Painted Dresser

It's been entirely too long since a blog post, but this one is worth the wait! Blair and her mom presented us with a beat-up dresser a couple weeks ago. It was a yard-sale steal, but the drawers had fallen apart and the wood was worn and faded. When we pulled it out of the car, it crumbled even more. But the characteristics of this dresser - made of pine with a cedar backing, dove tailed drawers, and hand-crafted - wouldn't allow us to throw this piece out. Nothing that a little sanding, paint, and stain couldn't fix!


Supplies:
- Sand paper
- Electric sander
- Scrap wood (aka wood stacks)
- Wood glue (like...a lot). We prefer Gorilla Glue.
- Hammer
- Nails
- Old towel
- Stain - We started with one stain and then used another stain the next day. The second one had polyurethane mixed in.
- Paint brushes
- Paint!!! We used Valspar (always our favorite). The main coat was Sandy Cove and the design was Quail Egg.
- Polyurethane
- Knobs. We adored these from World Market

Instructions:
1. We repaired the drawers with the wood stacks and wood glue. It's very important to make sure everything is repaired and sturdy (as well as dry) before sanding.
2. Sand. Sand. Sand.
*** Always wear a dust mask and glasses
3. Use the old towel to wipe away dust
4. Apply first coat
5. Be patient (aka wait a couple hours)
6. Apply second coat
7. Stain the top of dresser. We ended up using two different stains to achieve the look we wanted. Amazing the difference this step made!
8. Began the design. We looked online at different painted dressers then free-handed this design! It's easy to sand away the design and re-paint if you don't like it.
9. Lightly (very, very lightly) sand the dresser - even the design - to get a worn look.
10. Apply polyurethane
11. Let dry overnight
12. Apply knobs

Here are some pictures!

Before sanding & painting; after the drawers were repaired 

Before

Before & After

Creating the design

Next time you go to a yard-sale, really look at the furniture. If it is in decent shape, made of real wood, and you see lots of potential - then it's a must-have!

Good luck!

Beth