I have had a few people ask me how to use wood veneer on their projects, so I decided to share how I do it with you and show you it's not as difficult as it looks!
Firstly, I was amazed at how easy this method was. I demonstrated it on the charming Mackintosh cabinet featured in the video, with lovely slatted doors. In the video below, I show how you can transform your piece and give it a new lease of life with wood veneer!
Here's how to do it:
1) Remove any old veneer.
2) Unroll and see if it covers. It can be a bit awkward to work with, so I recommend using clamps to help!
3) Start on one end and cut it as accurately as you can. You want to keep it slightly short of the ends, as you won't want to have to sand it off at the ends.
4) Get your iron and tea towel. Ensure there is no water in the iron and the tea towel and a standard cotton one with no texture.
5) Put the iron on the hottest setting and iron over the tea towel onto the veneer wood. Apply slight pressure and work in small sections. Don't worry if there are bulges, as you can go over it again the next day.
6) Go around the edges with a knife. Trim off any excess bits and have a feel for any bulges.
7) Happy with how everything is at this point? Now, it's time to sand it down.
8) Apply Fusion's SFO (stain and finishing oil) for the magic finishing touches. Pour stain into a plastic tub and apply evenly for a slick coat. Fusions SFO is even great for pine that is soft and uneven.
9) Sand down excess glue.
10) Voila!
My top tips:
- I always clean (the white spirit will show any scratches) with white spirits and leave it wet before putting my stain on.
- Practise staining on a similar piece of wood to see what your end colour will be.
- If you have any gaps, place masking tape down the sides and seal it with filler. Then sand over and paint and normal.
- Don't worry about staining your wood, as you can easily take it off again with a white spirit if you don't like the finished product.
I was super surprised at how this turned out! You can get loads of different colours of the Fusion's SFO (stain and finishing oil), e.g. mahogany, and it's much cheaper than you would think!
I'm so glad I gave this a go. Why not give it a try yourself and practise on a piece of plywood?
Don't forget to tag me in your masterpieces, and for more ideas on getting creative with your furniture, follow my Facebook and Instagram pages and feel free to ask any questions you have!