While it's wonderful to move into a more spacious home, sometimes you can find yourself a little short on furniture to fill those additional rooms. That's what happened to me last year. I was delighted to have a separate guestroom in my new home, but I had nothing to put in it. Limited finances necessitated some creativity, so I began in my parents' attic--the repository for all leftover family furniture. There, I discovered a rejected table from one sister, an old dresser from my teenage bedroom, my namesake's antique wicker desk set, an outdated brass lamp, and my mother's childhood metal bed frames.

Although the phrase "hand-me-down" doesn't exactly conjure up visions of great beauty, it does possess one superior attribute: the implication of the word "free." So armed with some sandpaper, paint, furniture stripper, fabric, and the help of a few experts, I set out to give these discarded items a thorough makeover.

Contrary to what you may think, not all Southern Living homes editors are natural do-it-yourselfers. I'm the child of one, but, unfortunately, it is not an inherited gene. I was 40 before I wielded a manual staple gun--proudly calling my mother to report my success. (I hope to master the glue gun in the next decade.) So for those of you like me, with do-it-yourself deficiencies, the following tips may help if you attempt some makeovers of your own.

Black lacquer, applied by a professional, gives my old dresser a modern and sophisticated look. Somewhat whimsical, oversize, clear drawer pulls stand out against the shiny black finish.

When painting furniture, don't skip any steps or get in a hurry. You need to sand the piece before painting and sand again between coats. Use a pretreated tack cloth to pick up any dust after sanding. The coats of paint will go on more smoothly, and you'll be pleased with the results.

The bedside table had good lines, but a dull finish. With black lacquer, it really shines and ties in with the dresser on the other side of the room.

Don't use a cheap paintbrush. Go ahead and spend a few more dollars. Inexpensive brushes shed, leaving little bristles that are difficult to pick up when imbedded in the wet paint. And if you miss some, they become an unplanned part of the finish.

After intensive stripping, these metal beds were painted a creamy shade. We used the headboards as footboards to give more presence.

If you are stripping multiple layers of paint, use a heavy-duty stripping agent. You can't get away with the low-fume, milder versions. They simply aren't powerful enough, and you will become frustrated with your lack of progress. Put on some thick gloves, and go with the strong stuff. (Do this outside, of course, and if you're a little wiser than me, not at noon in the middle of a sultry Southern summer.)

Who'd guess that this French chair cost $40 at a flea market? We stripped the paint, applied a washed-out green finish (latex paint diluted with water), and rubbed on furniture wax for an aged look.

Sometimes paying a professional is actually an investment in your sanity (and the health of your marriage). Stripping the metal bed frames was time-consuming, difficult, and exhausting. After that experience, I felt great about the $75 I paid a pro to strip the French chair.

Brass into stone? It's possible with a spray paint that provides a textured stone finish. A lampshade gets a custom look with grosgrain ribbon attached with fabric glue.

Explore the wealth of products that are easy to use. For example, fabric glue is great for certain projects such as attaching ribbon or covering an item when sewing isn't required. A simple coat of spray paint can really transform an item as in the stone finish I used on the brass lamp. Furniture waxes can impart an aged look when lightly rubbed on pieces.

Pillow fabric covers the old straps of this spruced-up luggage rack. The base was painted with two coats of green paint to match the chair.

Ask tons of questions and befriend the experts. Jim at Little Hardware in Birmingham's Mountain Brook Village was an invaluable resource for me--suggesting products and listening to my makeover woes.