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DIY Dresser Makeover

Hammer and Handsaw

Years ago, Joshua and I would always be in the middle of a DIY project, whether it was a building a desk, installing shelves or creating some other new furniture. Since we’ve become parents, we haven’t created as a hobby like we used to but recently when we had a kid-free weekend, we (spontaneously) challenged ourselves to a weekend dresser makeover.

Related Post: How to Start Flipping Furniture 101

@hammerandhandsaw Just refinished this old dresser and prepping it to sell so come back to see how much we sold it for! . The drawer pulls are from Hobby Lobby and the paint color is Indigo Batik by Sherwin Williams. Its all linked in the blog post! . #dressermakeover #furnitureflip #furnituremakeover ♬ Woke Up – Spxrnn

It was so much fun to do and we thought it would be worth sharing so below is our step-by-step process of our dresser makeover from the first idea and design plan to the finishing touches. Since we don’t need this extra dresser, we decided to sell it! So if you’re interested in a DIY dresser makeover or just learning how to refinish old furniture and flip it, keep reading!

And in case you missed it, we created The Ultimate Money-Making Furniture Flipping Guide for Beginners, a 10+ page guide full of instructions, links and resources right at your fingertips! You’ll learn:

Check it out and show us your first sale by tagging us @hammerandhandsaw on Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok!

Materials We Used

Step 1 – Dresser Plan

First things first, you’ll need to take a good look at your old piece of furniture to determine what materials and tools you’ll need to prep and refinish.

In this case, this 6-drawer yellow dresser was left behind in a bedroom when we purchased our new home by the previous owner. It was in a decent condition for the most part, but had a few chipped areas on the outside and sticky residue inside of the drawers.

We also noticed the entire piece of furniture was made of solid wood except for the drawer fronts, which were made of veneer.

Although I (Dejene) initially wanted to have a two toned dresser (wood tone for the top and a paint color on the rest of the piece), we decided to paint the entire dresser the same color. We would also replace the pulls with new hardware and add decorative liner in the drawer.

Step 2 – Patch and Prep

We started the dresser makeover by removing all of the drawers from the dresser frame and removing the old hardware. You can use a screwdriver or drill to do this. We decided not to reuse the old drawer pulls but if you wanted to refinish them, keep the pieces attached to itself (handles, screws and bolts) and place them in a Ziploc bag so you can find all the pieces later.

Then we patched the dents in the dresser with DAP plastic wood filler. We also ended up patching the drawer pull holes because they were not aligned straight.

Also the wood inside of the drawers were covered in a sticky residue and we wanted to easily clean it without destroying the wood inside. We chose to use Citristrip Paint & Varnish Stripping Gel which perfectly loosened that residue so we could very easily scrape it off with the tip of a paint tool.

At this point, the dresser was prepped for sanding and drawers were prepped for liners.

Step 3 – Sand and Prime

We used a sander to give the dresser a prime before applying primer.

We even used a hand sander for the intricate parts. Since the drawer fronts were made of veneer, we didn’t overly sand down that area.

With the dresser prepped and ready, we used Krylon Professional All Surface Enamel as a primer. This particular primer adheres well to many surfaces. Normally we would have used a regular liquid primer instead of aerosol

Step 4 – Paint and Seal

For years we chose neutral colors for almost every single project and renovation. These days we have been choosing bolder paint colors to our various room makeovers. In particular, it took us a while to choose between green or blue for this new look.

We’ve been using olive green recently for our home decor, but this time Joshua found Sherwin Williams’ Indigo Batik and we both knew that was our color.

We got this amazing blue tone in satin sheen using the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel brand. The satin finish gave a subtle sheen that catches the light and add depth to the dresser.

We’d recommend you use a paint sprayer if you have one handy, but if you don’t or like us, did not want to go through the effort of setting it up, you can use a microfiber paint roller to ensure the paint goes on exceptionally smooth.

Then we used a paint brush to cut into the areas that the brush couldn’t reach.

We applied three coats of paint, sanding between each coat.

This is what it looked like after one quick coat.

Step 5 – Apply Wallpaper

Now that the inside of the drawers are clean, we wanted to add even more personality to the dresser by adding inside liner. Instead of using a traditional liner, we decided to line the inside of the drawers with floral wallpaper from Lowe’s.

We decided to purchase this peel and stick option as it promised a quick and easy application. Our method of installing was to flip over the drawer and outline the bottom onto the wallpaper. Then cut along that line with scissors. Once you place the cut wallpaper into the drawer, start in one corner and press with a flattening tool or paint scraper to ensure there are no bubbles.

Then use a sharp edge, box cutter or exacto knife to cut the excess around the bottom for a clean cut.

Step 6 – Install Pulls

No dresser makeover is complete without the finishing touches. We scoured Hobby Lobby for the perfect drawer handles and found some awesome drawer pulls. These pulls added the perfect sophistication to the bold blue tone of the dresser.

As mentioned before, the original drawer pull holes were not aligned correctly so we had to drill new holes in the drawers to fit the new pulls. Once that was done, we installed the modern drawer pulls very easily.

And here’s the big reveal!

Step 7 – Sell!

As mentioned, this was a super easy, DIY dresser makeover that we decided to tackle in a weekend. Since we didn’t need this chest of drawers, we decided to sell it online for a profit.

We started with a free dresser and after all of the updates, we made $300! If this peaks your interest, we detailed every single strategy we used in our The Ultimate Money-Making Furniture Flipping Guide for Beginners. We give you ALL the insider details on how to find good, quality furniture for cheap, how to prep your furniture like a professional, how to sell your furniture online quickly and a lot more!

Have you ever refinished and/or flipped furniture? Share your piece with us @hammerandhandsaw on Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok!

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