Here at Yours we’re huge fans of the Repair Shop and it’s given us the bug to start our own upcycling projects. Just like us, you may have decided to learn how to upcycle your furniture.
From comfortable armchairs and tables to clocks, cupboards and teddies, the possibilities are endless when it comes to restoring old and sentimental items that can be passed down through generations. However, knowing where to start can be quite difficult for beginners.
That’s why we sought the guidance of leather expert and star of The Repair Shop, Suzie Fletcher.
How to upcycle your furniture
‘I’ve always had that natural curiosity for all things crafts. I’ve always been really into upcycling furniture before it was trendy!’
One of the most memorable items Suzie has worked on was a dark wood table she picked up in her younger years.
‘It was beautiful with carvings around the edge. I managed to find matching chairs too. All my friends thought it was dull, but I thought it was beautiful. I stripped all the chairs back and from there I learned more about taking things apart and recovering them and it turned out to be a really lovely set.
‘When I moved to America, I ended up selling off a lot of furniture as I couldn’t take it with me including the table. Fast forward some years and I was in a pub. I was sat at this table and it was my table! I could see from the carvings and some bits that were missing and not right and I knew it was my table. It fit so well in the pub. It was like the circle of life of furniture!’
Not only does upcycled furniture look great and give you a great sense of achievement once you’ve completed a project, it’s also great for the environment!
‘When it comes to furniture, I am very much into conserving our materials and sustainability with the interest of being careful with our resources and protecting our planet,’ says Suzie.
Suzie has been working on the chest below during lockdown and she's currently using it to store shoes and boots!
Suzie’s top tips on how to upcycle furniture for beginners:
•Find a simple starting place: Something like a very simple cupboard or table is a great place to start if you’ve never upcycled furniture before.
****•Check for wood worm: When working on a wood project, the key is to first check for wood worm. If the item has this, it needs to be professionally taken care of before you take it in the home.
•Have a dedicated space for DIY projects: It’s important to have a good space to do your renovations such as a garage or shed.
•Research safety dos and don'ts: You need to remain safe if using certain items or stripping paint. Learn how to use these products safely before making a start on your project.
•Get family and friends involved: It’s great to pass down your projects to carry on your family story with that piece of furniture by restoring and adding to that story.
•Don't be afraid to strip off paint: If it has been painted, strip off the paint to see what’s underneath. The wood underneath might be beautiful. If you'd like to paint it again, look up the best paint to upcycle furniture.
•Look for high quality materials: You can often find good materials in second-hand shops or charity shops, Fabrics can be found in loads of places.
•Embrace imperfection: You have to be really adaptable to what you can get your hands on. It might not exactly be what you had in mind, but then you look through different eyes and realise actually, I can make this work.
•Check local advertisements: The beauty we have with classified ads in newspapers and online is we can find so many second-hand pieces of furniture to upcycle if there’s nothing in your home.
•Use video tutorials: YouTube is great – there are so many brilliant how-to videos. Many company’s will often provide how to videos for when you use a product. I’m dyslexic so I prefer watching how something is done rather than read a book!
How to upcycle a table video tutorial
If you're looking for upcycle table ideas, B&Q have put together this helpful tutorial. For this epic upcycling task, you will need to grab yourself some equipment before you begin.
Equipment:
•A pencil
•Medium 80-100 grit sandpaper
•Fine tooth saw
•Mitre box
•Hammer
•Small lost nail heads
•Lint-free cloth
•Self-priming furniture paint
•Paintbrush
•Tiles
•Tile cutter
•Tile adhesive
•Safety goggles
•Safety gloves
•Grout and grouting kit
•Clean sponge
Lorna White is a Senior Digital Writer at Yours.co.uk. She was previously a writer at Yours Magazine writing features and news stories before joining the digital team. Lorna loves the great British countryside and likes to spend her spare time out and about in her home of Nottinghamshire walking her dog, Pippin.