Upcycling is a huge part of making the vintage home, and it may be a great project for you to find a new ways of using old things. You can use old crates (wine crates, fruit or vegetable crate…) or drawers to make new shelves for your kitchen, study or childrens’ room, bedside cabinets, coffee tables or newspaper and magazine rack.
Cue a trip to a salvage yard to find a pair of old wooden filing cabinet drawers that are very cheap to purchase, and with an addition of cute vintage wallpaper or printed fabric inside, you can have a complete new piece of furniture for your home. Cheap, simple and really effective – it’s easy when you know how, so give it a go.
Material you need for bedside cabinets
Old wooden drawers or crates
Sandpaper
Tape measure
Pencil and paper
Wallpaper
Scissors
Wallpaper paste or glue for fabric
MDF (compress particle board), same size as back of the drawer or crate
Wood glue
Spirit level
Drill with appropriate drill bits
Wall plugs and corresponding screws
Screwdriver
How to make it
1 Check over the drawers and sand off any rough edges and surfaces. Measure the inside surfaces where you want the wallpaper to fit. You can put the wallpaper on the bottom of the drawer or crate, or on the inner sides. Paste the decorative wallpaper or fabric and leave to dry properly.
2 Reinforce the back of each cabinet by attaching a piece of MDF with wood glue. When dry, drill two holes in the back of the cabinet, approximately 5 cm from the top and sides. Mark the wall in pencil where you want the cabinets to go, checking for straightness with a spirit level. Drill holes in the wall and insert wall plugs. Screw the cabinets to the wall.
Also you can use the same technique to make shelves as well as magazine rack. It is really up to you what you will use and how you will create a new piece of furniture for your home. You may like to paint or varnish your piece or add some embellishments.
