Upcycle your furniture for FREE with this ingenious (and super easy) paint idea

(Image credit: Dulux)

last updated 18 June 2020

Got some leftover paint? Or a few tester pots you don't have any use for? Well you can do this paint project no problem. Literally, all you need is a piece of furniture (it can be anything from a chair to a wardrobe), some paint and a paintbrush.

As you can probably tell we are all about easy DIY projects, and this one is definitely easy, plus it takes less than an hour and the results are fab! So keep on scrolling to get dip dying all the furniture in your home, and make sure you check out our weekend projects hub page too for loads more ideas.

You will need:

Step one: clean and sand down your furniture

Use a microbfibre cloth and warm water to clean any dust or dirt off your furniture. Allow it to dry and then sand down any rough surfaces or bits of old paint. Again dust off any debris before you start painting.

Step two: decide on your design

So do you want a neat line where you have 'dipped' your furniture or do you want a more ombre look? If you are going for the neat look like the stools below, you will need to mask off the areas before you start painting. If you are doing for the shabby chic look you can skip this step.

Forget the kale smoothie, all you need to get your daily green fix this Autumn/winter is an uplifting kitchen colour scheme 💚 🎨 #EnchantedEden #LusciousLime #OvertlyOlive #KitchenDecor #Interiors #HomeDecor #HomeTrends #Paint #ColourScheme #HomeInteriors Dulux
A photo posted by @duluxuk on Oct 30, 2018 at 10:20am PDT

Step three: get painting

Told you this was a simple project! If you have created a masking tape line, start painting below the line with a small brush or roller depending on the size of your furniture. You might need to do two coats for a solid colour.

If you are going for the more faded look start by painting the bottom of your furniture in a solid colour and then just add less and less paint as you fade upwards, there's no real technique just keep going until you get the desired effect. Don't overload your brush, remember you can add paint but can't take it away so less is always more.

This picture is a bit of a throw back, to a time when I loved buying vintage frames and floral art from eBay 😂. I mean I still love buying these things. But my spending habits are a little more reigned these days . I’m a spender at heart and so I’ve had to teach myself over the years how to go through my basket at the end of a frantic online shop and ask myself if I REALLY really needed’ this thing I was about to buy. Especially if my account happened to be in overdraft 😅😅. How about you? Are you a saver or a spender ? . . . . . (Picture features some gifted items from previous collabs. Baskets, and throw from Primark) . . . . . #howyouhome #bohostyle #bohodecor #bohemianstyle #finditstyleit #pursuepretty #aquietstyle #nightstand #abmlifeisbeautiful #dslooking #marieclairemaison #interiorinspo #bedroom #bedroominterior #bedroomdecor #bedroomdesign #ikeaatmine #myhousethismonth #gallerywallhashtag #myinteriormydecor #paintedfurniture #howirent #inmydomaine #myinteriorvibe #myinterior #interiorsnapshot #myhousethismonth #midcenturymodern #theartofslowliving Medina
A photo posted by @grillodesigns on May 17, 2020 at 1:32am PDT

Painting tiles: expert DIY advice on how to paint tiles easily
How to restore wood furniture: clean, repair and refinish
Ikea hacks: 19 easy projects to do during lockdown

Hebe joined the Real Homes team in early 2018 as Staff Writer before moving to the Livingetc team in 2021 where she took on a role as Digital Editor. She loves boho and 70's style and is a big fan of Instagram as a source of interiors inspiration. When she isn't writing about interiors, she is renovating her own spaces – be it wallpapering a hallway, painting kitchen cupboards or converting a van.