly and then cover with one coat of clear Varathane. Let dry.

Optional Finishing Details

Of course, you do not need to add wheels at all. A vintage cheese box would make beautiful cottage style storage beside a sofa or bed. Add casters for a little extra height and use it as a rustic nightstand, or place a wood tray on top to create a unique vintage end table.

I specifically repurposed my large cheese box into a toy box for my grandchildren. It is perfect for storing the vintage toys I saved from their Dad, and it looks wonderful in the family room when they come to visit. To make the toy box easier to move around, I added a set of small casters to the bottom.

Here is how I added the casters to mine.

Step 8: Add Wheels to the Cheese Box Storage Bin

As luck would have it, I also found a set of four small swivel wheels at another garage sale for $1.

As the bottom of the cheese box is thin, the wheels were attached using 1/4-inch screws. I positioned the wheels like a clock face at 12, 3, 6, and 9.

Step 9: Add a Fabric Banner

Here is how I made the little fabric banner for my toy box.

For the fabric banner, I used:

Step 1: Cut the Banner Pieces

Cut four pennant shapes, 4 inches by 5 inches in the fabric, and four more in the interfacing.

Lay the fabric pennants good side down and cover with the interfacing.

Fold over the two sides of each pennant and iron to create hems. Repeat for the remaining pennants.

Step 2: Add the Hanging Cord

Cut a 4-foot length of thin cord across the top of the fabric pennants.

Fold the top of the pennants over the cord and iron to seal. Do this for all four pennants.

Step 3: Add the Lettering

Hot glue and fold over the corners of each pennant and hold in place until cool.

Using a black Sharpie pen, add the letters. I did mine freehand. If you’re unsure about doing lettering freehand, do the letters in chalk first and then trace with the Sharpie.

The removable fabric banner adds a playful touch to the toy box without permanently changing the cheese box itself. I like that the banner can easily be removed later if I decide to repurpose the storage bin for something else.

As a final thought, I am pretty sure you will be able to find a cheese box in much better shape than this one. It was worth the work redoing the lid, as cheese boxes are so rare in Edmonton.

I am absolutely in love with this one.