Do you have an old piece of furniture that you’re looking to refurbish? We’ve got some refurbishing old furniture ideas for you!
There’s nothing like the feeling of taking something old, tired and worn out and giving it new life. Easily done with recycling, sanding, and repainting too! It makes you feel like a superhero—like you’re saving something from the trash heap of history and making it into something beautiful and useful again.
And while we don’t recommend trying to repair every piece of furniture in your home (that could get kind of pricey), some projects are doable on a budget. So if you’re looking for ways to give your old stuff new life, here are 7 refurbishing old furniture ideas that you can execute at home:
1. Turn a Trash Bin Into a Side Table
If you have any old trash or recycling bins laying around your house, you can turn them into cute side tables with a little bit of effort. All you need is a power drill, some screws, and paint to work on refurbishing old furniture ideas.
First, take your trash bin apart by removing all of the screws and unscrewing the hinges that hold the lid on. Then, sand down any rough edges with sandpaper and paint it if desired. We recommend using white primer.
Once it’s dry, put it back together! You can use small nails to attach legs to the bottom of the bin so that it sits flat on your floor; alternatively, if you’re feeling more ambitious, try cutting wood boards for legs and adding them to the bottom of your bin afterward.
2. Repaint & Update an Old Lampshade
Updating a lampshade is one of the easiest refurbishing old furniture ideas to give a room a whole new feel. If you have an old lamp but don’t like the shade, pick up some paint and give it a fresh coat!
You can also use stencils and create your unique pattern on the shade. If your lamp already has a beautiful pattern, try spray painting over it in different colors to add more depth to your space.
3. Transform Old Rectangular Baskets into Modern Weave Laundry Hampers
Remove the lid of your old basket and set it aside. Then, measure out equal spaces that are 3 inches wide throughout the bottom of your basket, making sure each piece is even with the other—you don’t want any gaps between them!
To make sure this happens, we recommend using a ruler or tape measurer on top of where you want to place your next side piece before hammering it in place; this way, there will be no space when finished!
Once all sides are hammered in securely (and evenly), turn over and give them all a few coats of white spray paint! Finally, reattach the lid onto the bottom by placing it into position from inside outwards until a snug fit occurs around every edge.
4. Make a Vintage Crate Side Table with Storage From Upcycled Wooden Crates!
All you need is some wood putty, a paintbrush, and some sandpaper. You’ll also need an old crate or two — if you don’t have any on hand, check with your local thrift stores or antique shops.
Take your crate apart and use the pieces to create the tabletop base of your table. Paint the base in any color you like and let it dry completely before continuing with the next step: adding storage compartments!
Use wood putty to fill in any gaps between your crates so that they fit together tightly—this will create hidden compartments for storing small items like keys or change. Finally, sand down any rough edges and give everything a coat of polyurethane to protect it from water damage over time!
5. Make a Magnetic Chalkboard Wall Calendar out of an old window frame
Another refurbishing old furniture ideas that you can try at home is creating a magnetic chalkboard wall calendar using an old window frame.
All you need is an old window frame, magnets, and some chalkboard paint. Paint the back and front of the frame with two coats of chalkboard paint, let it dry, then mount it on the wall using L-brackets. Add some magnets to the back of each month’s card (or just use pushpins), update them as needed throughout the year, and enjoy your new magnetic chalkboard wall calendar!
6. Old Chair into a Garden Bench
Have you ever wanted to have your garden bench but didn’t have the money to buy one? We have the sixth refurbishing old furniture ideas to help you out.
Take an old chair, remove the legs and place them on the bottom of the seat section. Make sure that it is level and strong enough by testing it out with some weights before you start adding in any other materials. You can also repaint it by sanding it out first and painting in the new color.
You can then add some cushions or pillows for comfort, but keep in mind that this will add more weight to the chair and make it less sturdy. You may want to consider removing some of these if you’re planning on using this bench outside instead of inside your home. If so, consider using plastic bottles filled with sand instead of pillows and cushions so that they won’t get wet when it rains or snows outside!
Once everything looks good and feels comfortable, paint over all sides of your new bench with a white finish paint so that it matches better with other wooden benches around your yard or garden area.
7. Turning an old dresser into a bar cart
Refurbishing old furniture ideas can also be bar ready. If you have an old dresser starting to appear worn out, try turning it into a bar cart!
First, remove the drawers and any handles. Then, sand down any rough edges or splinters on the wooden surface of the dresser. You can do this by hand or with a power sander (if you’re feeling ambitious).
Next, fill all of the holes from where you removed the handles/drawers with wood putty . Let that dry completely before applying two coats of primer and two coats of paint in whatever color you like!
Once your new bar cart is dry, add wheels to the bottom if necessary and fill it with whatever drinks/supplies you want to keep on hand for your next party!
Refurbishing old furniture ideas your way
The great thing about these ideas is that they’re all simple enough to do yourself. There are no complicated steps involved, so you don’t need any special tools or skills in order to complete them successfully. If you’re looking for ways to reuse old furniture in your home, these refurbishing projects are perfect!
