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4 Ways to Renovate Furniture

Let’s face it. Everyone everywhere is always trying to find a way to save a few bucks, whether you’re trying to cut back on your grocery expenses or even find ways to save on a wedding. No matter what it is you’re trying to do, there’s always a way to get it done.

The same goes for renovating and updating furniture. Instead of going to the store to buy a new bench or table for your home, consider renovating an older one. There are plenty of ways to upgrade furniture that will provide the same end result and cost a lot less than buying new. All it will take is a little patience and some hard work. So if you want to renovate some of your furniture, the following are a few great options to help you do so.

1. Paint

Painting is one of the best options to upgrade furniture, and it’s very cheap to do. A gallon of paint will run you anywhere from $10-$20, which is much less than buying a brand new piece of furniture. Plus, paint is great for a variety of different textures, so you can use it on wood, brass, or even vinyl. When painting furniture, you want to make sure you buy the right paint, as some are better for materials such as vinyl than others.

If you are renovating wood, make sure that you sand down the item before applying new paint, as this will help the paint stick better. You may want to apply more than one coat too, just to be sure it’s even. If you are putting the piece of furniture somewhere where there is moisture, such as in the bathroom, you may want to place some polyurethane on it to seal it. This will keep water or moisture from damaging the hard work you just did.

2. Stain

If you are working with wood, you can also opt to stain an item in order to give it a new look. You can buy stain from your local home improvement store, which again will cost anywhere from $10-$20, or you can even make your own stain. For example, you can add steel wool to a bottle of vinegar and let it sit for a few days. Then, rub this new mixture on the wood and stain it with your own homemade creation. There are different ways to make different stain colors, so
just try a variety of different items and determine which color you like best.

Again, like with painting, you want to make sure you sand the furniture before staining. If the furniture already has stain on it, you’ll want to sand it down all the way, otherwise the new stain on top of the old stain will not come out the way you want it. When staining, you should also remember to wear rubber gloves and old clothes, as getting stain on your skin or clothes is very hard (and sometimes impossible) to get out.

3. Upholstery

If you have a piece of furniture that uses fabric, such as a couch or chair, then you can always opt to reupholster it instead of buying new. Go to your local fabric store and find the color, style, and material you like best, and then buy enough to cover your piece of furniture. If you have never reupholstered before, you may want to start small by doing a cloth dining room chair or a small accent chair before tackling a couch. Once you do one, the rest will come easier. Also, if it
ecomes too hard for you to do, there are plenty of companies out there who can do it for you.

4. Material

Sometimes renovating a piece of furniture means giving it a completely new facelift with different material. For example, you may want to cover a dated dining room table with some tile, a granite countertop, or even some hardwood to give it a new look. It doesn’t matter what type of material you want to use, just make your decision, learn how to do it, and then go for it. Sometimes the more creative you are with a piece, the better the end result will be.

Do you like to do DIY projects like these?  I get right into them.  I’m able to get a new look, and at the same time, I save so much money!

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