Materials: Nordmyra, map, PVA glue, scissors, varnish, brush.
Description: Inspired by some lovely tables and chairs I saw in Columbia Road, East London, I decided to try a quick and easy Ikea hack on a seen-better-days Nordmyra that was hanging round the flat looking a bit sorry for itself. I'm very pleased with the result.
Step 1. Find a lovely old map (or buy one on ebay, like I did), and give it a good iron to get the creases out as much as possible.
Step 2. Get out the allen key and take off the back and seat from the Nordmyra.
Step 3. Draw round them on the map, and cut them out, so they snugly cover the chair pieces. You might need to trim them a little.
Step 4. Squirt the maps with water and slap on the PVA glue. Stick to the seat and back panel. I then used a little roller that I found to get out any airbubbles and get as flat a finish as I could. Then I mixed some extra PVA with water and painted it over the top of the maps. All the water means that the paper gets saturated, and stretches a little (you have to be careful not to tear it) but then as it dries and shrinks very slightly, you should get a really strong bond, and a lovely flat finish. Well that was my logic anyway, not sure it's really necessary, but it made me feel better, and the finish on these does look really good.
Step 5. Leave to dry, then slap on a coat or two of varnish and reattach to the chair frame. Stand back and appreciate your work.
A simple hack but very effective. Lovely finish, special chair, cost: under a fiver (as I already had the chair).
~ Alix Wooding, London
Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I'm not quite sure what PVA is, but in my part of the world (US), we have Mod Podge, which I think can be used in much the same way.
ReplyDeleteWow I love it=)))
ReplyDelete@Miriam PVA is a non toxic transparent glue=)))
Great idea!
ReplyDeleteJust curious.... what part of the world did you choose to put your butt on?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! Very classy - much classier than many featured on this site.
ReplyDeleteexcellent!
ReplyDeleteHow exactly did you do the edges? It looks so smooth.
ReplyDeleteOhhh I love it! Very cool update!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in how the edges were done, took. Very cool!
ReplyDeleteThats gorgeous, I am such a big fan of map furniture. I updated our lack table with an old atlas, check it out here:
ReplyDeletehttp://madeinmorningside.blogspot.com/2012/01/side-table-revamp.html.
Ooh, thank you! Has only taken me 4 months to see that this actually got posted up.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, PVA is transparent glue. And the edges. Yes, I think they look good too. No trick though: just a sharp craft knife.
my butt? it sits on the Firth of Clyde, and the port of Glasgow. No reflection on that fair city, though. In fact it's one of my favourite places.
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