How To Restore a Bedside Table
How do you restore an old bedside table?
You can upcycle a dowdy bedside table into a stylish storage cabinet in a weekend, and most of that time is waiting rather than working. The sequence is clean, sand, clean again, face the drawer fronts with wallpaper, line the drawers, glue on new handles, and paint.
Three Selleys products do the work, and each is doing a specific job: Sugar Soap prepares the surface, two grades of Kwik Grip contact adhesive bond the wallpaper, and Araldite 5 Minute fixes the handles without screws. The most important thing to understand before you start is how a contact adhesive works, because it behaves nothing like ordinary glue and you only get one shot at placing the paper.
What you need
- Selleys Sugar Soap
- Selleys Kwik Grip Vertical
- Selleys Kwik Grip Horizontal
- Selleys Araldite 5 Minute
- Wallpaper
- New handles
- Paint
- Sandpaper, a soft cloth, a bucket and a roller
How to restore a bedside table
- Mix ½ cup of Selleys Sugar Soap into ½ bucket (5 litres) of water. Use a soft cloth to clean the table from top to bottom with the sugar soap solution.
- Sand the table down and clean it again with Selleys Sugar Soap to remove any dust.
- Measure and cut the wallpaper 2–3cm oversized to the front of the drawers, leaving precut holes where the handles will go.
- Apply Selleys Kwik Grip Vertical to both the wallpaper and the front of the drawer and spread evenly. Keep the surfaces apart until the adhesive is almost dry — approximately 20 minutes. Then press the surfaces firmly together. Secure the bond by running a roller over the wallpaper. Wait 24 hours before using the bedside table.
- Use the leftover wallpaper to line the drawers. Measure the inside of the drawers and cut to size. This time apply Selleys Kwik Grip Horizontal to both the inside of the drawer and the wallpaper. Keep the surfaces apart until the adhesive is almost dry — approximately 20 minutes. Then work from one edge to press the surfaces firmly together. Secure the bond by running a roller over the wallpaper. Wait 24 hours before using the bedside table.
- Add the handles to the front and glue them with Selleys Araldite 5 Minute into the precut holes of the wallpaper. Dispense equal parts of both liquids onto a clean disposable surface — a disposable plastic plate works — and mix both parts together thoroughly. Apply the mixed glue to the drawer and to the handle, then bring them together. If you need a stronger bond, use a clamp. Leave for 16 hours before using.
- Paint it in the colour of your choice, avoiding the areas where the vinyl is.
Why each stage matters
Sugar soap before and after sanding
Cleaning twice looks like duplication but is not. The first wash removes the grease, polish and grime the table has picked up over its life — sanding through that just drives it into the timber. The second wash removes the sanding dust, which is what stops paint and adhesive keying to the surface.
The ratio here — ½ cup into ½ a bucket, 5 litres — is the one for the standard Selleys Original Sugar Soap. If you have the Super Concentrate instead, the same ½ cup goes into a full bucket of 10 litres. Using the concentrate at the 5 litre rate leaves a residue that then has to be washed off.
Contact adhesive: coat both, wait, then commit
Kwik Grip is a solvent-based contact adhesive. It bonds on contact, not while drying. That is why both faces get coated and then kept apart for about 20 minutes — you are waiting for the solvent to flash off. The technical data sheet gives the window as 20 to 40 minutes: too early and the solvent is trapped and the bond stays soft; too late and the film has gone off and will not grab.
When they touch, they are stuck. There is no sliding it into position afterwards. Line the sheet up before it makes contact — a good technique is to lay a few dowels or pencils across the drawer face, rest the wallpaper on them, get the alignment right, then pull them out one at a time from the centre outwards.
Rollering afterwards is not cosmetic. Contact adhesives need pressure to complete the bond, and the roller is what supplies it across the whole sheet.
Vertical versus horizontal grades
The project uses two grades deliberately. Kwik Grip Vertical is a gel that will not run down a vertical drawer front while the solvent flashes off; Kwik Grip Horizontal is formulated for broad, flat, close-fitting surfaces like the inside of a drawer. Both are rated for heat resistance to 130°C and both reach full strength at 24 hours — which is why the project says to wait a day before using the table.
Handles glued rather than screwed
Araldite 5 Minute is a two-part epoxy. Dispense equal parts, mix thoroughly until creamy, and then work quickly — the published working time is 2 to 3 minutes at 20°C. Apply to both the drawer and the handle. Do not strain the joint for the first 30 minutes, and leave it 16 hours before using the drawer, which is when the epoxy reaches maximum strength.
Clean, dry, dust-free surfaces matter here: all traces of grease, rust and paint should come off the handle first. The Araldite strength figures are quoted on clean, abraded metal, so a quick scuff on the back of the handle is worth the thirty seconds it takes.
Limitations worth knowing
- Araldite will not bond PTFE, polyethylene or polypropylene. If the new handles are moulded plastic rather than metal, check what they are — Selleys All Plastics with its primer pen is the product for those plastics.
- Epoxy bonds soften above 60°C and recover when the temperature drops. Not an issue for a bedside table, but worth knowing.
- Cold weather extends bonding and curing times for both the epoxy and the contact adhesive. An unheated garage in winter will stretch every figure quoted here.
- Kwik Grip is a solvent adhesive. Work in a well-ventilated space and keep it away from ignition sources.
- Glued handles are not a substitute for screws on something that carries real load. A bedside drawer is fine; a heavy chest full of tools is not.
Common questions about restoring a bedside table
How much sugar soap do I use?
Half a cup of Selleys Sugar Soap into half a bucket — 5 litres — of water. If you are using the Super Concentrate instead, it is half a cup into a full 10 litre bucket.
Why clean the table twice?
The first clean removes grease and grime so you are not sanding it into the timber. The second removes sanding dust, which would otherwise stop paint and adhesive bonding.
Why do I have to wait 20 minutes before joining the wallpaper?
Kwik Grip is a contact adhesive — it bonds on contact rather than while drying. The 20 minutes lets the solvent flash off. The data sheet gives the usable window as 20 to 40 minutes.
Can I reposition the wallpaper once it touches?
No. Contact adhesives grab immediately. Align the sheet before it makes contact, using dowels or pencils laid across the surface that you pull out once it is straight.
Why two different Kwik Grips?
The Vertical gel will not run down a drawer front while it flashes off; the Horizontal grade is formulated for broad, flat, close-fitting surfaces like a drawer base.
Do I really need to roller it?
Yes. Contact adhesives need pressure to complete the bond, and a roller applies it evenly over the whole sheet.
How long before I can use the table?
Twenty-four hours after the wallpaper goes on, which is when Kwik Grip reaches full strength; and 16 hours after the handles are glued, which is when the Araldite reaches maximum strength.
How long do I have once the Araldite is mixed?
Two to three minutes at 20°C. Mix small amounts and work quickly.
Do I need to clamp the handles?
Not necessarily — but if you want a stronger bond, clamp them. Either way do not strain the joint for the first 30 minutes.
Will glued handles hold?
For a bedside drawer, yes, provided both surfaces were clean and dry and the epoxy was given its full 16 hours. For anything carrying real weight, use mechanical fixings.
Why cut the wallpaper oversized?
Two to three centimetres of overhang lets you trim to a clean edge after the paper is bonded, which is far easier than trying to land a cut edge perfectly on the first attempt.
What else can I restore this way?
The same method works on a tallboy, a coffee table or dining chairs. For dents and chips in the timber first, see filling dents in timber furniture.
What is the topic of this Selleys guide?
The guide covers how to restore a bedside table, showing readers how to give their bedroom a makeover and achieve a polished, functional piece of furniture.
What product should I use to fill small cracks and imperfections in a bedside table?
Selleys No More Cracks Wood Filler Interior is recommended for small cracks and imperfections, as it's specifically designed for interior timber surfaces. It is ready to use, easy to apply, dries in 1-2 hours for thin applications, easy to sand, and is stainable and paintable for a seamless finish.
How do I apply Selleys No More Cracks Wood Filler Interior?
Press the filler firmly into cracks using a filling blade, scrape off the excess, and allow it to dry before sanding with fine sandpaper.
What should I use for larger gaps that need substantial filling?
Spakfilla Heavy Duty is recommended for larger gaps or areas requiring substantial filling, as it is tough and durable and can be sanded to create feathered edges for a perfect finish.
What steps should be taken after filling cracks or gaps in the bedside table?
After filling, sand the surface with fine sandpaper to smooth the dried filler and create an even surface, clean thoroughly by wiping away all dust and debris, and then apply finishing products such as paint, stain, and varnish to achieve the desired look.
What product can fix loose joints or structural damage in a bedside table?
Aquadhere Exterior is recommended for loose joints or structural damage, as it's a wood adhesive suitable for interior furniture making and cabinet work. It bonds wood to almost anything and is easily sandable, paintable, and stainable after application.
Can I sand or paint over areas bonded with Aquadhere Exterior?
Yes, for surfaces bonded with Aquadhere Exterior, you can later perform finishing techniques such as sanding, chiselling, routing, or turning as needed.
What kind of damage should I look for before restoring a bedside table?
Before beginning restoration, examine the bedside table for cracks or gaps in the wood, dents, scratches or gouges, loose joints or structural issues, and surface imperfections that need filling.