Workbench

Give a standard pine workbench a cheerful new look with paint and paper.

You will need
• 60 x 90cm unvarnished pine workbench
• sandpaper
• red enamel paint
• turpentine
• soft, wide paintbrush
• sponge roller
• craft knife, metal ruler and cutting mat
• 5-6 different pieces of matching giftwrap
• craft glue
• clear varnish

To make
1 Sand the workbench to a smooth finish and to rid it of splinters.
2 Paint those parts of the workbench that won’t be covered in paper, with enamel paint. (We used standard red enamel paint.) Before applying the first coat of paint, dilute it with turpentine until it’s thin enough to be absorbed by the wood. Apply the first layer with a paintbrush, leave it to dry, then apply two more layers – this time with a sponge roller. Leave the paint to dry after applying each coat.
3 Use a craft knife, metal ruler and cutting mat to cut the giftwrap into neat rectangles. Cut enough pieces to cover the workbench’s surface and its top edges. These pieces don’t all have to be the same size but, the smaller and more varied they are, the more colourful your final product will be.
4 Lay the pieces of paper out on the workbench and paste them onto the surface, working from one side to the next using craft glue. Cover the entire work surface and neatly fold the paper over the surface’s outer edges, making small cuts at the corners so you can fold the paper neatly. Gently run your
hands over the paper to remove any wrinkles and air bubbles then leave it to dry completely.
5 Again using a sponge roller, apply a few layers of varnish over the entire surface to seal and protect the paper. Leave to dry between coats.

Good idea
Have a sheet of glass cut to size
- the thicker the better – that exactly fits the workbench’s work surface, and remember to ask that the edges be safeguarded.