Easter Weekend Upcycling Projects
A long bank holiday weekend could be the perfect opportunity to have fun with a DIY project. Upcycling is a great way of revamping your look for a lot less than buying a replacement, and you’re guaranteed to have a one-of-a-kind piece at the end of it. It doesn’t have to take over your home or take weeks to complete, so whether you’ve fallen out of love with a chest of drawers or want to freshen up a lampshade, there are plenty of ways to turn something old into something fabulous. Upcycling is a fantastic way to keep busy and be productive, and not only does it make you feel accomplished afterwards, but you also get to enjoy your new piece for years to come. Thanks to the help of our very own studio stylist Nicola, and the incredibly talented Jonathon Marc Mendes (who you probably know from his gorgeous Instagram page), we have three helpful videos and simple steps that will help you to get stuck into a new project. We can’t wait to see how you get on!
Upcycle a Chest of Drawers with Nicola
Extra storage for your hallway, the only thing between you and a floordrobe, , or a changing station for a new arrival, this upcycling drawer how-to is the perfect project. Our in-house stylist Nicola has put together a helpful video to get you started and inspire you for future projects too. Have fun!
What you will need
- Drawers
- Sandpaper
- Screwdriver
- Rust-Oleum furniture paint
- Rust-Oleum furniture finishing wax
- Paintbrush
- Cloth
- Brush
Method
- Prepare to upcycle your drawers by protecting the floor with a dust sheet, removing anything from inside the drawers, lightly sanding and removing dust with a damp cloth.
- Unscrew and remove handles and any other metal fixtures.
- In a well-ventilated space (ideally outdoors) protect the floor with cardboard before spraying your metal fixtures with Rust-Oleum copper metallic spray paint (link) before allowing to dry and adding a second coat.
- Use masking tape to create a neat line where you don’t want paint to go.
- Rest your drawers on a sturdy box and paint them with Rust-Oleum chalky finish furniture paint. (link) Top tip: Apply paint in thin layers and allow each coat to dry to help to build up an even finish.
- Once everything is dry, put the drawers back together and reattach the metal fixtures.
- Add a light coating of Rust-Oleum furniture wax to protect the paint and create a smooth finish.
- Finally, place your drawers in their new home and decorate with all your favourite accessories.
DIY Ombre Lampshade Look with Jonathon Marc Mendes
If you have a lamp base that you want to revamp with a new look, this easy project will do just the trick by giving a simple linen shade a modern makeover. You only need a few bits to complete this simple how-to and the best bit it, not only is each piece unique, it’s also lots of fun to create!
What you will need
- Pom pom trim
- Rust-Oleum chalky finish furniture paint (natural charcoal and anthracite grey)
- Brush for paint
- Artistry brush for glue
- Bowl
- Glue
- Pegs
- Spray bottle or atomiser for water
Method
- Protect your workspace surface (oil cloths are great for this).
- Remove the shade from the lamp if attached.
- Using the spray bottle, generously spray the lamp shade with water.
- Put a small amount of anthracite grey and water in your bowl and mix (around 30/70 water to paint ratio). This allows the paint to run more easily.
- Depending on where you want the darkest part of the design to be when complete, turn the shade and paint a band of grey around the top or bottom, remembering the paint will run downwards.
- You will already see the paint beginning to run down but give it another good spray with water to help the process.
- Mix a tiny amount of the charcoal paint into your existing paint mixture to darken it.
- Paint another thin band of paint (the same size as your first before it started to run) over the original band.
- Spray the shade again to aid the paint to seep downwards.
- Place your shade on a waterproof surface to completely dry.
- Measure out your pom pom trim so it will fit tightly around the shade.
- Using glue and an artistic brush, stick the pom pom trim onto the shade, securing with pegs as your go to keep it secure.
- Allow the glue to dry.
- Remove the pegs, pop the shade back on the lamp and enjoy!
Side Table Re-style with Jonathon Marc Mendes
Lots of us have furniture around the house that we’ve either inherited from a relative or we’ve picked up from a charity shop. If you’re ready to move the look on to something fresher, Jonathon has a great method to give a side table a new lease of life with self-adhesive tiles and a little bit of paint. You can mix and match what colour and design tiles and paint you want to use to really give it your personal touch. Take a look at the amazing piece Jonathon created below for inspiration.
What you will need
- Peel and stick vinyl floor tiles
- Rust-Oleum furniture finishing wax
- Rust-Oleum furniture paint in anthracite
- Brushes (for wax and paint)
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Stanley knife
- Something to protect surfaces with
- Cleaning spirits
- Cloth
- Spray bottle or atomiser for water
Method
- Start by protecting your surfaces.
- Clean down your side table with some cleaning spirits and a cloth to remove unwanted dirt, oil, and dust.
- Give the paint a good stir and wet your brush a little with a spray bottle – this helps with coverage.
- Apply a thin coat of paint to the whole table before allowing to dry and applying a second thin coat to everywhere except where the tiles will be stuck.
- If your adhesive tile is patterned, plan out how you will need to cut the tile to fit on top of your table best.
- Using a ruler and pencil, you can draw a line from the top left corner to the bottom right and top right to bottom left to find the centre. This will help if you have a patterned tile with a main feature you want to centralise.
- If you need to cut your tile, using a ruler (metal ideally) as a guide, run your blade downwards a few times. Then, gently fold your scored tile inwards and outwards until it snaps down the line you cut. You can easily turn it over and use your blade and ruler to cut through the paper on the back too.
- Before you peel off the backing, place all your pieces onto your table to make sure you’re happy it all fits.
- Piece by piece, peel off the backing and stick the tile to the table.
- Apply Rust-Oleum furniture finishing wax with a soft brush, cloth, or sponge to all painted areas to protect it.
- Place your newly upcycled side table for all to see and enjoy!