Budget Furniture Fix-Ups
By Kathleen WilsonFirst of all, use sheets instead of pieced fabric, it is MUCH easier and cheaper! Measure your furniture, and buy a sheet size that will cover your furniture piece without it's cushions, tucked in and around the arms. (Don't forget to check out garage sales for good deals!) Use decorative cording if you like to tie around the "skirt" area to give it a more structured look. Simply tuck ends under the couch or chair. (You could even tape or staple the ends to the bottom of the piece, if you wanted.) Now take each of your cushions and look at it as if you are wrapping a gift. Cut a piece large enough for your cushion, wrap it like a present, and safety pin it to the underside of the cushion. (Who's gonna see it?) Add a few pillows and a throw, and you have changed the entire look of your furniture for little money, the covers are washable, and you can make one for each season if you want.
Sheets, blankets, and quilts can all be used for this project, and can be found at garage sales, thrift stores, and maybe even your own linen closet. Try wrapping the cushions with another, different fabric from the room. Remember, this is all about casual style, and slipcovers are definitely stylish!
Even dining room chairs can be slipcovered. Simply make an open envelope of fabric to fit over the back of the chair, similar to a pillowcase. If you like, this can be dressed up by tying it with cord or ribbon, sewing on decorative buttons, or adding a little lace. This project can easily be made from leftover curtain fabric and scraps lying around your sewing room.
Next on the list is what is known as "hardgoods". Tables, chests, entertainment centers. A fast and inexpensive way to transform these items is, you guessed it, paint. Almost anything can be painted these days, including laminate. Simply prime it with a product specifically made for non-porous surfaces, I like BIN or KILZ. Then just use ordinary housepaint. Wood finishes can be just sanded and painted. Consider trying your hand at decorative painting or faux finishing for designed effects. I suggest visiting a few web sites for ideas like www.paintedhouse.com, www.paintideas.com, or www.fauxlikeapro.com. Another tight budget option for covering worn or outdated furniture includes using fabric on door and drawer fronts. You can use leftover fabric, fabric from thrift stores or garage sales, or search your own closet. Simply cut the fabric slightly larger than the drawer or door front, then use a staple gun to adhere it to the back, stretching it snug as you go. Try painting the rest of the piece a color picked out of the fabric for a great coordinated look. The last option I am going to throw out there is mosaic tiling. This can be very frugal if you have leftover tiles from another project, or ask your local tiling center if they have broken tiles they would let you have. Another good place to look for free mosaic materials is at residential construction sites, especially ones that are more upscale. Always ask first, but there are always broken tiles when an installation has taken place, and it's only going to get hauled to the dump!
Mosaic can be as simple as laying broken tile in a random pattern and gluing in place, to laying out intricate patterns, and grouting and sealing your project. You can use it on table or dresser tops, drawer fronts, or even a door itself! You can even produce the illusion of mosaic by using decorative paper in the same manner, cut it into irregular shapes, and glue it on! Whatever you choose to do to update your furniture, impose your own style, take your time, and be proud of your creation!
About The Author:
Copyright 2002 K. Wilson
Kathleen Wilson is the editor of a free ezine/newsletter called The Budget Decorator, dedicated to "budget impaired" home decorating. Visit her at http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com for more free ideas and projects, and for info on her soon to be released book "Quick Decorating Ideas Under $20!: The Budget Decorator's Bible".
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RE: Budget Furniture Fix-Ups
Same with me. I still have my desk Mom bought me when I was 9 (I'm 52). Also, have my French Provincial bedroom set with vanity. Just a little paint and good as new. I have found many phone and end tables that needed firming up and paint at garbage dumps. Love every piece I have found.
Post By LYNPOW. (Guest Post)
RE: Budget Furniture Fix-Ups
It's good to remember that there is a lot of good furniture AROUND us in our families - which we can acquire by inheritance or gifts....The hardwood furniture of former days is quite in demand - For ex. the Danish modern walnut of my parents' era is now prized by young collectors!
Post by pamphyila
RE: Budget Furniture Fix-Ups
Reading the budget furniture posts, it got me thinking about furniture my parents bought it for me when I was 18 and my gran came to live with us. She took my bedroom and Dad partitioned off the sunroom for a bedroom for me, and bought me new furniture, a chest of drawers, a bed and a sewing table. I still use the sewing table in my study/craft room, the chest of draws and bed are in the spare bedroom. They were not expensive pieces as my parents did not have a lot of money, and I have painted them a couple of times over the years, but they are still servicable. I turn 60 this year!
Post by downunderchick
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