Furniture upcycling workshop coming to Leeside

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an activity that was extremely satisfying, saved you loads of money, and helped to save the planet? Have you heard of furniture upcycling?

According to the European Federation of Furniture Manufacturers (UEA), the EU throws out up to 10 million tonnes of furniture every year. This accounts for over 4% of all solid waste produced in the EU.

On 15 October, an upcycling workshop is being held from 10am-5pm at the Cork County Cricket Club on Mardyke Walk in Cork city. The workshop will be delivered by upcycling furniture expert Joanne Condon who has been practicing her craft for over 12 years. Joanne won Best Workshop Awards in London with Mollie Makes Magazine in 2018.

It will be a full day workshop where budding upcyclers will be shown how to breathe new life into any piece furniture. The workshop promises a fun and relaxed atmosphere where you are sure to meet like-minded people and have a great time. All you need is a packed lunch, everything else is provided for you.

You will be provided with piece of furniture at the start of the workshop and Joanne will guide you on how to decide on a style and what colours to choose that reflect your personal style.

What you will learn at the workshop:

- Sourcing old furniture, where to go and what you need to look out for, like woodworm.

- Prepping and priming furniture correctly.

- How to paint furniture and information on different paint brands.

- What are the best tools to use.

- A range of techniques including gold leaf, applying wallpaper, stencilling, how to transfer font, geometric designs, and much more.

Afterwards, you will receive a booklet to help guide you at home in your own future upcycling projects, as well as a guide of the best places around Ireland for buying second hand furniture. And the best part; you even get to keep the piece you worked on and bring it home with you!

You will be provided with an apron on the day but you still might get paint on your clothes so don’t wear anything you don’t want to get paint on.

Joanne says: “I am obsessed with upcycling furniture. I have painted thousands of pieces and have learned so much over the years. I travel all over Ireland teaching workshops. At my in-person workshops, I guide you through the process and when you leave there is nothing you won’t know how to paint.”

Joanne’s Upcycling Workshop takes place from 10am-5pm at the Cork County Cricket Club on Mardyke Walk in Cork city. The workshop costs €167.