The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

GreyQueen

Nymphadora wrote: »

Has anyone tried to paint cheap furniture before?

DD (11) is going on about wanting her room done a bit more grown up. Now although we are in rented we have permission to do as we wish to the house i.e decorate, put up pictures change carpets etc.

I don't want to spend much money and luckily this house is smaller than the one we sold so in the loft I have lots of spare light fittings and curtains. So the plan is to put up duck egg blue curtains and chandelier I had in the spare room in the last house.

What I will need to buy is paint, bedding (seen some at a reasonable price) and a small rug.

Now her furniture is a bit of a mix match of pine. Cheap stuff from argos/b&q. But it is still in good condition so I was thinking could I paint this furniture white? I think I would need to put a primer on first but has anyone tried doing this?

You can paint furniture easily but to get a good result requires a bit of effort.

Your cheap pine furniture almost certainly has a layer of varnish on it already and it would be advisible to rub very gently along the grain with fine sandpaper to cut into that to give the paint something to key onto. You then wipe the dust off. It's advisible to wipe with a rag moistened with white spirit to remove residue and then let dry.

If you're going to gloss it, I would suggest using an undercoat first. Undercoat is formulated differently to topcoat so 2 x topcoat won't be as good as one undercoat and one topcoat.

If I can make a suggestion based on experience, have you considered staining the furniture instead? This has the advantage over gloss in being cheaper and faster but, IMO, one of the best advantages would be that gloss will chip off with life's little lumps and bumps and then looks tatty and sleazy.

If you bought a coloured woodstain, you could unite the motley collection with an overall hue (there's lots to choose from) although you'd need to sand the varnish off first to allow the stain to soak into the wood.

Of course, another and easier option is to cover motley furniture with draped cloths, which allows you to ring the changes. HTH.

grandmasam

Hi everyone I had a single tub washing machine and a small spin dryer when i married 'the farmer' in '65 :eek: You can guess what it was like trying to clean cow sh$t off the overalls!!
Graduated to a twin tub after baby 3 woohoo! and then a proper washing machine after no 4 :j, as 3 were boys, a blessing.
Have always made my own bread,jam [made strawberry yesterday,]chutney etc, I still do even though i live on my own, plus my houndy, Rosie.
I have been given 2 pol pullets, cream leg bars, who have just started laying blue shelled eggs! There is an old brambly apple tree in the garden and the elderflowerhas provided me with 6 [wine size] bottles of cordial,yummy!
The raspberry canes are looking good , so possibly raspberry vodka for christmas presents, if i don't sample too much :beer:
love this thread, was a lurker, now out of the closet
thanks
Caz

Nymphadora

GreyQueen wrote: »

You can paint furniture easily but to get a good result requires a bit of effort.

Your cheap pine furniture almost certainly has a layer of varnish on it already and it would be advisible to rub very gently along the grain with fine sandpaper to cut into that to give the paint something to key onto. You then wipe the dust off. It's advisible to wipe with a rag moistened with white spirit to remove residue and then let dry.

If you're going to gloss it, I would suggest using an undercoat first. Undercoat is formulated differently to topcoat so 2 x topcoat won't be as good as one undercoat and one topcoat.

If I can make a suggestion based on experience, have you considered staining the furniture instead? This has the advantage over gloss in being cheaper and faster but, IMO, one of the best advantages would be that gloss will chip off with life's little lumps and bumps and then looks tatty and sleazy.

If you bought a coloured woodstain, you could unite the motley collection with an overall hue (there's lots to choose from) although you'd need to sand the varnish off first to allow the stain to soak into the wood.

Of course, another and easier option is to cover motley furniture with draped cloths, which allows you to ring the changes. HTH.

Thanks for this, I will let DH see the suggestions I have had here and let him choose what's best (after all he will be doing the bulk of the work:p)

bunbun2

hello! it is bright here but very windy. I have been baking this morning - chocolate brownies and twinks hobnobs. I have only just got my act together with baking and it still trial and error. I have a question for those more experienced than me (which is probably most of you!) if I reduce the amount of sugar will it affect the way the cakes/biscuits turn out?

OH has grown veg in he past but this year the garden has got so overgrown. His plan is to clear it all and grow veg on a bigger scale than before. When he stops work and goes on supply our income will be uncertain so we need to be as OS as possible. I will be back with lots of questions and looking for advice and tips/

OH has taken ds1 to Newcastle and ds1 is off to play cricket with bis friend so it will just be me and the dog. He is fast asleep at the moment so peace and quiet. I may clear out the food cupboard in the kitchen...it could take a while.

FairyPrincessk

BunBun, it depends on how much you reduce the sugar. The main thing is that you don't want to upset the balance between wet and dry ingredients or change the texture too much. This means that I can't just say that reducing by x amount is always fine because it depends how much of the recipe is made up of sugar. However, for the most part, I have been able to reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 in many recipes without a problem. You're best bet is to try it out--reducing sugar won't make anything inedible (the exception being if you get into canning and jarring---different story, then!) but it might make the texture come out differently.

The only exception in baking is when you're doing yeast based recipes. In these, the sugar acts to feed the yeast, so reducing the sugar can be problematic.

FairyPrincessk

Nymphadora--what a nice project! It is possible that you have unfinished pine products, in which case it will be much easier. Argos do some of these, as does ikea.

i.e. this furniture is unfinished.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6423777.htm

White furniture with duck egg curtains sounds lovely--so does wood stain.

Dashurie

Hi there!

Another lurker who has decided to come out of the closet with the start of this new thread.

I've been reading the OS board for the past couple of months and found it so helpful, I just wanted to thank you all - I've learnt so much and am still learning. I have found that the older I get, the more I want to simplify my life and live peacefully and as cheaply as I can - whilst still enjoying myself, of course.

A bit about me; 50, female and happily single. I live alone - apart from my 5 canaries, who are my "babies". I'm a wheelchair-user after an accident 15 years ago, but I don't let that stop me doing anything, including travelling abroad alone (next year I plan to take my car over to Denmark on holiday!) I'm very lucky as I have my health, my independance, a small bungalow with a garden, which is my haven....I have a lot to be thankful for, despite all the cuts and recession etc. I try not to dwell on those, and instead live for today, and I know you won't think me mad if I say that I actually enjoy the challenge of being frugal and stretching money and food further.

Nice to "meet" you all at last, and I'm looking forward to learning so much more from all the wise folk on here!

bunbun2

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

BunBun, it depends on how much you reduce the sugar. The main thing is that you don't want to upset the balance between wet and dry ingredients or change the texture too much. This means that I can't just say that reducing by x amount is always fine because it depends how much of the recipe is made up of sugar. However, for the most part, I have been able to reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 in many recipes without a problem. You're best bet is to try it out--reducing sugar won't make anything inedible (the exception being if you get into canning and jarring---different story, then!) but it might make the texture come out differently.

The only exception in baking is when you're doing yeast based recipes. In these, the sugar acts to feed the yeast, so reducing the sugar can be problematic.

thanks! I have tried reducing the sugar in a couple of cases and the texture was very gooey like it wasn't cooked but it was iyswim. The boys wouldn't eat it but maybe that is good as it means they eat less sugar:D it all sounds a bit technical so I think I will stick with the recipe and give then less!

nymphadora your dd's room sounds fab. I love the sound of duck egg and white.

A friend came round today to borrow our scanner and gave us some of her hen's eggs. they really are so much nicer than SM ones - unfortunately I don't see her often enough now I don't do the school run anymore. OH has mentioned having chickens but I think that might be a bit too much for our new OS living.

Possession

The lady round the corner who bunny sits for us (and vice versa) has chickens and sells her eggs from a coolbox on the doorstep, £1 for 6. All the neighbours know and I send my DCs round with £1 every so often. So far they've made it back in one piece! I don't know if she's ever had problems, it's an honesty system so there's always money/eggs in the coolbox.

grandmasam

Hi Bunbun, I have 2 hens and they live in a coop with attached fox proof run that i got from online. the set up cost was £95, hens free [lucky ole grandma!] and a large bag of layers pellets is £6.95 locally.
They need letting out in the am and putting to bed pm, cleaning,[ good on the compost heap] feed and water.Love scratching round for worms,slugs etc.Feed and water container from freecycle.
Good luck with reducing the sugar in cakes!
Caz