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| Futon couch |
| Tara transforms an old futon into a practical sofa bed. |
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If you've had a futon and you're about to buy a new bed, there's no need to throw it out — it can be transformed with the aid of a saw and a few screws, into a functional couch and visitor's bed. By cutting the slats to couch width and folding the mattress in half the couch base is formed and by pushing it against a wall and adding cushions you have back support.
Once you cover the mattress and add cushions you can create a look to fit in your home. The mattress folded in half on the base serves as a single bed, or the mattress can be laid on the floor to make a double. Tara has chosen a Moroccan style to jazz up this tired futon. With a mixture of deep purple, red, blue and bright pink and gold you won't recognise it.
STEP BY STEP:
1 Fold the mattress in half lengthways and measure the width. This will be the new length of the slats.
2 Cut the slats to the new length, and place them across the legs evenly spaced. Screw them in place. To make the couch/bed transportable reapply the strapping that held the slats together originally and lay them out as when it was a bed.
3 To make the couch higher screw a set of simple box feet made from plywood to the base.
4 Start off decoration by painting the base and box feet bright magenta and orange.
5 Paint the decorative strip gold. Once dry glue it across the front of the couch. Paint and glue decorative edge along the bottom edge.
6 Decorate the feet with coloured jewels using a hot glue gun.
7 Finally, slip on a mattress cover and finish with mirrored and embroidered cushions (optional).
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Materials
Decorative Strip to fit length of couch (2 pieces may be needed); we used "Lace"
Decorative Edge to fit length of couch (2 pieces may be needed); we used "Pearls"$8:00
Mattress cover
Plastic Jewels
Jo Sonja's Artist's Acrylics in your choice of colours; we used Cadmium Orange, Trans Magenta and Rich Gold
Screws
6 Plywood box legs, made from scrap timber 130mm wide x 160mm high
Tools
Hand Saw
Screw Driver
Pliers
Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
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Cost
Decorative strips: $7.10 to $10.00 each
Decorative Edges: $3.85 to $4.00 each
Mattress cover $59:95
Plastic Jewels $2:29 per pack
Jo Sonja's Artist Colours $4:60 each (price varies on colour and size)
Screws $3:20
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More Info
For information on the Decorative Strips and Edges used contact:
CDM Industries PH: 02 9820 5233, for the location of your local stockist, or e-mail them on: admin@cdmi.com.au or visit their website www.cdmi.com.au
Futon Mattress Covers available from:
Bedlam
118 King St
Newtown
Ph: 02 9557 3696 (variety of colours and fabric prints available, and you can bring in your own choice of fabric to have made into a mattress cover for $40 double)
Moroccan Cushions available from:
Mr Brassman
71 Spit Rd
Mosman
NSW 2088
Ph: 02 9960 2817
Open 7 days 10am to 6pm.
Plastic jewels available from Spotlight and bead stores.
Jo Sonja's paints available from good craft stores.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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