You will need

• wooden item
• wood primer
• paint in the colour of your choice
• paint stripper
• thinners
• paintbrushes and sponge rollers
• paint tray
• plastic drop sheet
• paint scraper
• nylon brush or soft copper brush
• latex gloves
• mutton cloth
• 80-grit sandpaper
• sugar soap
• masking tape
• wood filler

1 Place the item on the drop sheet and wash with a sugar-soap solution to remove any dirt. Place masking tape on all the parts that must not come into contact with the paint stripper, such as fabric, glass, handles, hinges, and so on.

2 Now strip off all the old paint by applying a thick coat of paint stripper over the item. We used Plascon RemovALLCoating Remover for Wood. Apply it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

3 Leave the item to stand for the necessary time so the paint stripper can react with the paint. You will see the paint begin to bubble and peel off.

4 Wear your gloves and use a paint scraper to scrape off the paint that is lifting off the item.

5 Use a nylon brush or soft copper brush to remove as much of the paint as possible. Leave to dry and then sand off any remaining paint with 80-grit sandpaper.

6 Use mutton cloth and wipe down the whole item with thinners in order to remove any remaining grime.

7 Fill in holes or scratches with wood filler, leave to dry then sand to a smooth finish. Wipe off any dust using a cloth. Paint with a wood primer. We used Plascon Wood Primer for unpainted wood. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

8 Once the primer is dry you can apply two or three coats of paint in the colour of your choice, leaving each coat to dry before applying the next. We used Dulux Gloss Enamel in Flamingo Fun1.

Top of the table
Make an exact pattern of the tabletop from newspaper and trace it onto toilet paper. Cut it out, paint a thin coat of modge podge onto the tabletop and place the paper onto it. Wipe gently from the centre outwards to remove bubbles. The moisture in the glue may cause the paper to stretch slightly, but it will shrink again when it dries. Apply another three or four coats of modge podge over the top, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. Seal with resin or varnish that won’t yellow, or have a glass top cut to fit the table.

General tips

• Apply cooking spray to your paint scraper before you start scraping so the paint doesn’t cling to it.
• Try cutting off a piece of your wire brush to make it easier to reach any awkward spots.
• Make sure you work in a well- ventilated space.
• If all the paint doesn’t come off the first time, you can apply more paint stripper.
• Use a heat gun or hairdryer to speed up the process.
• Use thinners to wipe down the article. It evaporates quickly and dries faster than water.

More tips

• Unscrew handles, doorknobs, hinges, and so on, and store in marked plastic bags until it’s time to replace them.
• Stuff rolled up pieces of newspaper into the screw holes so the paint stripper and paint can’t get into them.
• If you’re using a copper brush, ensure it is soft enough not to damage the wood.

Text and images: Ideas magazine