Got old furniture that’s seen better days? Everyone has pieces they wish they could replace, but who has money to run around buying a bunch of new stuff? Roll up your sleeves, get out your crafting materials and learn a few easy DIY fixes to give your old, beat-up furniture a facelift.
- Paint It
If you want to quickly spruce up a piece of furniture with minimal effort, spray paint is your greatest weapon. Sand down the old piece of furniture and cover it with a coat of primer. Next, spray paint it the color of your choice. Paint with long, even strokes, and allow it to dry thoroughly before applying another coat. You may need to place several coats of paint on the piece before you get the desired coverage. Always wear eye protection when painting, and do so either outdoors or in a very well-ventilated location.
- Paper It
Give old drawers and table tops a pretty facelift using wallpaper, card stock or another type of decorative paper. You can find paper in any color, style and pattern you like, and you can apply it in moments. First, clean your piece of furniture thoroughly and sand down the area where you want to apply the paper. Remove any hardware that might be in the way. Brush glue evenly on the back of the paper, and place it firmly on the furniture. Allow the glue and paper to dry before you re-attach the hardware. Paper is a pretty way to add color, texture and life to any old piece of furniture.
- Upholster It
Give old chairs and sofas a facelift by re-upholstering. This sounds like a gigantic job, but if you do it in steps you’ll find it really isn’t so hard to re-cover your old furniture. Get foam batting and durable fabric in the color and pattern you like. To re-upholster dining chairs, lift the seat out of the frame and remove all the old material. Place the new foam, cut the fabric to size, and secure it with a staple gun. Re-covering sofas and stuffed chairs is much trickier. Cover each cushion separately and remove it, then focus on covering the main part of the piece. Pull, pull, pull your fabric tight constantly while you’re working, and staple it down well to get a clean, finished look.
Furniture Fixes
Fixing up your old furniture is a lot more affordable than replacing it, and it gives you the chance to spread your DIY wings. By using your crafting skills to give your furniture a facelift, you’ll get something much more personalized and special – not to mention cheap!
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