DIY: Updating Old Dressers

Howdy Ladies,

Today's DIY seems really complicated, but it really isn't! All it takes is a little patience and elbow-grease.

I have had these dressers since I was a little girl, and although they were super cute and sparkling white then, they are now dingy and old. I was considering throwing them out and buying new dressers at Ikea, but I realized that the quality just couldn't compare. These dressers are solid wood and have held up through more than 15 years of abuse!

So I decided to paint them to make them seem more funky and modern.

 Before. Note: This isn't the same dresser as the one posted below. I realized that I didn't have a "before" picture of my finished product so I snapped one of the matching side dresser.

After. Sorry for the messy table top, I was moving things around.

Lets begin!

1) Start off my prepping the area and the furniture. Lay down some old sheets to protect the floor. Clean the furniture with some spray and old rags. You want to make sure you don't have old dirt clinging to your new paint. 

2) This step is kinda optional. I didn't sand the dresser, but based on my conversations with professionals you should sand the furniture so that the paint can adhere better. I will say that my paint has not chipped at all, and it's been a year!

3) Grab an oil-based paint. I used black Rust-Oleum I had left over from another project. Grab a medium-sized paintbrush and begin painting the dresser. I applied two coats, allowing each one to dry before applying the other. 

4) Wait. Oil-based paints take a while to dry, so it might take a day or two to fully dry. Make sure you don't accidently touch or bush past it, or you'll have to re-paint and wait even longer. 

5) If you feel like your furniture will endure a lot of traffic, you can use a clear top coat and paint the dresser after it is fully dry from the last step. This locks it all in place.

6) If your knobs look old and outdated, you can buy new knobs for $1-$5 a piece at Home Depot or Lowes and easily switch them out. I liked my knobs so I kept them, but painted over them.

7) To add an extra layer of protection to the top, as well as add some flair, cut a piece of cabinet paper to fit the top of your dresser. I bought the black and white one at Target for $6 for the roll. Make sure it has a vinyl, sleep finish to it, so you can easily wipe off any dirt or spills.

See? Not too hard! Let me know how your furniture updates go!