How To Flip Furniture, Even If You've Never Done It Before

What Does It Mean To Flip Furniture?

Furniture flipping is different than your typical DIY. Instead of creating something from a bunch of materials, you're taking an old piece of furniture and using those materials (like fabric, paint, tools) to turn it into something new. It's a great way to keep your favorite pieces up to date or even make some money.

Can You Flip Furniture For A Profit?

If you're out to make furniture flipping a side hustle, you might be on to something. Look in flea markets, thrift stores, or stick with furniture you want to keep things cheap — the less you spend, the more your net profit will be! We love watching shows like Flea Market Flip on HGTV or YouTube channels like The Sorry Girls for inspiration.

Not only can flipping furniture get you some extra cash, it'll also save you cash in the long run by teaching you some important skills you can use in the future.

How To Flip Furniture

There are a variety of ways you can flip furniture, so let's break it down with a few different materials.

Fabric

Our go-to way to upgrade something like a couch is with a staple gun and fabric. You just trace the piece, cut, and staple! For this pink velvet couch, we also used our sewing machine to create some new pillow covers, but you don't have to do that for all your furniture flips. Your fabric choices aren't just limited to standard, thinner fabrics. We used fur rugs for this faux fur benchand love how it turned out.

Paint

If a new manicure can change your whole look, imagine what a new color on an old chair can do for your space! Use multiple colors that complement each other (all warm tones, near each other on the color wheel, color blocked, or ombre) to keep it cohesive.

Hardware

If you have a beautiful old piece of furniture but want to give it a quick upgrade, consider swapping handles, knobs, or hinges. This is a great way to flip your kitchen cabinets but it also works with dressers and bathroom cabinets.

Furniture Makeover Ideas

@shaynaalnwick I still can’t believe these are the same bedside tables!! 🤯 What do you think?! #furnitureflip #furniture #diy #upcycling ♬ More Than Friends - Aidan Bissett

Think out of the box when it comes to supplies. This furniture flip features popsicle sticks (!) to create a faux herringbone look that makes the beside tables even fancier than they were before. Plus, a more modern color finish brings them into 2022.

@prettylittleflips Turned $10 table set into 🤑 #fypシ #dressermakeover #dresserdiy #furnitureflip #dixebelle #artist #trashtocash #homedecor ♬ edamame - bbno$

Old furniture will have details that aren't trendy anymore, or just that you don't like, but that doesn't always have to be a deal breaker. @prettylittleflips uses Bondo All-Purpose Putty to fill in some old school carvings on this table.

@shaynaalnwick This is hands down the BEST IKEA HACK I’ve ever done 🤯 #ikeahack#furnitureflip #furniture #diy #upcycling #furnituremakeover ♬ Upside Down (feat. Charlie Puth) - JVKE

Think of how you can change a piece from one thing to another. This home improvement project turns a cube shelving unit from Ikea on its side, adds a back, and covers the front with a pair of DIY doors. Not only does it become a statement piece with the diamond shape detail, but it has a whole new use too.

@thesorrygirls we loved the dark wood but this white paint fits so well in the space 😍 #fbmarketplace #marketplace #thrifted #thriftok #upcycle ♬ original sound - Peach Girl

Paint is genuinely such an easy way to make furniture look new that there is no excuse for not trying it! Make sure you add painter's tape to surfaces that you don't want the paint to touch (like the glass tabletop in this TikTok home DIY) and go for it.