Get a Fresh Look with Easy Furniture Updates

(Family Features) When you grow bored with your furnishings or want to change up the look and feel of a room, you may find yourself trying to put off redecorating until you have a bigger budget. Instead, you can give the furniture you already have a unique, fresh look at a fraction of the cost.

These projects from the crafting experts at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores show how easy it can be to transform a tired old desk or a basic dining chair into one-of-a-kind pieces that complement your space perfectly.

Chalk Acrylic Paint Desk

Crafting time: Weekend project

Skill level: Beginner

Supplies and Tools:

• painter's tape
  
• FolkArt Home Decor Chalk: Imperial or color of choice
  
• 2-inch paintbrush
  
• hand sander and 80 grit sandpaper
  
• soft cloth
  
• dark wax

1. Using painter's tape, tape off areas not to be painted. Paint desk. Allow to dry and recoat as needed.
   
   
2. When dry, distress edges with hand sander until desired look is achieved. Using soft cloth, wipe on dark wax and buff.

Sitting Pretty Painted Chair

Crafting time: 1-2 hours

Skill level: Intermediate

Supplies and Tools:

• white cotton canvas to cover seat and back of chair
• masking tape in a variety of widths
• Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in Ebony, Crimson Red, Royal Blue and Sunshine Yellow
• foil or foam plate for palette
• paintbrushes
• spray paint in coordinating color
• scissors
• Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Spray
• Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue
• staple gun and staples
• craft knife
• black trim fabric
• Glam-It-Up! Iron-On Crystals in Clear
• Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool

1. Lay canvas flat on work surface. Randomly place a variety of tape strips on canvas, intersecting strips to create abstract lines and shapes.
   
   
2. Fill in open areas between tape strips with fabric colors, using one dominant shade for majority of sections, with other colors as occasional accents. Remove tape and allow fabric to dry.
   
   
3. Remove old upholstery from chair. Reserve it to use as a pattern for cutting painted fabric.
4. Spray paint chair base; allow to dry.
   
   
5. Cut out painted canvas to fit chair backing and base. Apply tacky spray to chair base and position painted fabric over base. This will help to hold new fabric in place while gluing and stapling edges. Repeat for chair back.
   
   
6. Use tacky glue around the edges of fabric to secure it to chair base and back. Use staple gun to secure fabric edges on the base and back for additional security. Trim excess fabric around edges with craft knife. Cover edges of fabric and staples with black trim, secured with tacky glue. Allow glue to dry completely.
   
   
7. Cut out heart shape from scrap of painted canvas. Cover heart with clear crystals and use heat-setting tool to set crystals in place, following instructions on packaging. Use tacky glue to secure crystal heart to chair back. Allow to dry.

Find more ideas for crafty ways to update your furnishings at joann.com.