Using creativity and budget supplies to upcycle furniture can work out much cheaper than buying brand new pieces.
One mum has given her “dull” IKEA dresser a makeover using an unusual choice of material to create a herringbone pattern, saving herself hundreds of pounds. Laura Olphert, 30, bought a thousand lollipop sticks and three handles from Amazon for the project.
As reported by LatestDeals.co.uk, Lauren told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: "I got inspiration for the project when I came across two DIY pages on Instagram that had upcycled similar units with lollipop sticks. I combined the two ideas I had seen to create the finished piece.
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"I used around 800 lollipop sticks, natural wood filler, sand paper, clear varnish and black handles. The total cost was around £30. 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 used 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.”
Once she was happy with the look of the pattern, Lauren used clear wood varnish. She continued: “I 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!
“The lollipop sticks were from Amazon and I got 1,000 sticks for around £7. 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.”
Lauren was thrilled with the end result. She said: “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.
"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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