Camouflaging Damaged Wood On Dresser Top

Kammy's Korner
by Kammy's Korner
4 Materials
$15
6 Hours
Easy
Sometimes even I cringe at the crap I pick up off the curb. This dresser was nasty with a capital N. But with a little vision and elbow grease, most things are not beyond hope!
I began with the top of the dresser. I knew the look I wanted - natural wood top, and black painted bottom.
But when I finally finished stripping all the paint off the top, there was this yucky little spot that I just couldn't sand off, scrape off, nada. Nothing. The more I tried the worse it got (as in the wood was soft and a greenish color and getting gouged and I was just digging myself in a deeper hole the more I tried!), but I still wanted a wood top so I decided to camouflage it!
I got a large flowered stencil and using the same black paint that was going to go on the bottom, stenciled the design across the top corner.
I put a coat a couple coats of polyurethane on top and the imperfections of the wood damage is almost completely unnoticeable now!
The black paint is a mistint that I made into chalk paint using Plaster of Paris and hot water. I loved the original hardware once it was cleaned up so I did not replace those! They shined up nicely using some Comet and a toothbrush.
Check out my blog to see more details of this dresser makeover!
Kammy's Korner
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 6 questions
  • K238286472 K238286472 on Oct 26, 2016
    where did you get the gigantic stencil? Thanks Kathy
  • CK CK on Feb 19, 2018

    Did you test this dresser for Lead paint?

  • TeresaH TeresaH on Feb 19, 2018

    I got my parents chest of drawer from my brother who had left in a house that was taken over by mice and the smell in drawers are awful. I am planning on redoing it. Did you have problem with smell in drawers and if so what did you do to get out.. the chest of drawer is over 50 years old. The bottom drawer front is off and the basket gives me a good ideal for mine. The bottom drawer was like a cedar chest. You pulled drawer open then lifted a lid. Of all the drawers to be messed up it had to be that one.

    I hope mine turns out as good as yours.

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 62 comments
  • Momo s Momo s on Sep 21, 2018

    Another way I fixed a damaged top of a Bombay chest was to spray it with Rustoleum textured " stone" paint. Looked better than the original finish

    • Maria Maria on Jul 16, 2019

      How I know if the furniture have lead

  • Marilyn Marilyn on Feb 24, 2019

    Great Job

Next