- Slipcover a headboard
Do you remember how your grandmother would fold her best quilt or bedspread over the foot of the bed so it didn’t get crumpled during the day? That’s the inspiration for quick, cost-free and very modern loose covers that you can make to go on your bed — one at each end. Use fabric or a bed sheet you already have; only a few metres will bring a whole new look to a plain bed. Take the vertical and horizontal (between the end posts) measurements for the head and footboards, then double the vertical measurement of each board. (If the horizontal measurement is wider than your fabric, you will have to sew two lengths together.) If you use a sheet, cut it down to size. Hem the edges and add fabric ties to both sides. This look can be as nostalgic or as sleek as a city studio. Loose-covering is also a smart way to protect the finish on an antique or much-treasured bed and to continue to use it as intended.
- Recycle old sofa cushions
When you throw out an old sofa, keep the seat cushions, especially if they’re large and a regular rectangular shape. You can recover them in an inexpensive and attractive fabric then use them on the floor for extra seating. If you choose a material that is suitable for outdoor use, you’ll be able to use your cushions in the garden, too. Stack them away in a cupboard or an old chest so that they can be pulled out quickly when you have friends over, or your children need extra bedding for friends during a sleep-over.
- Window drapery to doorway curtain
Curtaining doorways is a traditional but effective way to keep heat in or out of interior spaces (think tent flaps or, alternately, the thick interlined velvet curtains you sometimes see on doors in old houses).
If you have a set of long curtains that you don’t use much, you have a set of ready-made door curtains. For a standard door, mount a curtain rod at or slightly above the door frame. Extend the rod 12cm or more beyond the frame, creating room to slide the curtain to one side so that you can easily open and close the door. Then hang one curtain panel that’s long enough to reach to the floor. (Standard door frames are approximately 2m tall, but measure yours just in case.) Metal or plastic curtain rings or clips will make it easier to move the curtain along the rod. To prevent the curtain from billowing on windy days, sew weights such as metal washers inside the hems.
- Tile an old tabletop
A battered and bruised wooden coffee table or small side table can become a canvas for tiles, even for beginners. Use tiles left over from kitchen or bathroom renovations, specially collected decorated tiles or new ones bought in a sale. Measure the tabletop to determine how many you will need. If you’re careful with your measurements and buy the correct size tiles, you can probably cover the entire top without making any cuts in the tiles. Bear in mind that you should leave approximately 2-4mm of space between each tile for grouting.
- Sand the tabletop and clean off the dust. (If you want to refinish or paint your table, do so before sanding.) Then lay out the tiles on the tabletop in your pattern of choice and make any changes and adjustments. Fix the tiles with tiling adhesive or white glue. (If using glue be sure it’s dry before grouting.)
- Grout the tiles with commercial grout, which is available in many colours. As you work, wipe off excess grout with a damp sponge. To remove any remaining grout film, wash again with water after the grout has dried. And there you have it — a brand-new look for a tired old table.
- A quick change for dining chairs
If the upholstered seats of your dining room chairs are removable — some lift out and others are attached only by screws underneath — you are in luck. You can make a quick, temporary change with some fabric and a bit of strong masking tape. Use what you have on hand: fabric remnants, a tablecloth or bed cover, large scarves, sheets or pillowcases. Mix and match colours and patterns for visual interest. Choose a medium-weight material, as heavy or highly textured fabrics won’t always give a smooth, finished appearance. Remove the chair seat and use it as a template to cut a piece of material extending 7-10cm beyond the edges. Then centre the seat, top down, onto the wrong side of the fabric. Drape the fabric over one side of the bottom of the chair and secure it with a piece of tape. Do the same on the other side, pulling the fabric taut. Repeat on the other two sides and then tape all four folds all the way to the corners. Fold the fabric over each corner for a neat finish. Secure the cover with an extra layer of tape, replace the seat and you’ve transformed a chair.
- Use a rug as a cover-up
Wall-to-wall carpet often gets flattened, matted and stained in heavy-traffic areas but elsewhere stay in good condition. The solution is to look around for the perfect rug to cover a trouble spot — a rug that might be in the next room or stored in the garage or attic. If you have a carpet remnant that would look good but is too large, you could ask a local carpet dealer to cut it to size and bind the edges.
- Covering the nicks
If a treasured coffee table or desk has had a collision with another object, leaving a nick in its surface, don’t despair and don’t call in a professional just yet. If the nick is shallow, you can colour it with a similar-hued indelible marker. If the nick is deep (but still superficial), soften a small amount of white candle wax and, using a small butter knife, massage it into the gash. Wait for it to harden and then colour it with the correct colour marker. If the damage is any deeper than that, you probably will need a professional to fix it.
- Wallpapered storage boxes
Cardboard boxes — free from supermarkets or wine merchants or available for sale from a storage specialist— are probably the most favoured storage units. They’re also ugly and not always easy to put out of sight. So make them look better with leftover wallpaper, preferably vinyl-coated. Pre-pasted wallpaper can be cut to size, dampened and pasted on relatively quickly. Un-pasted paper can be stuck down with wallpaper paste, craft glue or rubber adhesive. Arranged on open shelves or neatly stacked under a desk or along a wall, revamped boxes look attractive and their wallpaper covers are durable enough to take a good deal of wear.
