Furniture Projects

Fabric-Covered Headboard

You can get a new headboard without replacing your old one. This simple project outfits an old wood headboard with a tension shower curtain rod as the base for a new padded fabric slipcover.

Coffee Table Spruce-Up

Contemporary color and pattern help offset this table's traditional lines. Clean and dry the surface, then sand with 400-grit sandpaper. Wipe with a tack cloth; prime and paint, letting dry between coats. For the sunburst design, start at the edge of the table and use painter's tape to tape off angles. Paint with oil-base enamel colors using a stencil brush; remove tape when dry. For a glossy sheen, spray on a lacquer top coat.

Painted Headboard

Two old doors from a salvage shop form the structure of this headboard, and a unique take on stenciling gives it personality. Instead of a stencil, we used a vintage plastic place mat with a die-cut design. To re-create this look, lightly sand the doors. Using a foam pouncer, apply pearlized acrylic crafts paint over the stencil, then use a smaller brush to fill in select areas with accent color.

Take It Down

Give a dining room table new life by cutting down the base to coffee table height. Blue paint refreshes the finish while oversize nailhead trim embellishes the apron of the table.

Double Color

Why stick with just one paint color? The bowfront dresser's glossy blue frame stands in contrast with the white drawer fronts. Try mixing paint finishes, too. Even though the difference is slight, the shift from semigloss to gloss can create an even more customized look.

Quick Table Update

Wallpaper isn't just for walls -- a smooth tabletop is the perfect spot for a colorful wallpaper makeover. Just cut the paper to fit, then adhere it with decoupage medium. To protect the surface, brush with decoupage medium or spray with clear acrylic sealer.

Pinned Down

Give a basic round table a unique angle with old-fashioned wood clothespins. Paint the table in your desired color and paint the clothespins the same color. To attach the clothespins, dab wood glue on the back of each clothespin and press against the table's edge. Then nail into place at its chubbiest part using a pneumatic pin nailer. For level pin alignment, place a 1/2-inch-thick board on the tabletop as a guide.

Bookcase

Skip the basic bookcase and construct your own. Build a series of boxes in different sizes, stack, and attach.

Trim a Chair

Return a traditional, yet tired chair to its former glory with nailhead trim and a bright fabric. Paint the chair. Cut an oval of fabric to fit the back. Staple into place and trim the excess. Hot-glue flat white trim around the edge to hide the staples. Cover the seat in a similar method. Finish the back and seat with nailhead trim from a bolt (available at fabric stores), which comes in a ribbon and is easier and quicker to work with than individual nailheads.

Build a Coffee Table

Create a coffee table from two retired kitchen cabinets. Place the cabinets side by side, screw together, and paint white. Cut a piece of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) to fit on top of the cabinets. Paint and coat the piece in polyurethane, then attach to the top of the cabinets. For the base, cut the number of MDF sheets to size and stack depending on the desired height for the table. Glue the sheets together. Face the base with veneer and screw to the bottom of the cabinet.

Ombre Desk

Give a desk or dresser an ombre effect. Pick a paint strip in a color you love, and buy a can of paint for each drawer or tier of drawers. Use the lightest color on the strip for the top, the next darkest color (or colors, depending on how many drawers you have) for the middle section, and use the darkest color for the bottom drawer. Make sure to use colors in the order that they are displayed on the strip so you get a natural progression of color.

Build a Storage Ottoman

Add both a table and extra storage to your living room or family room.

Pretty Desk Chair

Pull up a playful perch next to your desk with this easy chair makeover. This once dull chair was pepped up with a fresh coat of paint (see final slide: how to spray-paint a chair) and a seat cover fashioned from a pillow cover. To upholster the seat, remove the seat and wrap both thicknesses of the cover around the seat and staple to the back. Be sure to center the motif and pull the fabric tight as you staple. Trim the excess fabric and screw the seat into the frame.

Built-In Window Seat

Another purpose for old or unfinished cabinets: a window seat with the look of a built-in. Build this project in an entry or living room for extra seating and storage.

Utilty Table Made Beautiful

On first glance, you wouldn't know that this was a utilitarian table, commonly seen in schools. 

Dining Room Buffet

This buffet doesn't take up much space, but it packs plenty of function as a place to serve drinks or snacks.