Need an upcycling gift guide to know what to buy for the upcycler in your life this holiday season? Note – if that upcycler is you, that’s fine too! Have family or friends who don’t know what to buy, so want to narrow it down but still get a surprise? Send them this list and…
Category: Tips
Three ways to prepare low quality wood before using stain
Can you stain imperfect wood? Yes, you can. Sometimes wood has issues like marks or cracks on it. And the only solution is to paint it. Or far worse, throw it away. Stained wood is often beautiful. But if you stain wood with imperfections without a few key steps to help, then it won’t look…
The 5 products you need to start upcycling
Want to know what to buy to start upcycling? Here are the 5 products you need to start upcycling furniture and recommendations for each. I see people say all the time “I’d love to start upcycling. Tell me everything I should buy.” But telling someone what to buy doesn’t work. We don’t all have the…
How to find free furniture to upcycle
Don’t spend money on furniture before you look for quality freebies. Here’s how to find free furniture to upcycle. If you’re starting in upcycling, a free piece is great for a test run. Not the family heirloom. Is free worth it? Why things are free: They’re worthless. They are worth something but the owner can’t…
How to design a retail booth for maximum impact
Whether you already have a retail space or are looking to get one, here are five key rules for how to design a booth for maximum impact. It’s not enough to have beautiful products if they aren’t displayed well. It’s the same as staging to take product photos. Your booth is your stage and there…
Five tools under £15 to make your life easier
Here are the five best tools under £15. They will make your upcycling life easier, with no power required! If you have the right tool for the job, you’re halfway there. Best tools under £15 Painter’s Pyramids £7 These pyramids are surprisingly strong little things that keep your furniture off of the floor. The advantage…
7 hacks to paint better with items in your home
From playing cards to masking tape and syringes, here are 7 painting hacks to help you paint better with items in your home. 1. Cling film for easy cleaning Line a roller tray with cling film or foil before pouring paint in. When finished, carefully pick up the cling film from the edges and throw…
How to stencil a mirror and three lessons learned
This is a guide on how to stencil a mirror. You don’t see mirror stencils very often. I wondered if it could be done and if so, was there a reason why people aren’t making them? For this experiment, I stencilled two mirrors. The first was a £1 charity shop mirror to test my idea…
Six little known tips to help you paint better
Are you a pro painter, furniture upcycler or simply love getting creative? There is always something new to learn, whatever your experience level. These six little known tips will help you paint better and save time for the fun bits. How to get the edge on your next project Wrap it up 1. Keep your…