If you live on a budget (who doesn’t these days) it’s important to stretch your money as far as it’ll go. Instead of buying new furniture when there’s a ding, scratch, or tear, there are plenty of DIY hacks to revive your well-loved furniture.
With just a few supplies and a little bit of time, these hacks will keep your furniture out of the landfill. Plus, fixing your furniture will keep money in your wallet too. From scratches on wooden chairs to cracks in baseboards, we’ve compiled a list of hacks to keep all your furniture looking new and fresh.
1. Beeswax + Color
For dings and scratches on wooden chairs, tables, and desks, using beeswax is a great option to revitalize the wood. Find a crayon or wood marker pen that matches the color of your wood. Then, add the color to the beeswax, heat it, and make a paste. Use it to fix nicks, cracks, and cuts in the wood.
2. Use Sawdust To Make Wood Filler
If you have wood floors or a butcher block counter, cracks can show up from time to time. Make sure you wear a mask and are in a well-ventilated area before starting. Find a piece of scrap wood of the same type as your piece of furniture. Sand the wood to get the matching sawdust. Mix the sawdust with wood glue or epoxy and put it into the cracks. Sand the area, and then add a stain or varnish to finish the project.
3. Get Heat Marks Out Of Wood
There’s finally a hack to get out those annoying white rings left behind by hot mugs on a wood surface. Mix together olive oil and salt to make a paste. Rub on the wood and leave for thirty minutes. Wipe the mixture off with a rag, and your table will look as good as new.
4. Use Caulk To Fill In Old Baseboards
If you live in an older home you are probably accustomed to several problems. But, fixing these problems doesn’t always have to be costly. When baseboards get cracks and gaps, filling them with new caulk can make a world of difference. Scrape out the old caulk, tape off the wall, fill in the cracks and smooth it out. Your baseboards will look picture-perfect afterward!
5. Fix A Squeaky Floor With Baby Powder
There’s nothing more annoying than an old squeaky floor. Especially when you’ve just put the baby down and are sneaking out of the room. (Is that just me?!) An easy fix is simply using baby powder to get rid of the squeak.
Simple dust the baby powder on the offending area and rub it into the seams between boards with your hand. Using a damp cloth, buff the area until clean. That’s it!
6. Use Chalk To Get An Oil Stain Out Of A Couch
Chalk isn’t just for sidewalk art anymore. If you have a white or colored couch, chalk can get rid of oily stains. First, use a paper towel to get out as much of the excess oil as possible. Then rub a piece of white chalk on the area. Leave for a few minutes, and then brush off. Repeat as many times as necessary to lift the oil stain out of the fabric.
7. Give Life To A Sagging Mattress With Pillows
Eventually, even the best mattresses have some normal wear and tear, and a sagging mattress is no fun to sleep on. If you’re not ready to buy a new one, using old pillows to give some extra life to your mattress is a no-brainer. Place the pillows underneath the mattress in the sagging spots and adjust as needed. This, however, isn’t a permanent solution, so it’s probably time to start saving for a new mattress! Your back will thank you!
