New Life for a Thrift Store Dresser

4 Materials
$55
4 Hours
Easy

I found an old solid wood dresser at a thrift store and gave it a face lift with a little TLC and paint.

My son needed a dresser for his room. I wanted something sturdy but I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

I found this vintage wood dresser at a thrift store for $20.00. It was missing a pull and had a some splitting as well as deep scratches and other damage.

I got it home and gave it a good cleaning. When I pulled out the drawers, I actually found the missing hardware so that was a bonus!

I used soap and water to clean it and a magic eraser to remove the wax pencil used to price it at the thrift store.

I filled all the cracks and gouges with wood putty.

There was a lot to fill. I was sure to let the putty dry completely.

Once dry, I sanded the entire dresser. I wanted to be sure it was completely smooth when I was done.

One of the drawer slides was broken so I secured that back in place.

Then I wiped the entire dresser down to prep it for paint.

I let my son choose the color and he chose blue.

I used milk paint on this dresser. I thought I was going to distress it but changed my mind. If I did this again I would use a good latex paint.

I used a foam brush to keep the finish super smooth.

This paint goes on pretty thin so I gave it 5 coats in all and let it dry completely between coats.

Once dry, I used a clear furniture finishing wax to seal it. I gave it 3 coats of wax and let the wax dry between coats.

I decided to use the hardware as is. I just washed it with soap and water and used an old toothbrush to get into the crevices. I like the patina it had naturally.

I love the way it turned out and I only spent about $55.

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 6 questions
  • Crazyliblady Crazyliblady on Jan 09, 2022

    I am curious about why you did not strip the finish off first. Other than the obvious mess and smell of the stripper, what are the advantages to just sanding it off like this?

  • Linda Linda on Jan 09, 2022

    What Color Blue Is This, It Came Out Fantastic! Tks

  • Linda Linda on Jan 09, 2022

    What Color Blue Is It, This Piece Came Out Fantastic. Tks

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 35 comments
  • Dpbeee2 Dpbeee2 on Jan 11, 2022

    Very nice!! I think that is a great reno of an old dresser. Pat yourself on the back. Im all for rescuing and reusing old furniture.

  • Sharon Harrison Sharon Harrison on Jan 13, 2022

    I love the color. I believe that I too would have changed out the hardware for something a bit more modern. Also I wondered if you distressed it some. I see places with no paint. It looks really good. Hope your son enjoys it.

Next