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"  Three top designers turn a flatpack chest of drawers into a fabulous piece of furniture.\u00A0  Follow this step-by-step guide to personalise a chest of drawers. Upcyling Experts Jonathan Parkin and Jenny Lloyd designed a 1950s-style chest (main image).  \u00A0YOU WILL NEED:  6 pieces of lightweight fabric, minimum size 84cm x 30cm (33in x 12in). Printed cottons are easiest to work with. Ideally, the fabric should stand up\u00A0to being soaked in thinned PVA glue and dry without staining Long ruler Large dressmaking scissors or pinking shears (these cut\u00A0a zigzag edge and prevent fraying) 1\u20442in and 2in paintbrushes PVA glue Large plastic yogurt pot or ice- cream carton with a lid G Fabric protector spray \u2013 try Scotchgard, from Amazon Small foam paint roller and tray 500ml matt emulsion or oil-based eggshell \u2013 try Dulux Paint Mixing eggshell in Golden Fern 5, \u00A313.09 for 500ml, B&amp;amp;amp;Q Fine and medium sandpaper Beeswax \u2013 try Liberon Beeswax Paste in Clear, from Amazon  HOW TO CREATE THIS LOOK:  Before assembling the unit decide which fabrics will go on which drawers. Cut\u00A0out six pieces of fabric, each measuring 84cm x 30cm (33in x 12in). Find the drawer fronts\u00A0in the longer flatpack box. Be aware that they have a top edge (a groove runs along the inside bottom). Place the first one right-side up on a table protected by a\u00A0dust sheet. Using the 2in paintbrush, paint the surface of one drawer front evenly with PVA glue, not thickly but covering every inch. Starting from one end, place a piece of fabric onto the glued surface (being aware of which way up the design runs). Leave an even margin of extra fabric around each edge and brush out any creases with the flat of your hand. If it starts to go off track, don&amp;#039;t panic \u2013 just lift the fabric up, shift it into position and carry on. When it&amp;#039;s in place, smooth the surface thoroughly. Turn the whole thing over, and trim off any fabric that will overlap the side screw holes or the bottom groove. Decant some PVA glue into the plastic carton, add approximately five parts water and mix thoroughly. This will store well with the lid on. It&amp;#039;s crucial not to bulk up the corners as there is very little space between the drawers\u00A0of this chest. At each corner, lightly mark two lines on the opened-out fabric flaps, continuing out from the corner, following the line of the drawer sides. Cut along the lines to remove a small square of fabric. Starting at the bottom right-hand corner, use the 1\u20442in brush to paint up the side of\u00A0the right-hand edge with the diluted glue and fold over\u00A0the flap, pulling it firmly and repeatedly smoothing it until it&amp;#039;s in place. You can also add more glue on top of the fabric here. Now do the same along the bottom edge and complete the corner neatly. Any fraying can be taken care of by over-painting with diluted glue, which will dry hard and clear. Continue with the rest of the drawer front, lifting the fabric and applying more glue if you need to. Repeat with the other drawer fronts, leave to dry, then treat with fabric protector spray. Assemble the chest according to the instructions, minus the drawers, and paint all visible areas using the 1\u20442in brush for the small edges and the roller for the top and sides. When dry, rub over with fine sandpaper to a smooth finish. Over-paint any knots in the pine that are showing through. Allow to dry and apply a second coat to the entire cabinet. When dry, sand again with fine-grade paper. Next, sand the edges with medium paper to give an &amp;#039;aged&amp;#039; effect. If you go too far, you can just add some more paint and start again. Once you&amp;#039;re satisfied with the paintwork, wax it, removing any residue with a clean cloth. Paint, age and wax the knobs in the same way. Assemble the drawers and attach the knobs.  MODERN GRAPHICS Designer and Eco Expert Oliver Heath teamed wallpaper-covered drawers with tassel handles.  YOU WILL NEED:  Medium sandpaper 5L eco eggshell paint \u2013 try Dulux Trade Ecosure Quick Drying Eggshell, \u00A371.50 for 5L, Dulux Decorator Centre Small foam paint roller and tray 1in and 2in paintbrushes long ruler 1 roll of wallpaper\u00A0\u2013 try Geo, \u00A3150 a roll, Ella Doran Design Ready-mixed wallpaper paste wallpaper brush \u00A0Craft knife or scalpel Water-based glue 12 tassels to use as handles &amp;amp;gt;  HOW TO CREATE THE LOOK:  Assemble the chest according to the instructions, without\u00A0attaching the handles. Sand\u00A0the wooden surfaces, excluding the drawers, to create a key\u00A0for the paint to stick to. Add a little water to the paint to thin it. Apply a coat of paint to all surfaces, except the interior back panel and the drawers. Start by painting the unit upside down, so you don&amp;#039;t miss any areas of the underside. Use the roller on the larger surfaces. Allow to dry. Apply at least a further two\u00A0coats, allowing each one to dry before applying the next. Place the drawer fronts right side up on a table protected by a dustsheet. Cut six rectangles of wallpaper slightly larger than the drawer fronts. Make sure the pattern repeat matches from drawer to drawer. Apply ready-mixed paste to the reverse of the paper and leave for a minute for the glue to soak in. It may also help to apply a thin layer of paste to the drawer fronts. Carefully position the paper in place. The glue will allow for some repositioning. Brush out any air bubbles with a wallpaper brush and leave to dry. Once dry, turn each drawer onto its front on a stable surface and trim off any excess wallpaper with a sharp craft knife or scalpel. To protect the surface of the paper you can apply a layer\u00A0of water-based glue, such as Copydex, \u00A33.62 from Amazon, with a clean foam roller. It will go on white but dry to a clear finish. If the tassel comes with a loop, thread through the hole for the drawer handle. Mine didn&amp;#039;t so I threaded a leather string through the top of the tassel. Pass this through the existing drawer handle hole and secure the other side with an electrical connector strip that can be easily adjusted so the tassel is in the right place.  TIMELESS ELEGANCE Designer Sophie Conran created this beautiful, classic piece.\u00A0  YOU WILL NEED:  1 litre primer 1in and 2in\u00A0paintbrushes Small foam paint roller and tray 2.5l water-based eggshell for the unit \u2013 try Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell in Perfect Oyster, \u00A343.21 for 2.5L, Dulux Decorator Centre 1 litre water-based eggshell for the legs \u2013 try Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell in Night Jewels 1, \u00A321.60 for 2.5L, Dulux Decorator Centre long ruler Thick card Scissors or scalpel Artist&amp;#039;s blunt-end brush \u2013 try Pro Arte Sterling long flat synthetic acrylic/oil brush 201LF size 4, \u00A34.90, Jackson&amp;#039;s Art Supplies 1L water-based eggshell for faux mouldings \u2013 try Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell in Nutmeg White, \u00A321.60 for 1L, Dulux Decorator Centre 12 cabinet knobs 1 roll of wallpaper \u2013 try Sophie Conran 2 Silver Lining in Mink, \u00A345 a roll, Wallpaperdirect PVA glue  HOW TO CREATE THIS LOOK:  Assemble the chest according to the instructions, without attaching the handles. Apply primer to all the surfaces, except the interior back panel and the drawer interiors. Thin the primer with a little water if necessary to avoid creating brush stokes. Start by painting the unit upside down, so as not to miss any areas of the underside. Use the roller on the larger surfaces. Allow to dry. Apply one or two coats of the mid-shade eggshell to all the surfaces already covered with primer, except the leg frame. Allow to dry completely between coats. Apply one or two coats of the dark shade of eggshell to the leg frame. Allow to dry completely between coats. Use the thick card to make a template for the faux moulding on the drawer fronts. Cut a piece of card to the exact size of the drawer fronts. Measure and mark a border 3cm in from the edges of your template, forming a large rectangle. Mark a point 2cm from each corner of the rectangle on both the long and short sides. Using the points that you&amp;#039;ve marked, draw a neat semicircle inwards at each corner. It may help to use a \u00A32 coin as a guide. Using a scalpel and ruler, or\u00A0a sharp pair of scissors, cut out the template, taking care to get a smooth semicircle at each corner, with no jagged edges. Place a drawer on its back and position the template on the drawer front, making sure that it&amp;#039;s equidistant from the edges on each side. Place a heavy\u00A0weight on top to hold the template in place. Use the artist&amp;#039;s brush and the palest shade of eggshell to create the faux moulding. Using the edge of the template to steady your brush, apply a band of paint the width of the paintbrush all the way around the template. Apply two thin coats for a more even finish. Repeat on each drawer front. Screw in the knobs. Line the base and sides of each drawer with wallpaper, taking care to make sure the pattern repeat matches. Stick in place with PVA glue and leave to dry.   Photographs: Oliver Gordon  Keep up-to-date with our inspiring ideas, latest looks, real-life homes and expert advice by signing up for our FREE newsletter\u2026  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.housebeautiful.co.uk/renovate/upcycle/news/a128/3-ways-to-personalise-an-ikea-chest-of-drawers/>