Dresser Drawer Upcyle: Window Boxes
A few years ago, someone gave me one of those plastic coated pressboard made-to-look-like-wood dressers and it wreaked of cigarette smoke. But I'll pretty much take anything that's free! I decided to repurpose the drawers rather than try to do anything with the whole piece.
Wouldn't you agree that window boxes dress up any home?! I felt my home desperately needed some.
The dresser in it's sad, cheap before state.
The first year I used these, we cut the back half off and screwed them to the house, lining the press board drawers with plastic. It was fall, so I just stuck some pretty dried weeds from the ditch in some stryofoam and called it good.
The pressboard obviously warped and didn't look too great the next summer.... so we improved upon them:
I happened to find these long plastic planters on a curb for free (I know, you're wondering how I get everything for free, but it just happens!) and we used wood brackets (also free because they were scraps from the end of the beams for our pergola) that we screwed into the house to set the planters on.
Since we recently moved to a different home, I sadly don't have any window boxes yet. I would also need a LOT more because there are so many windows on the front of our new house. We'll see! Maybe it will be a project for this summer. Or next....
To see more details please visit: http://www.kammyskorner.com/2013/08/dresser-drawer-window-boxes-new-and.html
To see more details please visit: http://www.kammyskorner.com/2013/08/dresser-drawer-window-boxes-new-and.html
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Bev Warrenon Jun 18, 2019What a great idea!! Another "item" for me to watch for at "yard sales"
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Careyon Jul 20, 2019I like the decoration of the handles a lot. If I was doing this I would definitely leave the handles on or find better ones if they were not pretty enough! : )
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Have a question about this project?
Did you screw the drawer fronts to your planters?
She must have. It's really pretty
Yes, that's how they're attached. :) I used them in the original drawer the first year, but it was that cheap press board and wasn't holding up, so I moved on to planters.
Thanks for answering. They are beautiful and a great way to use the drawer fronts.
Great idea, I love the look of these!
What happened to the rest of the dresser did it get turned into a book case or anything or storage unit...
That's an idea. It could be used as an entryway shelving unit to put boots and shoes in. Even a place to store garden tools. I was thinking the same thing too.
That's an idea. It could be used as an entryway shelving unit to put boots and shoes in. Even a place to store garden tools. I was thinking the same thing too.
That is a clever & attractive way to repurpose the dresser. I love the color of your front door. Do you happen to know the color you used? I think my front door would look great in that color.
Looks like cottage blue from the cottage series at Home Depot. I too love that color and was going to use it for something.
I think the color is Cool Pool by Valspar. It says that in the shopping list. I think it’s a very cute cottage look. I love a cottage look!
Would something like this work on a trailer house?
Absolutely, it would work and be really cute!
That's the only place this should work, in a Trailer Court
So what are you saying?
Now isn't that better unsaid?
Meow, was that necessary? Did your comment add anything positive to the conversation?
I don’t think this is the correct forum to be mean and hurtful. Perhaps you have had a difficult morning?
If you don’t like a project maybe just move on to the next. No need to spread your hate and venom. So petty
To Lori, I'm sure this idea would be cute. To everyone please accept my apology for previous response to mmcfarlinm(that is not showing now. ) The comment was that idea would only look nice in a trailer park. Not acceptable or necessary.
I'm always trying to find cute and pretty ideas to decorate an older trailer house. This is a pretty idea. I like it.
How to secure to stucco?
Cute but without some sort of paint or sealer won't the wood disintegrate quickly in the outdoors?
They appear to have been painted in the final photo. Totally different color from the original dresser.
And on the beach you need some really good paint and sealer. Heat, water, salt resistant. Deck/boat paint would probably be the best. Really cute idea ☺️
The drawer fronts are plastic - it was one of those cheap-o dressers with plastic drawer fronts. I switched out the drawer back for actual planters, because yes, like the post said, the pressboard only lasted one summer.
This is a great & beautiful idea. It really dresses up the front windows.
Why couldn't you use most of the drawer, & then you wouldn't see the pots at each end ? You could always drill drain holes in the bottom of drawer for water leakage.
Jan
I like the idea of using more of the drawer to hide the pot at both ends and lining the bottom of the drawer with a waterproof liner and putting in drainholes.
In the picture with the weeds you can see the sides of the drawers. She stated that the pressboard warped. This would be why the sides and bottom are open.
I used the full drawers in my backyard. Applied plastic lining and drilled the holes for drainage... sadly the word warps and the drawers only last one season
what is the plant behind the hostas---thanks
it's a variegated grass I got from a friend's flower garden. :)
I have a bunch of it planted around my deck and it is called Zebra grass.
Ornamental grass, there are a few different kinds
Lariope
I always wanted window boxes. But my siding goes all the way up to the bottom of the window. Would you DRILL holes in the siding??
If you drill holes in the siding it could negate any warranty or allow water to get behind the siding and cause damage. Maybe you could do an inexpensive build for the boxes to sit on under your windows?
If it’s vinyl, you may find no-drill hooks that clip over the siding. If you drill, water may seep in. Google it for articles or videos for more information.
I would not drill holes in the siding because it will always be there,..when you are ready to make a change..I.e. remove the window box
thats what CAULK is for...just get a silicone sealant if needed....very easy.
Would command hooks work outside?
I agree not.time will holes in your siding however you might want to use wood without so much weight to it and then try mounting g with the Command strips using the ones that will hold the heaviest weight. I have found these things to be very useful. I hope this helps your creative wheels start turning and I really hope I helped !
Did you apply anything to preserve the draws from the rain and weather? Thanks.
After you paint just apply two or three coats of a good polyurethane and that will seal them. Of course since it’s wood they will eventually rot. But a good poly will extend their lives.
Love love love it.
What a very clever edea .
Thanks Cathy.
If not mistaken the outer casing of the drawer fronts from that era are plastic
Brilliant!!!!
I was just at your blog and couldn't find the drawer window boxes , I have a question what exactly do you affix the drawer front to?? Just can't seem to see it and with what??
Thanks!!
Looks like the drawer fronts are simply screwed to the ends of the wooden brackets. Should last for at least the life of the drawer parts since there is zero pressure on the fronts. I would use a good outdoor screw to hold them together.
Do you remember the paint color used on the door? It's just what I'm looking for.
Looks like Behr's Ocean Boulevard PPU13-10 at Home Depot or Valspar's Crystal Sea 5004-7B or Sea Seeker 5004-7C at Lowe's
Thank you Carol. I'll check those out.
She mentions cool pool by Valspar.
So what did you put on the front of the drawers being pressed wood it seems like they would Swell and fall apart. I do love this idea, very simple to.
She mentioned Valspar’s Cool Pool in her notes and since she mentioned two colors but the drawer fronts are only one color, I would bet the other is the door color.
I think it was Valspar HONEY POT (the yellow). Don't even know if they still make it - It was a long time ago - Hometalk dug up a really old post of mine! haha. :)
Very nice!!! I love this idea!
Last week you had a spendle wood project with tin wove in and out as a blind to hide air conditioner how can I find it
https://www.hometalk.com/28891264/not-a-lattice-privacy-screen?utm_source=msgr&utm_medium=bcast&utm_campaign=06%2F14%2F2019&utm_content=13606&utm_type=21&utm_subscriber_id=4385136&date=2019-06-14&slg=1937c389d1c314fa8fbe88c51471eb63-5bc80ef776d92b5de9becdc4f093dc959bdf28adad19c9fd805825c73ea6b808-26132312
Not a Lattice Privacy Screen
https://www.hometalk.com/28891264/not-a-lattice-privacy-screen
Not a Lattice Privacy Screen
I took a screenshot if that helps.
just wanted to let you know that I really love this. How would you put the brace on a brick house???
With masonry screws.
How do I even put the Brackets on the house BECAUSE YHEY ARE LONG GATED SO I AM REALLY NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DO THIS PLEASE HELP I DONT KNOW HOW YOU RESPOND TO ME BUT HERE IS MY
E- MALE ADDRESS
pwright6982@gmail.com. THANK YOU 🙏🏻 SO SO MUCH ,can’t wait to here from you .
There are clips i have seen advertised that you can put on brick or other siding to attach things to. Try Lowes, Menards, Home Depot.
Very nice! I would maybe try taking handles off drawers and just put some type of decorative item over holes? Still looks beautiful!
I like the handles! So classy looking! What other kind of decoration would you use? I can't even think of anything that would look good without making it look cheap and "kitschy."
If you wanted to do something other than handles there are some wonderful carved wooden add-ons (that I happened to have found in Lowe's) that could easily be glued to the fronts and painted in an accent color as an interesting flourish!
How did the fronts last in the rain? Did you treat the with something?
They were some kind of plastic- not actually wood. And I have no idea how they've held up because we moved from that house five years ago. This is a very old post Hometalk dug up. :)