WANT to upgrade your home – without splashing the cash on a total refit? You needn’t spend a fortune to give your house a facelift.
With some crafty home hacks – using self-adhesives and other purse-friendly D.I.Y materials – you can transform tired rooms in just a few hours, giving your interiors a brand-new look at bargain prices. In the first of a three-day series on how to transform your home and garden, Laura Stott reveals how to pamper your pad for pennies.
KITCHEN
WALLPAPER
Use special-effect wallpaper for a bespoke backsplash and get a high-end tiled look for a fraction of the price. Quick and easy to do, with no fiddly grouting. Get a designer look by wallpapering spaces behind worktops or even entire kitchen walls.
- Glitter tiles, £14.99 from bmstores.co.uk – buy now
FLOOR
These are a fantastic low-cost way to make a big impact with minimum stress. Durable and easy to clean – it couldn’t be easier to achieve a modern mosaic effect. Simply stick down in place of your existing old floor for an expensive designer look in a flash.
- Peel-and-stick tiles, £12 from homebase.co.uk – buy now
COOKER
Updating small areas can revive dated interiors instantly. Try transforming drab cooker splashbacks or other hardworking areas with heat-resistant, wipe-down, colourful D-C-Fix panels. Simply peel and stick these practical and budget-friendly panels in place of existing fittings. Choose from copper, silver and glossy primary colours to suit your style.
- D-C-Fix checkerboard, £8 from diy.com – buy now
CUPBOARDS
Revamp tired cupboard doors with peel-and-stick film in the colour and finish of your choice. From sleek, modern black and grey wood effects to bright reds, blues and glossy greens, there are loads of colours and finishes to choose from. Durable, water and heat-resistant to 75C, wipe-clean and easy enough to remove, they are the perfect hardworking material for your family hub. Just stick over your existing fittings to update your kitchen for next to nothing.
- D-C-Fix self-adhesive oak grey film, £8.99 from bmstores.co.uk – buy now
WALLS
Make-over your kitchen walls in minutes with trendy, 3D-effect, metro-style tiles. No need for fiddly grouting or meticulous laying – just peel and stick the tile effect panels to your existing surfaces when they are clean. Hard-wearing, water and fire-resistant, they can be easily trimmed to fit any space. Use them to brighten up areas behind sinks, worktops or appliances.
- Gel peel-and-stick subway tiles, £22.99 from wayfair.co.uk – buy now
WORKTOP
Give tired worktops an upgrade with a glossy marble-effect makeover. Heat-resistant up to 75C, it is durable and perfect for giving your kitchen a complete upcycle in a day.
Step 1: Clean and dry old worktops thoroughly to remove grease and dust.
Step 2: Measure your worktop and cut the film to size, allowing extra to cover the edges.
Step 3: Peel the backing paper from the film and carefully stick it down. Go slowly, smoothing the film down as you go. Smooth away any air bubbles.
Step 4: Fold and wrap around the overhang, trimming if necessary.
- D-C-Fix gloss-grey marble-effect self-adhesive film, £10 from diy.com – buy now
- D-C-Fix self-adhesive vinyl marble-effect white film, £2.29 from vinyldepot.co.uk – buy now
- D-C-Fix application kit, £4 from diy.com – buy now
FRIDGE
Ugly old fridges that still function properly can be given a stainless-steel new look with this easy upcycling trick.
Step 1: Thoroughly clean and dry the old fridge, removing grease and dust
Step 2: Measure your fridge and cut the film to size, allowing extra for the corners and edges.
Step 3: Peel away the film’s backing paper and stick in place. Seal edges.
Step 4: Use a triangle shape to fold down into neat corners. Smooth or burst any air bubbles.
- D-C-Fix matt silver-effect self-adhesive film, £10 from diy.com – buy now
PLACE MATS
If you can’t face revamping your whole kitchen, why not start small? Try creating some cut-price accessories.
Whether you love a nautical kitchen theme, country chic or urban sleek, these easy-to-make DIY place mats are cheap as chips, heat and water-resistant and can be tailored to your own tastes.
The sky’s the limit in terms of colours and finishes. Just make sure you pick a durable, heatproof material.
Step 1: Measure and cut cardboard into 40cm x 30cm squares.
Step 2: Measure and cut the film, allowing a 2cm border extra to wrap.
Step 3: Peel away the backing paper, stick slowly.
Step 4: Make triangle shapes to seal the corners and smooth them down.
- D-C-Fix slate-grey self-adhesive film, £6 from diy.com – buy now
KID'S ROOM
SMALL TABLE
Turn a plain bedside table or desk into something funkier by getting creative with stick-on flourishes and patterns. Take your pick of countless colours, patterns and shapes to give boring furniture some bespoke brilliance. Great for updating furniture as tastes change – and without breaking the bank.
- D-C-Fix self-adhesive glossy gold film, £5.99 from bmstores.co.uk – buy now
WARDROBES
Add some metallic dazzle to your child’s bedroom. Stick-on glitter panels come in various colours and are ideal to make-over wardrobe panels, drawers, desks and dressing tables. Simply cut to fit, peel and stick on, giving tired furniture a new lease of life.
- D-C-Fix pink glitter, £8.99 from bmstores.co.uk – buy now
LAMP
Turn a boring old lamp into a magical unicorn night-light with nothing more than craft tape and glitter sprays.
Step 1: Wipe clean the base, place on a large sheet of newspaper outside and spray paint to cover. Leave to dry.
Step 2: Cut tape strips to the required size. Arrange in vertical stripes, continuing around to cover the shade.
Step 3: Curl the edges underneath to seal down tape on the inside.
- Raspberry acrylic spray paint, £7; unicorn duct tape, £4, both from hobbycraft.co.uk – buy now
STARS WALL FRIEZE
Give any bedroom a new look without spending time and money on redecorating. Washi tape can be used to decorate anywhere and sticks to painted surfaces – without marking your walls. Create colourful motifs, fun murals, shapes or patterns across walls and ceilings. Or focus on a single area to create a headboard effect over beds. Cheap as chips – and when tastes change, simply pull the tape from the wall, tugging at a 45-degree angle.
Step 1: Clean the surface to remove any dust and grease.
Step 2: Cut a simple star-shaped template out of paper.
Step 3: Use the template to trace an outline on the wall surface in pencil.
Step 4: Prepare strips of your selected colours of tape. Stick on to the wall.
- Washi tape, £3.50 from hobbycraft.co.uk – buy now
UNDER-BED STORAGE UNIT
Upcycle shoeboxes to create this brilliant under-the-bed storage system, perfect for keeping clothes, toys or other bits out of the way.
Step 1: Place old shoeboxes side by side to create an even-numbered unit shape, making sure the size you choose fits neatly under the bed.
Step 2: Use a glue gun or double-sided sticky tape to fasten the boxes together into a grid formation. Allow to set firm.
Step 3: Make a small hole into the front of your new draws with a screwdriver and attach some handles.
- Butterfly doorknobs, £2.18 each from diy.com – buy now
DRAWERS
Give old furniture a fun new look with stencils and sticky wrappers.
Choose from hundreds of colours and shapes to make-over furniture – from cabinets and headboards to tables and wardrobes.
Step 1: Clean the old furniture to remove any grease and dust.
Step 2: Reverse the drawer unit and measure. Cut the self-adhesive tape to size.
Step 3: Peel back and stick. Smooth down carefully.
Step 4: Use a ruler and pencil to find the centre point of each drawer, or unscrew and remove the existing handles. Drill a small hole and attach new handles.
- D-C-Fix stars self-adhesive tape, £4.40 from therange.co.uk – buy now
- Mushroom handles, 63p each from diy.com – buy now
PICTURE FRAMES
Don’t spend a fortune on finishing touches. Making your own is much friendlier on the purse strings and more fun too. From rainbows and glitter to more sophisticated rose-golds and silvers, anyone from toddlers to teens can get crafty to suit their own tastes.
Step 1: Take a plain wooden frame and wipe off any dust.
Step 2: Select your colour of tape and seal down to the inner border edges of the frame.
Step 3: Choose a contrasting colour for the outer border. Cut and stick the tape to the edges. Trim to fit.
- Washi tape, £3.50 from hobbycraft.co.uk – buy now
BATHROOM
BATH PANEL MAKEOVER
You don’t have to refit your whole bathroom to give it a makeover. Tough, durable and water-resistant, this film is a brilliant way to give your tub a bespoke look on a budget. Simply clean, peel and stick down.
- D-C-Fix self-adhesive wood-effect film from £5.99, bmstores.co.uk – buy now
SINK SPLASHBACK
Use stick-on tile panels to get an upmarket finish with minimum effort. These gorgeous, waterproof patterned pieces stick over existing surfaces such as walls and surrounds for a new look in a trice. (Apply when the old surfaces are clean and dry.) You get a striking new splashback in no time at all.
- D-C-Fix gloss grey tile, £10, diy.com – buy now
FLOORING
Redoing the floor doesn’t have to be a big job. You can make yours over in a day using peel-and-stick tiles. Clean and dry your existing surfaces, then lay over your favourite new floor effect – such as these mosaic-style tiles – in their place for a stunning new look. It couldn’t be easier.
- Peel-and-stick floor tiles, £17.99 from wayfair.co.uk – buy now
WINDOW-SILL PLANT POT
Add some bling by turning a boring plant pot into the ultimate glitzy accessory. Peel and stick sparkly self-adhesive to any old pot and add your favourite greenery.
- D-C-Fix self-adhesive copper glitter, £8.99 from bmstores.co.uk – buy now
WINDOW PRIVACY PANEL
Keep out prying eyes by turning plain glass into a frosted privacy pane. Perfect for small bathrooms.
Step 1: Clean and dry existing glass.
Step 2: Measure and cut the panel to your required size. Lightly spray water on to the glass pane.
Step 3: Peel the backing from the film and carefully fix to the window.
Step 4: Remove surplus water and smooth carefully to remove air bubbles.
- D-C-Fix static cling squares window film from £8 diy.com – buy now
TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER
Turn an old disposable cup into a chic marble-effect toothbrush holder or stylish pot for make-up brushes.
Step 1: Carefully clean and dry the cup.
Step 2: Cut adhesive size slightly larger than required. Wrap around the cup, overlapping if necessary.
Step 3: Press to seal then trim the edges to size. Smooth to remove air bubbles.
- D-C-Fix gloss grey marble-effect self-adhesive film, £5 from diy.com – buy now
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