Garage Sale Makeovers And Op Shop Hacks

Remove the seat pad and unscrew the tabletop from the bench, then sand and prime.

Apply two coats of a blue base colour and a white top coat.

Let dry.

Lightly sand the edges to reveal blue paint and give a distressed look.

Pull out the staples to remove the old fabric using a screwdriver and pliers. Using the fabric as a template, cut out a piece from the new fabric. To create a design on the fabric, print off an image in reverse. Allow to dry slightly.

Dab the image with Sticky Spot Goo Remover, from supermarkets. Flip the image and secure to the fabric with pins. Firmly rub the base of a jar over the image. Let dry. Staple the fabric to the pad and attach to the bench.

With a distressed look and new printed fabric, the bench is now a feature piece.

Use a spray gun to apply the paint to make the task much quicker and easier band to give a smooth, even finish.

Melissa picked up this chair at a garage sale and decided to team it with the desk she’d had stored under the house.

The desk was in good condition, except for the garish pink paint showing through the top coat.

So she applied two coats of a grey undercoat to cover the pink, then two coats of a white top coat.

She gave the chair a rough sand along the edges and corners to give it a worn look, then applied a grey undercoat and a white top coat. It was then lightly sanded along the edges and seat for a distressed finish.

Painted in crisp white, the old chair and desk pair well.

Melissa took on the job of restoring this elegant Queen Anne-style seat and drawer combination for her sister.

“Her vision was to add bling to the chair with diamanté buttons and by replacing the old drawer knob with a classy glass one,” says Melissa.

The plan was to paint it white and reupholster it in a complementary grey and white striped fabric.

Remove the staples, metal trim, fabric, arm pad and drawer. Sand the timber, then spray in gloss white paint. Using the old fabric as templates, cut pieces from the new fabric for the base, back and arm pad, with an extra 40mm all round.

Use contact adhesive to bond the fabric to the arm pad, then secure with staples.

Upholster the seat cushion, stapling the fabric along one side and pulling the opposite side taut before stapling.

Repeat for the other sides.