Weekend makeover...chest of drawers for a kid's room.

Take one rather uninspiring piece of furniture, paint, some Cath Kidston wallpaper....and, in a weekend, create a show-stopping addition to your kid's room.

Simple pine chests are easy to find in furniture charity shops, newspaper ads, Ebay, etc...

To transform your chosen piece....you will need...

Sand paper

Wood primer paint

Satin wood paint, white is a widely available option.

Paint brush.

Some wallpaper off-cuts, we've showcased Cath Kidston's 'cowboy' wallpaper here.

Wallpaper paste and brush.

PVA glue.

Scissors or craft knife.

Firstly, remove drawer knobs and sand down all the treated surfaces of your chest of drawers, including the drawers...dull and time-consuming I know, but essential for a professional, long-lasting finish.

Apply a couple of coats of the primer all over, leaving the required drying time between coats...you may need to sand lightly after each coat to maintain a smooth finish.

Apply the top coat all over...you'll need to decide how many coats you need depending on the finish you want. Leave the drawer fronts if covering completely with wallpaper....

To cover the drawer fronts, measure the surface area and transfer to the back of the wallpaper...try to use the same piece of surface pattern for each drawer to ensure a 'professional' look.

Using the wallpaper paste, apply the wallpaper pieces to the drawer fronts and when dry go over the top with a watered down PVA mix to protect from knocks.

The example below...photographed by Penny Wincer and featured in the book Homemade Home by Sania Pell has been decorated using a decoupage technique...small pieces of the overall pattern have been carefully cut out and stuck on to create an original scene.

As before, once your wallpaper pieces are attached, use a light mix of PVA to secure...

Paint the drawer knobs to match before reapplying.

That's it...a weekend well spent creating a useful, unique storage item in your kid's room...
Have you revamped any furniture in your home?
How did it go...got any tips you'd like to share...?