bedside magic

• Resene testpots from the KidzColour range: Resene Yabbadabbadoo, Resene Tutti Frutti, Resene Splat, Resene Blue Jeans, and Resene Hopskotch
• Paint brushes
• Resene Aquaclear
• Bedside cabinets – recycle existing ones or buy new (ours is from Target Furniture)
• Selection of magazines, comic books, stickers, decorative papers, scrap booking paper, wrapping paper
• Sheet of backing paper, scissors and ruler, glue stick
• Access to colour photocopier

Step 1:  Wipe down the cabinet with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt. If you’re recycling old cabinets you may need to sand off old paint or varnish so check with Mum or Dad before you start. Undercoat if necessary. Remove handles. Paint the cabinet. We used Resene Yabbadabbadoo on the top, base and drawer handle; Resene Splat on one side panel; Resene Tutti Frutti on the other side panel and door front; Resene Blue Jeans on the drawer; and Resene Hopskotch on the cupboard handle. It’s easiest to paint the handles by placing the screw into the back of each and sticking them into a block of polystyrene. Let the paint dry!

Step 2:  Measure the top, cupboard front and drawer front and decide how far in from the edges you want the collage to be. We went 5cm in from the edges. Work within the size of a sheet of A3 paper, so you can photocopy easily later. Sort through magazines and papers and cut out any pictures you like. Cut out squares and rectangles of decorative papers to add into the mix and use the glue stick to paste them to the backing paper. Add any stickers onto it.

Step 3:  Use a colour photocopier to make a couple of copies of your collage. This way you can use all sorts of thicknesses and types of paper and it won’t matter later. Measure and rule up the three pieces of paper to go on the cabinet top, cupboard front and drawer front. Cut out carefully.

Step 4:  Stick the three pieces of paper onto the cabinet and allow to dry fully.

Step 5:  Paint a couple of coats of Resene Aquaclear over the cabinet top, cupboard front and drawer front to protect your collage. Later, if you want a change, all you have to do is repaint the cabinet, stick a new collage over the top of the last one and seal it!

Styling and Words: Helena Dunn
Pictures: Mark Heaslip

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