From Trash to Treasure!

Nancy Craigmiles
by Nancy Craigmiles
4 Materials
$20
1 Week
Medium
I recently saw a dresser that had been painted with silver metallic paint. This project was now on my radar! I found something even better for my purposes. I found a night stand on the auction site and was able to get it for just $6! It was a real mess! All corners were damaged and parts of the feet had broken off.

I was really surprised to learn that this is not real wood. I really don't know what the top is made of. I just know it has multiple layers and they have come apart where it is damaged. The entire bottom is some kind of styrofoam. Who knew??
The worst corner.
All four corners were damaged. I have no idea what this material is.
Close up.
Wow. Can you say boogered up? Notice how spread apart this section has become? I have to get it back together.
The two back corners were both badly damaged.
Clean it up.
I used screwdriver to scrape out some of bulk.
Glue and clamp it.
I filled the gaps with Gorilla Glue, then applied two small clamps to squeeze it back to the original size as much as possible. I used a toothpick and paper towel to remove excess glue from the crevices.
Wood putty.
I used wood putty to build up the damaged areas.
Ready for paint.
The result after wood putty had set and was sanded.
Broken feet!
There were two broken feet. Luckily they remained stuck on the piece until I got it home. I reattached the pieces using Gorilla Glue and clamps.
Sanding block.
I lightly sanded the entire piece prior to painting. Light sanding gives "tooth" to the piece, which helps the paint adhere.
Tack cloth.
It's essential to have a dust free surface for painting. I used a soft brush to remove most of the dust before I used the tack cloth.
The paint.
I used an oil based paint because I wanted a durable surface, and it is self leveling. Since I used disposable sponge brushes, clean up was not an issue.
Metallic paint.
All paint has to be stirred, but metallic paints have to be stirred constantly during use. As you can see there was a lot of "sludge" at the bottom of the can. Keep stirring until it is fully integrated, and remember to stir frequently during use.
At last.
The paint is going on with a disposable sponge brush.
First coat.
This didn't cover as well as I hoped it would. This was after one coat.
Three coats were required to get a good result.
Love my nightstand!
Well, there she is in all her silvery glory, waiting to take her place beside my bed. I love the outcome.
Suggested materials:
  • Night stand   (Fast track it auction)
  • Paint   (Ace Hardware)
  • Wood putty   (Ace Hardware)
See all materials
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Kimlevah Kimlevah on Feb 26, 2018

    Question for you ,did you have to put a clear top coat on the end table?

    It looks beautiful.

    Levah

  • 62q10370829 62q10370829 on Mar 07, 2018

    Would it work on other color like a purple or lavender?

  • 62q10370829 62q10370829 on Mar 07, 2018

    Would it work on other color like a purple or lavender?

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 21 comments
  • Rick Kale Rick Kale on Nov 24, 2018

    you said you were disappointed with the first coat, metallic paint that has to be applied with a brush is almost always translucent... oil or water base... to get better coverage from a metallic paint a primer that is tinted the color metallic you are going to use is a huge help!!! I know for some and even many cases myself you may not want, or for some timing or money maybe an issue ... there’s pieces I have done in the past and only needed one coat of the metallic because of the primer especially if you can get the primer almost exact depending on the color metallic you are going to use!! But I must say you have done a marvelous job the piece turned out to be absolutely stunning.... you had a vision and a big job!!! Bravo 👏 well done !, I bet it looks amazing where you placed it as well!!!!


  • Carol Cole Carol Cole on Feb 02, 2019

    I love it , it is beautiful.

Next