Furniture refinishing doesn’t use just one skill; it uses ALL of them.
Sure, maybe you’re great at painting, but how are you at re-upholstering? Maybe you can re-upholster like a champ… but can you tile? You can paint a wooden dresser, but can you paint a metal filing cabinet? A laminate bookshelf? A mirror?
Fortunately, for every project that you need to complete, there’s an expert online to tell you how to do it. Here’s a list of the 25 most important furniture refinishing skills, the ones that will get you safely and happily through the most makeover projects–and, most importantly, here’s how to do them correctly!
1. Strip paint. Use an eco-friendly paint stripper, such as SOY-Gel.
2. Sand and prime. Skip most of that sanding by using an eco-friendly, no-sand primer.
3. Complete a basic paint job. Basic repainting on a wooden (not laminate) piece of furniture includes cleaning, sanding where necessary, priming, and painting.
4. Chalk paint furniture. There’s less prep work involved.
5. Spray paint furniture. Non-toxic spray paint does exist!
6. White-wash furniture. It’s a very specific look, but it goes well with other shabby chic decor.
7. Paint laminate furniture. It’s trickier than just painting bare wood–DON’T skimp on the perfect primer!
8. Graffiti furniture. The kids will LOVE to help with this project!
9. Mod Podge onto furniture. Sometimes a piece of furniture needs a paper or fabric coating instead of paint.
10. Paint a door. Doors also make good tables.
11. Make a Dutch door. A Dutch door can come in really handy–it’s a built-in baby gate, for one thing.
12. Stencil onto furniture. This tutorial covers both small and large designs.
13. Customize drawer pulls. You can do a lot with washers and scrapbook paper.
14. Polish bare wood. Try any of these natural options for wood polish, or make your own wood polish.
15. Clean and polish metal. Steel wool and oil are your friends.
16. Antique a mirror. Who wants to see their reflection that clearly, anyway?
17. Tile a mirror. It’s basically creating the frame of your choice.
18. Tile a tub. You can make your builder-grade bathtub look REALLY fancy!
19. Paint a fan. Color wheel, anyone?
20. Stencil on a fan. This looks more sophisticated than a full-coat paint job.
21. Paint a refrigerator. Because your refrigerator is ugly.
22. Cover a lampshade. It’s the easiest way to give your lamp an entirely new look.
23. Re-upholster a chair. It’s an extensive project, but once you know how to do it, you’ve got so much power!
24. Cover a chair. Don’t want to re-upholster you’re entire dining suite? This is an easier option.
25. Add casters. Make your furniture mobile!