In this post I share the transformation of a simple item from Ikea using just paper and glue. This time I want to show you the first of two furniture hacks.

Ikea furniture is very affordable and even more so if you buy second-hand. There is often a good selection on Gumtree and if you buy a piece of furniture from a private seller the main advantage in my eyes is that it comes assembled rather than flat-packed! I just check that the structure is sound, as any superficial damage will be covered. The Hemnes bedside table that you see here costs £40 new, but I managed to buy two for £20 via Gumtree. Ebay and local house clearance or larger charity shops are also  good sources of items for furniture hacks.

Below you can see four of the papers I used: patterned napkins for the top, drawer front and shelf, and book paper for the legs. Scroll up to the top of the page and you’ll also see the Liberty design I used on the sides and back of the table.
I like the contrast of bold and modern with traditional floral patterns. As you can probably guess minimalism is not my thing!
Decoupage is a very economical way of upcycling a piece of furniture: it cost no more than £10 in materials to cover this table. The main things you need are time and patience, as something of this size may take you between two and three days. Of course it helps if you are proficient at the technique before you tackle your first furniture project, and if you would like to be shown all the tricks of the trade you may be interested in attending one of my Furniture Upcycling Workshops.