Upcycling Furniture

Project 1 Decoupage is a fun and creative way to transform anything from an old jewellery box, or toy trunk to an entire cupboard. The item can be themed by the choice of paper, such as vintage children’s comics, or story book illustrations for a toy box. Ordnance survey maps, or postage stamps work well for an old trunk. Botanical illustrations from second hand books work extremely well on drawer fronts or any kind of storage box. The course begins with some general advice on simple repairs which can be carried out to fix damaged furniture, following on with a guide to stripping varnish and paint before either repainting, or adding wax to protect the surface and enhance the grain of the wood. Tips are offered for getting an authentic antiqued and weathered look for your chosen piece and advice on individual, creative touches such as unusual handles and drawer pulls. The technique of decoupage is illustrated in several options, adding decoration to some wooden drawer fronts, papering an old filing drawer and recovering a folding card table. Project 2 Drop-in seat chairs are very easy to come by, and the seat covers can be made in less than 30 minutes with just a few simple tools, transforming the most unpromising charity shop, auction or car boot find. Furthermore, the chairs can be reupholstered with a different fabric whenever you fancy a change of look. Juliette will inspire you with a variety of options so that you can choose a modern, woven wool textile for a contemporary Scandinavian look, a vintage linen tea towel, ideal for a kitchen chair, or even an old oil painting for something really different.Juliette takes us through the process of selecting fabric through to completed chair. Project 3 The original chesterfield sofa used for this project is a perfect example of a piece of furniture that has become rather sad and down-at-heel through years of use. However, its traditional solid construction means that it still has plenty of life left. All that is needed to restore the sofa to its former glory is a revamp with new cushion covers - this final project takes you through how to create designer vintage cushions. With a choice of textiles from tweedy patchwork, to repurposed vintage grain sacks, accented with a blue piped edging, the finished result is both eye catching and entirely rewarding. Furthermore this technique is adaptable to many other projects within the home