A quick way to revamp an old dresser is to change out the knobs for some new decorative ones. Here’s an easy and budget-friendly way to make your very own DIY dresser knobs using shells – perfect if you’re looking to add a little bit of the beach to your decor:
What you’ll need: shells (I got mine from the Dollar Store), nuts & washers, bolts (about 1 to 1.5 inches longer than the thickness of the shell), scrap rigid cardboard, rubber bands and epoxy glue.
Step 1: Cut a piece of rigid cardboard so that it’s the width of the shell and extends past it by about an inch, and make a hole in the middle. It will act as the flat surface of the dresser drawer to set the bolt in place.
Step 2: Insert the bolt in the hole of the cardboard
Step 3: Pour epoxy glue into the shell cavity, making sure to have enough glue to cover the head of the bolt.
Step 4: Place the head of the bolt so that it touches the bottom of the shell cavity, while making sure the cardboard is flush to the back of the shell. Then move the bolt around so it is perpendicular to the cardboard.
Step 5: When the bolt is placed properly, use a rubber band to secure the cardboard in place, double check that the bolt is still touching the bottom of the shell cavity and still straight (it doesn’t have to be perfect but the straighter the better), then place the cardboard on the edge of 2 glasses. This will allow the epoxy to settle on the bottom and cover the head of the bolt. Let the epoxy harden.
And voila, you have beautiful shell knobs ready to give a new look to your dresser!
Sometimes you only have room for a tiny side table or corner table: a stool can be the perfect solution and also give you additional storage space for some small items with this easy modification.
I simply added some shelves that I made from cardboard (from boxes in the recycling bin) that I covered up with some leftover SOLVEIG curtain panel material from IKEA. You could also use contact paper, fabric, wallpaper, whatever you have on hand, to cover up the cardboard. As for the shelf, foam board or 1/8″ thick hardwood panel would also work if you have that on hand. I just wedged the shelves in place but if your shelves are too loose, you can glue them in place with something like “Liquid Nails” or use 3M command strips for something less permanent. I now have the perfectly sized side table and a place for my sewing supplies stored in old cigar boxes. I love DIY transformations like this that I can do with stuff I have around the house!
If you’re looking for some inspiration for DIY furniture, take a look at Recession Design. It’s a collective of designers who come together to create unique DIY furniture designs using commonly available materials that can be easily assembled with simple tools. They have all kinds of quirky and simple designs like this chair made from pipes and a rubber doormat.
They also share how-to instructions (in Italian but there are lots of pictures and Google Translate for the rest!). For more DIY furniture ideas, you can also take a look at my Pinterest board.
When you live in a very small space, multifunctional furniture is a must. But why not take it a step further and have your artwork pull double duty too? Here’s an ingenious example I found on lifehacker.com, a large DIY picture frame that transforms into a table. I love the concept, do you?
Want to add some comfy lounge-type seating to your balcony or outdoor space like this?
Make a bench using plastic storage bins as the base. Add ½ inch water-sealed plywood on top of the bins and hide the sides with panels made from reed fencing or lattice, attached to the plywood. Finish the edges with corner molding, throw on a few cushions and you’ll be lounging in style in no time. This how-to video shows how easy it is to make – no power tools needed!
Looking to freshen up your space this spring? Try moving your furniture around – you’ll be surprised at how different your space looks with your furniture, lamps and accessories in different spots. It’s a great way to give a whole new look to a room, without spending a dime! Using furniture sliders makes the whole process really easy, especially if you’re doing this solo (you can find them online, at hardware stores, or even dollar stores). Warning, once you start, you may become addicted to moving furniture around!
A great DIY inexpensive way to make any piece of furniture a breeze to move is to add wheels or casters. It makes it so much easier to vacuum and to change your furniture layout or make some room for a party. Casters with brakes will make sure your items to stay put until you’re ready to move them. If you’re dealing with something that is old and not too structurally sound like an old crate, screw the casters onto a piece of plywood first and secure the plywood onto the item – you’ll minimize the amount of screws you have to put into the original wood. And if you’re looking to add height to your piece of furniture, this will do the trick too!
Give a tired chair a fresh new look by reupholstering it with canvas drop cloths – they have a great natural texture, are really easy to work with and at about $10 for 6ft x 9ft, it’s an inexpensive way to experiment. And if you have a cat that likes to use your chair as it’s personal scratching post, it won’t cost you a ton of money to reupholster it!
Instead of using paint to jazz up a plain wood filing cabinet, why not use upholstery techniques to cover it with fabric or even wallpaper. I upholstered a wood IKEA filing cabinet with faux animal skin wallpaper (feels more like fabric than wallpaper), using nothing more than Mod Podge, Weldbond glue, a staple gun and some cardboard. The piping/welt comes pre-made at the fabric store, so no sewing required. No doubt this is more challenging than simply painting but the end result is a very unique, chic upgrade – well worth it!
If you’re downsizing to a small space, or just want to see if your furniture will fit in your new home, try out a few options virtually using Sweethome3D. It’s a free interior design software that makes it easy to draw a floor plan with furniture. You can also move around the space in 3D for a more realistic view of how things will look. I used it to visualize how my bookcase room divider would work in my studio apartment – not bad for free!
