Having furniture is a staple of any quality home. Without it, there is nowhere to sit, and the functionality of rooms is non-existent. Furniture can be expensive, however, and not everyone has the budget to furnish an entire house all at once. There are creative ways to make or restore furniture that can add personality to your home, and save you money.
An obvious choice is to make furniture from scratch. This takes a certain level of expertise for some household items like bed posts, chairs and tables. However, it is not impossible if you have determination and a positive attitude. Creating furniture from scratch usually involves woodworking. This means that you will have to seek out the right kind of wood. There are multiple factors to choosing wood such as strength, availability and smell.
After the wood is selected, take the time to measure out precise dimensions for the project. As the old saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” Be sure to have the right tools for the job. Depending on the project, you may need sand paper, finishing material, strippers to remove paint and other odds and ends. It is important to note that if you are not an expert at woodworking or feel up to the task when it comes to starting from scratch, there are other options to restore old furniture and give them a new look!
Many dining room tables may look old, but have many years of usability left in them. Restore others’ unwanted chairs and make unique furniture for your home. You can simply take new padding and sew a unique piece of cloth onto the seat. If there is a set of chairs, you can choose matching patterns or have a healthy mix that blends together.
Another fun project could be making a homemade coat stand. By taking an old unused object such as a broom handle, you can make a cool new piece of furniture for your home at little to no cost. Attach it to a prop, like a base of an unused lamp, and drill holes in the top. Insert hooks into these holes and you then have a usable coat stand.
Creating or restoring furniture should be a fun project that lets your creative side come to light. Go to garage sales and find unwanted treasures that can become cornerstones in your home. By being cost effective you can not only stand out from other houses, but save a lot of money.