How-to Upcycle a Bedside Table into a Cat Bed

Upcycling furniture is a great way to flex your creativity and salvage a piece of furniture from landfill. Using Resene paints, wallpaper and a few tools, Penny Newton from Crafty Girl Life Hacks has created a comfy bed out of a set of unloved drawers that your moggy will love!

What you need:

* Resene Paint, I used Resene Moby and Resene Teal Blue

* 1 metre of Resene Wallpaper, I used 102656162 from the Resene Only Blue Wallpaper Collection

* Roller brush

* Medium-sized paintbrush

* Sander and sandpaper in various grains

* Painter’s tape

* PVA glue

This project is perfect for an old set of drawers. We found these on the side of the road, but you can also find plenty of second-hand ones at op shops.

Take out the drawers and remove any struts or drawer slides.

Check the quality of the existing paint. If the paint is in good condition, you may be able to get away with painting straight over the top after a light sand. But if there are a lot of chips or peeling (like there was on mine), sand down your drawers to the raw wood, starting with a coarse sandpaper grain, and working up to a lighter grain.

Fill any cracks or holes with wood filler. Also remove the handle from one drawer, and sand down. Once you’ve finished, wipe down with a damp cloth to get rid of any loose dirt.

Now it’s time to start painting the outside. Start with one light coat of Resene Moby. I used a roller brush for a smooth finish. Once the first coat is completely dry, you can add a second coat, and a third if needed. Use a smaller brush to paint around corners and hard-to-reach areas.

Before painting the inside, apply painter’s tape to make sure the edges stay clean. Paint the sides and roof with Resene Teal Blue – you’ll need at least two coats, letting each coat dry completely before adding the next. Leave the back wall unpainted for your wallpaper. I also painted the bottom drawer Resene Teal Blue.

Next, measure your wallpaper to size – it will need to be exactly the same size as the back wall. As it’s such a small area, all we need to do is apply a thin layer of PVA glue, and stick the wallpaper down. Starting from the inside and working out, smooth out any bubbles or surplus glue. Trim sides if necessary.

Place the drawer back inside the unit, and reattach the handle. Finish with your cat’s favourite cushion and fluffy blanket!

Top Tip

* This is also a great idea for dogs! Simply use a bigger chest of drawers and make sure its depth is wide enough, so your pooch has plenty of room to relax.

* Before deciding what colours to use, select your wallpaper. Then you can pick your paint to match.

For more ideas and inspiration, see your local Resene ColorShop, resene.co.nz/colorshops .