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Elma D&P

Upcycling : by what to start ?

Updated: Jun 5, 2023


While there are many ways to recycle your furniture (staining, stenciling, reupholstering, wallpapering, decoupage...etc.), freshening it up with a good old-fashioned lick of paint is the easiest way to start.

Here's how to do it in 3 steps:


Step 1: Preparation


Start by preparing the furniture you want to recycle.


Depending on its condition, there may be several steps:

1) Clean the furniture thoroughly (with a cloth or water with or without soap, depending on the dirt),

2) Remove knobs and handles, and any other trim that can be removed,

3) Sand the surface to make it smooth and allow the paint to adhere (various sanding techniques will be covered in a future post)

4) If necessary, repair the damaged areas. To do this, preferably use wood repair paste (it can be white or already tinted). It reconstitutes, assembles and fills up wooden materials. It is easily applied with a finger or a spatula. Once dry, sand the repaired area to make it as smooth as possible.


Step 2: Apply a coat of primer


Apply a coat of primer to the furniture to make the paint last longer, especially if you are recycling a frequently used item, such as a dining room table. Using a small brush or foam roller, apply a thin coat of primer and allow it to dry.


Note: you can skip this step if you have a can of Chalk or Chalk paint, as these paints are self-priming. At least that's my advice.

However, if you already have paints available, use them to minimise the purchase and therefore your impact on the environment. Choose water-based paints, which are easier to apply. Oil-based paints have a better, more satiny finish but are more complicated to use.


Step 3: Painting


Apply a thin layer of paint and let it dry. Chalk paint dries very quickly, water-based paint dries very quickly, the drier the better. Oil paint takes the longest to dry because of its composition.

Once the paint is dry, examine the surface and sand any rough spots with a fine-grained sanding sponge before applying the second coat.





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