Creative Furniture Upcycling for Beginners

Find out more about Joanne and her journey to becoming an award-winning furniture artist. She shares her experience growing up in a creative household, more about her current career, and the influences which have inspired her approach to color.

Delve into what upcycling is and take a look at the materials for this course. Explore experimental DIY techniques and how they can be used to create different patterns and finishes. Collect images for a mood board, then learn how to identify color combinations that work well together. Visualize your upcycled piece by sketching your idea on paper and playing with different patterns and colors to refine it.

Joanne shares her advice for choosing a piece of furniture and the difference between new and used items. Prepare your piece for a professional end result by cleaning, sanding, and priming it before learning how to paint it professionally, starting with its most challenging parts. Once dry, sketch your design from earlier in the course onto your piece and paint it. Put the finishing touches to your project, from refreshing hinges to adding new handles.

To finish the course, Joanne talks you through everything you need to know about selling your piece. Learn how to take professional-looking photos on your phone, promote your work on social media and reach out to blogs and magazines to increase your exposure as an artist.