DIY fan spends just £38 to get the crushed velvet sofa of her dreams

A BIG difference...at such a small cost

What a feat in upcycyling furniture! This savvy mum had her eye on a crushed velvet sofa for her home, but couldn't justify spending £1000 on it. Instead Becky Johnson, a mum of one from Brighton, decided to reupholster her existing sofa – getting the look she desired, all for a jaw-dropping cost of just £38!

Now that is what you call impressive, pocketing a saving of £962.

More brilliance: Mum transforms sofa using Frenchic paint – left over from painting front door!

'I’ve been wanting a crushed velvet sofa for a long time' Becky explains to Latest Deals. 'After looking online I just couldn't afford over £1,000 for one. There was nothing wrong with the sofas I already had - they just needed updating to match the rest of my decor.'

Determined to get the look for less Becky searched eBay for material to try her hand at reupholstery – finding a crushed velvet fabric at a bargain cost of £38 for 10 metres.

Due to a penchant for crafting she already had a staple gun indoors, explaining 'I thought ‘well, if I spend £38 and it doesn't come out ok then I haven't lost a massive amount’.

Becky details, 'I made sure to cut the fabric to size before applying it to the sofa and left about eight centimetres of extra fabric either side of the fabric. This was so that once I stapled the fabric into place, I could then use the extra fabric to wrap over the staples.'

Going on to Wonderweb them into place using an iron, to give a clean finish with no stitches showing. She explains, 'I had an old sheet over the fabric before I ironed it into place to fasten it, as the iron would ruin the fabric and this gave a really tidy, staple-free look.'

Any top tips? 'I’d advise making sure you apply a lot of pressure while putting the staples into the frame – as without this it won't hold and the staples will just pop out' she adds.

Buy now: Wonderweb Extra Strong Hem Tape, £2.83, Amazon

'It took me about three days to complete with doing bits here and there, with a small child to pre-occupy and work around' Becky recalls. 'The main advice I’d give is just to go for it! I never in a million years thought it would come out the way it did, but it was so easy and I loved doing it.'

'Now I have a brand new looking sofa for £38. You don't need to spend thousands to get something you have your heart set on.'

It doesn't even look like the same sofa to be honest?! A throughly impressive DIY job, nice one Becky!

Another example: See how an easy hack can totally transform a dated sofa – you won't believe the results

Do you have a sofa you's like to revamp? We hope seeing Becky's brilliant handiwork will inspire you.

Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It's with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.

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