DIY is a great way to cut costs when renovating your home, and one woman has demonstrated just how easy it is to transform your furniture while saving money in the process. Lauren Olphert, 30, wanted to upcycle her old IKEA dresser rather than buy a new set of drawers.
The mum-of-one was set on the Herringbone style and decided on a clever way to recreate the stylish design on a budget. She sourced 800 lollipop sticks from Amazon and managed to completely transform the look of her dresser for just £30.
Considering some Herringbone style furniture costs around £500, Lauren found a cost-effective way to keep on-trend.
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"I got inspiration for the project when I came across two DIY pages on Instagram that had upcycled similar units with lollipop sticks," Lauren told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK.
"I combined the two ideas I had saw to create the finished piece. I used around 800 lollipop sticks, natural wood filler, sand paper, clear varnish and black handles. The total cost was around £30."
Lauren then described how she created her DIY drawers step-by-step. She said: "I had to find the centre of the IKEA Hemnes drawers and I began placing the sticks in a herringbone style.
"When I got to the top where some of the sticks were overhanging the drawer front I used cutting pliers to trim before sticking down with wood glue.
"Once I had all the sticks in place I sanded down the edges with sand paper or use an electric sander. Once I got them flush to the drawer I created a border by trimming the lollipop sticks straight on both sides.
"I then began to wood fill all the gaps and edges, then sanded down and again filled any gaps I'd missed.Then once I was happy with the sanding I began to use clear wood varnish and did two to three coats of this.
"Finally I drilled the holes for the handles ensuring they were in the same position and centred. Then I placed the drawers back into the unit and that was the project finished."
Lauren bought the lollipop sticks from Amazon for just £7, and also bought other bargain buys from the online retailer.
“The lollipop sticks were from Amazon and I got 1,000 sticks for around £7," she said.
"The black handles were also from Amazon and cost £2.39 each. The Ronseal wood filler was from Amazon and I used about 500g for around £7. The Rustins Quick Dry Outdoor Clear Varnish 250ml Satin was also from Amazon for £6.84.
"I used gorilla wood glue to stick down the lollipop sticks. I already had this from previous projects so didn't need to purchase new, and the same with the sandpaper. I used cutting pliers to trim and cut the sticks to size."
The DIY-savvy mum is delighted with her new piece of furniture which now looks brand new.
"I love the finished look and it was totally worth the time and effect to get it finished. It took many evenings as I did it when my son was in bed. It's amazing what you can do to a piece of furniture for a small cost," she said.
"The project definitely requires patience and to keep going especially during the wood filler stage as it can be messy. But the results are totally worth it and something you can be proud of.
“This was a very cost-effective way to change up the unit, without having to buy a whole new unit of similar style. I've had the unit for four years and it currently costs £150 and it cost £30 for me to upcycle.
"Considering other units out there with herringbone styles cost up to £500 I think I've saved a good amount considering I chose to upcycle instead of buying new."
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