DIY

When you’re on a tight budget, buying brand new furniture probably isn’t realistic. At least that was the case for me. After searching Pinterest for a creative way to make a TV console, I decided that a dresser makeover would be the way to go. I found plenty of tutorials, but none that addressed some of the unique challenges I faced with this particular dresser—namely the fact that part of it was veneer and the other part laminate. Which is why I’m sharing all the details with you! I’m not going to lie, this was a big project. In my perfect world I would describe what I want and have someone else do it (haha). I’m more of the visionary, and less of the hands-on. However, budget has forced me to join the DIY tribe.  So if you’re afraid to take on a DIY because you aren’t exactly Bob the Builder, no worries, we’re in this together. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes and save yourself time and money. Shall we begin? Of course, we have to start with a before picture of the dresser. I spent quite a bit of time searching for the right style dresser, and finally I found this guy on craigslist for just  seventy bucks. Beneath that not so cute 70’s style, I saw the potential. I knew that I could make this into a mid-century styled master-piece. I definitely should’ve inspected the piece a little better because I thought that it was real wood, and only after getting it back home I discovered that this was pressed wood with veneer. Oh, and later discovered the drawers have a laminate face. (Insert sad face.) When you are looking for a piece of furniture, make sure you do your due-diligence and take a good look. You can tell if it’s real wood by the way that it feels, or if you look at the wood in the back it will typically reveal if it’s compressed or solid. Things You’ll Need So, this was probably one of the biggest DIY projects I have ever done. Which meant that I was missing a lot of the necessary tools—ultimately extending the amount of time it took me to finish this project because I had to save more money. The good news is: investing in tools will save you money in the long-run. So, if you’re going to continue with DIY it’s totally worth it. I also want to be upfront about the costs of this project. That’s one of my biggest pet-peeves. I hate it when I’m looking for a ‘how-to’ and I find one that claims, “$50 Makeover” but then you read it, and the person is a professional with all the expensive tools, the furniture piece was a gift, and all they had to buy was a gallon of paint. (What?! How is that a $50 makeover??) THAT IS THE WORST. I will never do that on my blog. I easily spent over $300 on everything, but as I mentioned I didn’t have any power-tools, so if you already have tools you’re in great financial shape. Tools Electric Sander  Jigsaw  Electric Screwdriver  Drill bits Hammer Large Flat Head Screwdriver Clamps Measuring Tape Pencil *Note: all my tools are RYOBI. If you need a lot of tools then you can buy a kit, which should save you money. I found that out the hard way by purchasing individually. Supplies Sandpaper sheets 150 & 220 grit Screws – I used Spax Construction Screws 1.25″ #6 Finishing Nails – I used Bulldog 16 guage x 1-1/2″ Leg Plates Packet of Disposable Gloves Safety Glasses & Mask (for sanding) Liquid Sander by Clean Strip Spray Paint & Primer (if you want to paint legs) – I used Rust-Oleum Painter Tape Minwax Paste Finishing Wax in Natural Dresser Legs Wood for Boarder Behr Paint & Prime – I used pure white in satin finish Flow-Leveling Additive (to eliminate brush strokes) – I used XIM Latex extender Wood Stain – I used Varathane 1qt in Light Walnut Gorilla Wood Glue Elmer’s Stainable Wood Filler 2 Sponges with Handle 5 Rags Hardware – I found mine at K&B Hardware Step 1 The very first thing that I did was removed all the drawers and flipped the dresser on it’s top. This baby was crazy heavy so I did get help turning it over. I removed all the screws on the boarder. Then using a flathead screwdriver and hammer I wedged the screwdriver between the boarder and the dresser. With a little leverage it pulls off quite easily.  I then measured for the new boarder, and used a jigsaw to cut the wood. Afterwards, I added some reinforcement across the bottom with the left-over wood I had. Using wood glue, and small finishing nails I secured the new boarder in place. Since the glue needed to set over-night I used some adjustable clamps to make sure that it didn’t move at all. Step 2 The next morning once the glue was dry, I drilled two holes on the top of the new boarder at each end. And then used wood screws to fasten it to the dresser. I then added the metal leg plates. Be sure to measure the screws before you put any in, as you don’t want them to poke through. After that, I used wood filler over the small nail holes, and in any gaps between new boarder and the dresser.  While the wood filler was drying, I wanted to spray paint the silver part of the legs gold. If you’re going to be using silver hardware, then you don’t have to do this. I just knew that I was going to use gold hardware and I wanted them to match. I used blue painter’s tape to make sure that the wood part on the legs were protected. I put paper towels in some coffee mugs, so that I could set the legs in them while they dried. I first used a spray