If you’re being overrun with pine furniture why not try a transformation? To match my niece’s newly themed butterfly bedroom decor we decided to redesign her bedside cabinets. So, off to the DIY store we went again, and gathered paint, wallpaper, stickers and varnish… We also managed to grab a beanbag and fabric in the sale, (warning- those places are dangerous, stick to a list)
And so we begin..
Step 1: Preparation
First you need to remove any existing varnish or stain, luckily I borrowed my dad’s electric sander so this process was not too bad, however it will get very dusty so do it outside and mask up! Sanding by hand is fine too, and isn’t as bad as it might seem at first, just make sure you have the correct glass paper for the job or you’ll need an excess of elbow grease, 80-120 grit should be fine.
Step 2: Decorating
We decided to dismantle this cabinet because we were adding a different design to each edge so it would make it easier in the long run, however if you're using one colour it’s not really necessary. Using a brush or a roller add 2 thin coats of paint rather than 1 thick coat, leave the paint to dry between coats in a ventilated area. For the patterned sides we used wall paper but I’m sure if you printed onto thick paper this would work effectively too. We watered down some PVA glue (about 50-50) and applied a thin layer to the edge of the wood. After cutting the paper to size with a slight overhang we carefully placed it on top and rubbed it down to hold it in place.
DON”T PANIC IF STREAKY LUMPS APPEAR- just leave them they should dry out.
We left it to dry overnight upside-down with sandbags on top so that it could dry evenly but any weight will do like books or bags of flour.
In the morning we removed the weights and left it open to the air to dry evenly and thoroughly. The lumps should disappear as the glue dries.
To remove the excess edge of wall paper carefully run a craft knife blade along the edge you want to trim, this should leave you with a nice straight edge.
Top tips:
* Pre-cut all paper before you begin gluing, (make sure you allow some excess to cut away later)
* Before using PVA or water based paints dip the brush or roller in water and squeeze out any excess. This will keep the paint at the end of your brush and it wont get sucked up to the handle.
* When you have temporarily finished wrap your brush or roller in cling film (saran wrap). This will keep the tool damp ready to pick up and use again in a few hours or the next day.
Step 4: Varnishing
As it’s a bedside cabinet the top surface will get a lot of use so we decided to add a layer of varnish to protect it form tea stains etc.. For this we used a Poly urethane varnish. We applied 3 coats allowing it to dry between each layer. This will take a lot longer to dry compared to the paint, best to leave it overnight in a ventilated area.
Top Tips:
* Before using varnish dip the brush in white spirit and squeeze out any excess. This will keep the varnish at the end of your brush and it wont get sucked up to the handle.
*When you have temporarily finished wrap your brush in cling film (saran wrap). This will keep the tool damp ready to pick up and use again the next day.
* If the surface is slightly rough to touch, between coats give a light sanding with 800-1000 grit glass paper. This will leave your surface silky smooth.
Once your cabinet is dry it is finished!!! Hurrah! Unless of course you disassembled it in which case you will need to screw it all back together hopefully in all the right places. If the wall paper has covered the holes you need just poke through with a screw driver or large nail to get your hole back.
Now, stand back and enjoy your handy work. Time for a Cuppa! :)
