TRANSFORM FLOCK DRAWERS & JEWELRY BOXES

Flock drawers and jewelry boxes – DIY makeover tips

As a furniture painter I hated dealing with flock drawers. You know those ugly grassy green (and often blotchy) ones? The felt lined cutlery drawers found in older sideboards and buffets. You may have noticed the same flock inside jewellery boxes . If you have some ugly flock this may be the solution for you!

Removing self-adhesive or contact from flock drawers

Here are two common types. One is flock contact or flocked vinyl. It is self-adhesive and stuck down with pressure inside the drawer – usually not that well. They can be bumpy and too ugly to keep. Alternatively it may be a flock fabric (like below) glued with contact cement – very stubborn stuff!

You can use a hairdryer to heat and soften the glue and gradually lift the covering off the drawer. When you have removed as much as possible (and broken a few fingernails), remove the base of the drawer , sand and clean. The rest of the drawer will need to be hand sanded, cleaned ready to paint.

You can paint or wallpaper the base before refitting the base. This is a much lengthier process than repairing normal drawers, which need little more than cleaning (sometimes priming if ink stained) and fresh paint. The advantage of wallpaper is that it can be easily painted over or sanded back if a change was warranted in future.

Glued on Flock

The second example is more common. This is glued on flock. This scenario would be even more difficult if not for paint.

When drawers have flock glued directly onto the wood, you would need to strip and sand it back hard which is incredibly difficult inside a cutlery drawer. If in good enough condition I prefer to paint them rather than remove the flock.

liquid Carbon for elegant flock drawers

Introducing Botanics Liquid Carbon. Liquid Carbon is great on flock because of the consistency and strength of pigment. It is the blackest of blacks and highly pigmented. To cover the flock quickly you need a highly pigmented paint that isn’t too thick.

If the outside of the drawers need painting, this is an excellent solution as it stains well and isn’t too thick. If paint is too thick and builds up and interferes with sliding. Liquid Carbon covers with the thinnest layer. The outside of the drawer only needs one layer too.

After experimenting both with dampening the flock before applying paint and painting directly onto dry flock I found the later better. Both felt similar once dried but painting directly onto the flock was quicker and easier.

If you paint directly onto the flock the paint will absorbed better and be more opaque. The second coat will only need a touch-up coat rather than a complete second coat. It will also be easier to spot where you miss after the first coat dries. And hey – look at the difference it makes!!

Replace Flock

If your drawer wasn’t bumpy or anything lose you could re-glue and replace flock on top but it can be expensive and is VERY messy. My painting tip is Eco-friendly too.

Brushes & Lighting

I like to use a small square synthetic brush on flock (see video below). You need a brush that will take up a lot of paint but firm enough to push into the flock as you paint. It’s also important to use good light when painting drawers. It’s very easy to miss little bits in less than ideal light.

Preparation is key

To paint with good conscience cleaning is very important. Like any furniture project it’s always important to thoroughly clean before painting. The flocked drawers were wiped out with a warm water and vinegar solution, followed by clean warm water.

White vinegar is a natural disinfectant and doesn’t leave a residue behind that will interfere with the paint like some cleaners do. It is cheap too. Just buy the n-brand variety. Cleaning also helps remove any loose flock that may build up in your brush and in your paint work. Think about your kitchen cutlery drawers and how easily particles end up at the bottom of the drawer, even when you think the cutlery is clean. Imagine what might be hiding in that flock if not cleaned properly-yuck!

Dry your drawers thoroughly before painting.

Colours

For an elegant and sophisticated look dark colours are lovely. Lighter colours work where appropriate, but deep blues, black, or even deep red looks more formal if that is your style.

Wax & Smooth drawers

When finishing off with a wax Soapstone wax, French Pear or Peony and Lychee beeswax is preferred. Wax the sides and parts that touch inside the drawer cavity so they slide well. There is no need to wax the flock. You can rest knowing that the paint that you used against the cutlery that you eat off is Eco-friendly and safe.

Bonus tips & other ideas

Liquid Carbon is wonderful to use underneath furniture or on the backs of furniture because of the speed of coverage. These areas that people usually don’t look at but often need a cleaner look.

This paint can be used for many things including stamping, crafts or anything that you need a nice black for.

Video

If you’re on Facebook here is the Live video on this topic: https://www.facebook.com/PlayfessionalEDU/videos/1530345423769575/

Edited version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ELde2GG7XoI