Furniture Category
Whether you have a large or small space in your kitchen, a lazy Susan will make it easier for you to grab what you need plus give your kitchen an interesting look and feel. A lazy Susan is a circular piece of furniture that spins at the bottom. You can put it on your kitchen counter to hold spices and other condiments. Or you can also place it on your dinner table which will make it fun and accessible for guests and family members to pick up the dish that they love. This will also make a great part in your kitchen cupboards as well. One of the great things about a lazy Susan is that it is easy to build and you can create one to any size specification. Continue reading to learn how to build your own simple lazy Susan. Within a few hours or just within an afternoon, you’ll have a finished lazy Susan that you can show off to your wife and friends!
Step 1. Get all the materials you need to build the lazy Susan. You will need wood, jigsaw, and sandpaper. In addition, you will also need the lazy Susan bearing, a drill, felt circles, and paint. For safety purposes, it is best to wear protective eye cover.
Step 2. Identify the area where you would like to put your lazy Susan.
Step 3. Measure the identified area to put circular measurements.
Step 4. With your desired wood, cut it to the measurements you’ve planned out. Once you have the first circular board, you will then need to make another one with half the diameter that you used to build the first. This second circular piece will act as the base for the lazy Susan.
Step 5. Using the sandpaper go over the wood edges until they are smooth.
Step 6. With the first and larger board, turn it over and mark out where you will put the lazy Susan bearings. It might be helpful to place the bearings over the board and remove it once you’ve identified the area that you will need to drill.
Step 7. Drill holes into the marked places. Once that is done, take the first board again and turn it over. Insert the bearings and screw them.
Step 8. Take the smaller board and identify where you will also need to drill holes again. Drill the holes and screw in the bearings. At this point, you will have the two pieces connected with the bearings that you inserted.
Step 9. Paint the lazy Susan in the color that you like. You may also want to consider staining it. Of course, you also have the option of painting the boards ahead of time.
Step 10. Take the felt circles and place it underneath the lazy Susan. There are some self-adhesive felt circles which may save you time and energy than having to glue it on. The felt circle will protect the table or place that you have pointed out to put the lazy Susan.
A storage bench is a great solution for small spaces. Not only do you get extra seating, you also get a place where you can store extra items, such as books, shoes, or even bed and bath linens. But there is even something better than a storage bench, and that’s when you have the seating upholstered for a soft, comfortable seat. This way, the storage bench can even double as living room or studio apartment seating. Upholstering a storage bench is actually a very simple project that costs relatively little, while giving you great value for a long time to come. For this project, you will need a staple gun, foam, the fabric you want to use, scissors, adhesive, batting, and muslin.
Step 1. Using sharp scissors, trim the foam according to the size of the bench seat. Cut a bevelled edge of 45 degrees on the foam edges to give the cushion a nice rounded edge for when you stretch the fabric over it. Spray adhesive onto one side of the foam and on one side of the backing board. Place the foam onto the center of the board, checking that it stays on center. Allow the adhesive to cure.
Step 2. Stretch one layer of batting around your foam and backing board. Smooth out the batting as you lay it onto the foam, ensuring a good fit. Then, carefully lift up the foam and plywood and spray adhesive onto the bottom of the batting and on top of the foam. Be sure to smooth out the adhesive and allow it to cure.
Step 3. Stretch the muslin over your backing board, batting, and foam. Be sure to leave enough extra over the edges so you can wrap it around the board all the way. Pull the muslin tight, securing it to the back of the backing board using a staple gun. To make a nice, tight fit, staple on the long edge first, right on the center, and then staple the opposite side while putting counter pressure for a firm fit. After that, do the same to the short edges. Keep stapling through the muslin and batting around the perimeter on the back, and trim off the excess muslin while you go along. Ensure a tight fit, working out wrinkles as you go and staple. You can estimate to have one staple for every inch, although you can go for more for a good and tight fit with no wrinkles. If there are protruding staples, lightly tap them in using a hammer.
Step 4. Wrap the “show” fabric over your muslin. With the muslin free of wrinkles, it will be very easy to add the fabric. Staple the fabric to the back of the board the way you did with the muslin. If you are using fabric with a pattern, check that you line the pattern up straight across the edges. Lastly, add the upholstered cushions, nailing the front trim into place. Now you can enjoy your freshly upholstered storage bench!
A built-in closet or wardrobe is a great way to add storage to an overcrowded home. It works just as well when a family is just looking for a way to organize, or even to upsize or downsize their stuff. Instead of having chests of drawers scattered around a room, a built-in closet allows you to stow clothing, linen, and just about anything out of sight while still being within quick reach. While you can also opt for a stand-alone closet, the built-in type has the advantage of utilizing the space from floor to ceiling, and with its being installed right against existing walls, you can be sure it maximizes space the most. For this project, you will need a jigsaw, 2 x 4 lumber, carpentry tools, nails and screws, drywall, closet fittings, sliding doors with tracking, primer, and paint.
Step 1. Draw up plans for the wardrobe with all the dimensions of the wall and the size you want. Alternatively, you can search for blueprints on the Internet and just adjust the dimensions according to your space. Home improvement stores may also have such plans.
Step 2. If you intend to have interior lighting in your closet, find sources for electrical wiring in the wall prior to starting construction, and mark the area using pencil or tape.
Step 3. Mark the place where the two sidewalls and the closet entry wall will go with masking tape or a pencil. A standard wardrobe measures 28 inches in depth, so make sure your measurements are at least 28 inches deep. Construct the side walls using the 2 x 4 pieces of wood. You can either frame up the side walls on the floor, and then raise them to position and anchor them to the wall, or build the frames for the side wall directly. Close the three walls in with more 2 x 4 panels.
Step 4. Make a mark to note the center of the wardrobe. You can make sure everything is lining up correctly by hanging a plumb bob from the marks on the ceiling to meet the parameter lines on the wardrobe floor. Nail 2 x 4 pieces of lumber to the existing flooring and to the ceiling for a finished interior. Also nail some more 2 x 4’s to the front of the wardrobe to make a door frame. Then, tack or tape precut drywall sheets to the side, ceiling, and front walls of the wardrobe to finish its interior.
Step 6. Make a hole on the drywall section that covers the electrical power source. To install a ceiling light in the wardrobe, cut out a section from the drywall in the ceiling.
Step 7. To install the sliding door, first fasten the tracks on the bottom and top of the opening using screws. Then position the doors on the track.
Step 8. To finish the wardrobe, install drywall onto the exterior or sand and finish the surface. Also install the pole sockets inside, where you will hang a clothes rod. If your closet is rather wide, add a center bracket to keep the long pole from sagging.
A closet or alcove without shelves always translates into storage limitations. After all, storage space is already at a premium. Using stand-alone racks inside an alcove or closet may sometimes work at keeping smaller items stored away, but for long-term use, built-in shelves are still more stable and work better at maximizing space. They also save valuable floor space, which standing wire racks tend to take up much of. These shelves also allow for a more permanent place for things, such as for items that are no longer in use but are too expensive or sentimental to throw away. If you wish to install built-in shelves to your closet or alcove, you will need the following tools and materials: an electric drill, an electronic stud finder, a 2” level, circular saw, tape measure, sliding bevel, 1 x 2-inch boards, coarse thread drywall screws, and shelving board or glass.
Step 1. Plan how many shelves you need and how many you can realistically fit into the space. Take note of the thickness of the shelf boards, as this will eat up a considerable amount of space, especially if you want more shelves.
Step 2. Install the shelf cleats, or 1 x 2-inch boards, to the level where you want the shelves to go, starting with the rear of the closet. To install the cleat, hold it against the rear of the closet with the level under it, and draw a pencil over the top edge as a reference mark. Set the wood aside and locate wall studs with your stud finder. Mark the center for the studs on the reference line, and mark that point on the cleat. Drill a pilot hole on the mark, and screw the cleat onto the wall using drywall screws.
Step 3. Cut two side cleats at ½-inch shorter than the length spanning the side wall up to the face of the rear cleat. To make the side cleats look more aesthetically pleasing, you can opt to miter the front edge of both cleats to a 45 degree angle, with the top offering full support for the shelf while the bottom is less visible. Do the same as when you installed the rear cleats, making sure they are level.
Step 4. Before you install the shelves, take note that the interior drywall corners in most homes are hardly ever exact square. As such, you will need to check the corners at the top of the cleats with a sliding bevel. Hopefully, there will be very little difference and you can still cut your shelf out with a right angle on both back corners. In that case, you can just cover up the small gaps with paintable caulk.
Step 5. If the angle of the inside corner is too far from a 90-degree angle, use the sliding bevel to determine the angle and cut the shelf according too that angle. Set the shelf in place. If you want to keep it permanently in place, you can opt to drill pilot holes on each side of the shelf and attach it to the cleats using screws.
When you feel like your living room can use a bit of renovating but you are on a tight budget, there are some things you can do yourself to spruce up the place. Reupholstering a couch is a great way to do this while saving money. After all, no matter how old your couch looks, new upholstery will have it looking like brand new in no time at all, and at very little cost. Also, knowing how to reupholster a couch means that you can actually buy used furniture and reupholstering them to fit the design you want. For this project, you will need fabric, pins, scissors, a staple gun, a tack hammer, pliers, measuring tape, sewing machine, pencil, needles, and matching thread.
Step 1. The first thing you need to do is to make measurements of the couch in all directions. Make measurements of all dimensions you need to cover; this lets you know how many yards of fabric you will need. While you make the measurements, think about the color scheme you want the room to have.
Step 2. Place the couch in a room where will not mind making a mess in. Using pliers, carefully remove the old fabric on the couch, being sure not to rip it off. The pieces need to be left impact, as you will need it to form the pattern for your new fabric. When the fabric is removed, check the padding: if the padding is already worn off, you can add quilt batting to soften them some more. Also confirm that the frame or springs are not damaged.
Step 3. When you go to shop for the fabric, bring something of the color you want to have as a guide. Typically, upholstery fabric should be one that stands up well to wear and tear, although any fabric can actually work; just make sure you pick a durable kind, and in a design that is easy to match. This means that complicated patterns may be more difficult to complement. Make sure you buy one or two yards over what you measured to give room for mistakes. Also think about whether you want matching cushions; in that case, buy extra fabric for the cushions.
Step 4. Lay the new fabric out, and pin the old fabric on top of it; trace the pattern of the old pieces onto the underside of the new fabric. Cut out the new pattern, matching the size and shape of the old pieces.
Step 5. Put the new, cut pieces of fabric onto the correct position on the couch to reassemble. Use the staple gun to attach the fabric to the couch frame, making sure you do so in the same way that that old pieces had been attached. A tack hammer can help to secure the fabric in place. As you do this, be sure to stretch the fabric so you can get a nice, tight fit, keeping wrinkles to a minimum. This will make your couch look professionally upholstered. As an additional task, you can also sew covers for cushions to make them match using the same fabric, sewing three sides and adding a zipper for the fourth side.
Old cabinets typically come with simple hinges that swing open—and stay that way—until you slam it closed and push it right into the opening. This is typically acceptable for cabinets like wardrobes or closets, but for kitchen cabinets, you will find doors that stay open a safety hazard, not only for overhanging cabinets that might hit you on the head, but also for floor cabinets that might leave a risk of bottle breakage for little hands.
If your house or apartment currently has kitchen cabinets that utilize these safety hazards, you have two choices: either you develop the habit of keeping them closed all the time as you go about your busy kitchen tasks, or you could replace the hinges with concealed hinges that automatically swing the door shut with a slight nudge. However, many people are uncertain how to install concealed hinges, as they are not as straightforward as the regular hinges which you simply screw onto the cabinet door and the sides of the cabinet. These simple steps should give you the confidence you need in replacing all the outdated hinges with concealed hinges:
Step 1. Before you remove the cabinet door, check the thickness of the wood: typically, concealed hinges will require at least ¾-inch thick plywood, as you will be burying the hinge into the wood, and anything thinner than ¾-inch might cause the hinge to go through the wood.
Step 2. Remove the cabinet door by unscrewing the existing hinges. Before you install the new hinges, you might want to apply a bit of wood putty to the holes caused by the screws of the hinges. If you intend to install the concealed hinges on another part of the door, you can even choose to repaint that portion.
Step 3. Open the concealed hinge with the fat part facing the cabinet door and the thin part assigned to the inner wall of the kitchen cabinet. Screw the thin part onto the cabinet wall. If the material is hardwood, you may benefit from using a hand drill.
Step 4. Hold the cabinet door to the kitchen cabinet to mark where you will put the fat part of the concealed hinges. Using a pencil, draw around the hinge, making sure you have the edge of the hinge meeting the edge of the wood.
Step 5. Chisel out the space for the concealed hinge using a hammer and a chisel. Use the other hinge in the pair to check if you have chiselled it out deep enough. Once it is thick enough, screw the hinge in place.
Step 6. Do the same for the other hinge in the pair. Now you get to enjoy your new kitchen cabinet with concealed hinges!
Wooden cabinets and tables with drawers are great places to store things, but when the drawer gets stuck, it can be extremely frustrating. This is even more so if the drawer contains important documents or items. Even if you finally get the drawer open one time, it can still get stuck the next time, resulting in another round of frustration and annoyance. If you have one of these hard-headed drawers, there is actually a practical solution to your problem:
Step 1. For this project you will need the following things: an extension cord with a socket for a light bulb, or a portable lamp; a 75-watt incandescent light bulb; coarse grade sandpaper, ½-grit, about one sheet should be enough; silicone spray or paraffin wax.
Step 2. If you have already managed to remove the drawer, proceed to Step 3. If it is still stuck in place, try to open the drawer even just a few inches. This may require the frustrating pulling and pushing just to get it to open a tiny bit, at least enough to allow the light bulb to be inserted into the opening. If there is a neighboring drawer or a drawer above or below it through which you can access the stuck drawer, check if anything needs to be cleared; you can use a bent coat hanger to fish around in the drawer to make sure nothing is stuck on the sides or the top.
Step 3. When you have successfully opened the drawer a bit, put the extension cord with the light bulb into the drawer and turn on the bulb by plugging the extension cord into the nearest outlet. Leave the lit bulb inside for about 15 minutes to heat up the space enough; the heat of the bulb will shrink the wood, and when the wooden drawer is shrunk enough, it will become very easy to pull the drawer out.
Step 4. Remove the drawer and place it on a stable surface, and use the coarse-grit sandpaper to smooth down the sides of the drawer. Also be sure to sand down the tops and bottoms of the drawer runners. Dust off the sawdust or use a cloth rag to wipe off the dust from the drawer sides.
Step 5. Apply silicone spray or rub paraffin on the sides of the drawer and on the tops and bottoms of the runners. This will give the drawer a smooth and sliding surface so that it would not get stuck again.
Step 6. Put the drawer back into the cabinet. Do not push it all the way back in yet; instead, test to see if there are still areas of the drawer that seem binding. If you find any place where the fit still seems tight, remove the drawer again and sandpaper that portion. Once you are done, you can be confident to leave the drawer in its place and you can be sure it will no longer stick.
Furniture in the home typically does not suffer from broken legs, but when one of the legs on your dining set chairs gets broken, you likely will not want to replace the entire set to make them match. Or, if the broken leg happens to belong to a sentimental piece, you also might not be too keen with the idea of buying a new item. Good news is, it is possible to repair a broken furniture leg.
Step 1. Gather your materials for the task. For repairing broken furniture legs, you will need diagonal cutters, rasp, large nails dependent on the leg diameter, a hand or electric drill, small fine file, masking tape, polyvinyl glue, preferably white, a roll of waxed paper, and about 4 to 5 feet of strong twine.
Step 2. Turn the furniture in question over so that its legs are pointing upwards. If you are fixing a chair, you can put it on a workbench or a table so that the back is hanging down. If you will be fixing a heavy table, be sure you get some help in hoisting it up and not endeavour to flip it over all by yourself.
Step 3. If the broken leg has already been broken at a prior time, use rasp to clean off all the old glue.
Step 4. Using the masking tape, secure the broken leg pieces to each other in their original position.
Step 5. Use your diagonal cutters to cut the head off your large nail, (a 4-penny nail typically works well) and put the nail into your drill. You will be using this as your bit. Drill two holes, at right angle, through the broken leg. Insert 4-penny nails into the holes in a way that the nails protrude out of the ends of both holes.
Step 6. Remove the masking tape from around the leg. Apply paraffin wax on the finished portions of the leg, making sure you stay away from the broken joint. This is because the wax will keep your glue from doing its work.
Step 7. Put some glue into the broken joint and around the sides of the break. Squeeze the parts together until the glue oozes out. Use waxed paper to wrap the joint, and hold it tightly together using twine. Let the furniture dry overnight.
Step 8. The next day, remove the twine and the waxed paper. Then, use the diagonal cutters to cut off the parts of the nails that are protruding out, as close as possible to the leg. Use your file to smoothen the nail end, making sure it is flush with the surface of the leg. When you are sure it is sufficiently and properly filed, you can turn your furniture piece back on its right side, and it can be used again as per normal.
If you happen to have toddlers or preschoolers in the house, your wooden furniture will likely not be safe from crayon drawings or, even worse, marker drawings. No matter how your spouse might try to keep the kids in check, they will always love to draw and may not always know that it is not wise to draw on furniture, walls, or the door of your house or apartment. What do you do if your house if full of these drawings and you want to rid the house of all such markings?
Step 1. Don’t panic. Since the surface in question is wood, you have many options as to how to remove them. First try to wash it off with soap and water. Many drawing media can be easily washed away, such as watercolors or washable crayons, if your wife has pre-empted this occurrence by buying the washable kind.
Step 2. If it is not possible to scrub the drawings away, consider your options: if the wooden piece in question is painted, you can actually opt to paint over it; most pieces can be given a third or fourth coat with no problems at all. However, if the drawing has resulted in some of the paint chipping off, such as that done by a sharp pen, you might want to consider scraping off the old paint and repainting the whole thing a new shade.
Step 3. If the surface in question happens to be oil stained or varnished, still, there is no need to panic. The fact that the surface is made of wood gives you hope: all you will need will be some sandpaper, a sander, if you have access to one, and new varnish or oil stain, along with some wood putty.
Step 4. Use the sander to sand off a thin portion of the wood. Technically, it will make no difference. Should it result in some uneven portions, though, you can quickly remedy that by applying wood putty to the uneven areas, and then running your sander over the area again. If you do not have a sander, you can do it manually using sandpaper: just be sure to install it to a thick piece of wood that you can easily hold in your hand without subjecting your palm to the direct friction caused by rubbing the sandpaper on the wooden surface.
Step 5. When you are done sanding the surface to an acceptable smoothness, you can proceed with the process of applying varnish or wood stain, whatever was the original finish on the furniture, wall, or door. By the time you are done, nobody will ever be the wiser that that surface used to be the canvass of a very artistically-inclined preschooler!
If you are tired of the looks of paint or varnish as being the only things you can apply to your wooden furniture, perhaps it is time you gave wood stain a try. While it might seem like a complicated process that only experts can successfully do, once you understand the things involved and have the patience to work at it for at least three days, it is actually very simple. You can relax knowing there is no special knowledge or expert skills or even expensive tools needed to get a flawless look.
Step 1. Collect the supplies you need to have on hand: 100-grit or medium sanding paper or sponge as well as extra fine (240- or 280-grit) sanding paper; two 2-1/2 inch natural-bristle brushes for the actual staining process, dry brushing, and for applying the clear finishes; cotton painter’s rags, as old clothing or bed sheets that come with synthetic fibers might leave behind colors and will not be able to absorb stain as well as a 100% cotton rag; disposable gloves to keep your hands safe from solvents; mineral spirits to clean your brushes and to thin the stain if necessary; and tack cloths to help you get rid of the last bits of dust after your sanding in between coats.
Step 2. Use the 100-grit sanding sponge or paper to sand the flat surfaces of your furniture in the direction of the grain. Keep sanding until all the rough areas and imperfections are removed. For curved areas, use a sanding pad. If your furniture piece happens to come with tight crevices, fold a piece of sandpaper and sand the crevices.
Step 3. Clean the room. A clean area is crucial for that smooth finish that is blemish-free. If you are sanding in the actual area where you will be finishing the piece of furniture, as in the case of doors that are already installed, give a few hours in between sanding and cleaning to give the dust a chance to settle onto the floor. Vacuum the floor as well as nearby work areas, followed by damp mopping. Sweeping is a no-no, as it simply stirs up even more dust.
Step 4. Apply the stain on the wood liberally and quickly over the surface, and then wipe them off with the clean cotton rags in the same order, to let the stain soak into the wood at the same period of time for each area. Use light and even pressure when wiping, making sure you do not leave streaks. Fold over your rags to have dry cloth for most of the areas, and get a new rag every time it gets too soaked. Drag a dry brush across the areas with cracks or crevices in order to reach them. Wipe your bristles off on a rag or newspaper to keep them dry. Let the surface sit overnight.
Step 5. Apply sanding sealer quickly with a brush onto the furniture surface, taking care not to miss a spot. Shining strong light on the wet surface will show you areas you may have missed, as they will look dull. Tip off the wet finish by brushing the entire surface in overlapping but light strokes of the brush.
Step 6. When the sealer has dried, sand the surface using extra fine sanding paper, until fine dust appears on all surfaces and it feels smooth to the touch. Then, brush the varnish on and tip off just like you did with the sanding sealer. Let dry overnight.
