Updating your home on a budget? Give upcycling a go.

It’s amazing what a splash of paint and a couple of shiny new handles can do. Upcycling is such a cost effective way to breathe new life into your home, plus every piece you customise is completely unique to you and your design scheme. It’s not just about paint either, create a statement with wallpaper, try out some fabric or get creative with a spot of decoupage. Here’s how.

Get the paintbrush out

It’s a quick and easy job and the results will be well worth the minimal effort you put in. It’s all about the prep, or, even better, the chalk paint. With chalk paint, there’s no need for sanding or priming, you can just whack the paint straight onto wood or even mdf. If you don’t have chalk paint you’ll need to sand down and prime with an undercoat first. Always finish off with a protective clear wax or varnish.

For that rustic, charming distressed look, choose an undercoat in one shade, paint a second coat in a contrasting colour and get to work with some sandpaper, letting the base colour come through in parts.

Spray paint is such an easy way to apply colour to woodwork, mdf, plastic or even glass. It’s especially effective if you’re going for a metallic look. It dries quickly and carries such a stunning clean, shiny finish. You can’t go wrong, just be careful where you spray and use outside if possible. Again, make sure you prime and finish with a clear wax or varnish.

Make it pop with patterned paper

Depending on your piece of furniture, patterned wallpaper can be a lovely, fun addition and a great way of livening up an old piece. Simply cut the paper to size, spray the area with a spray mount adhesive or wallpaper paste, pop on and hold well in place. You can even nab a sample of lovely wallpaper from your favourite homeware store for absolutely nothing and use that. Talk about a cheap upgrade.

Pick up a copyright free images book and get creative with decoupage. Once painted, affix the images of your choice with wallpaper paste or spray mount adhesive, covering in clear matt varnish to complete the look.

Add some texture with your fave fabric

Wrap chair legs or arms tightly in a fabric to match your scheme. LIke wallpaper, this is a lovely way to bring a piece to life and the fabric adds texture to the space as an added bonus.