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1/28/09

Show & Tell~

Here is a little dresser that I picked up at a yard sale for one dollar. This photo shows exactly how it looked when I bought it...... slightly sanded, knobs missing, and two colors of paint. I must admit, I've kept it this way for about a year! I just stuck it in my studio, filled it with items and have been happy with it ever since..... until now. This little dresser is getting a makeover~ Here is the BEFORE photo:
Here is the AFTER photo: *My very first tutorial* Woot-woot~
Here is an EASY-PEASY tutorial on how I did it:
I wiped the whole thing down with a wet towel to remove all the flaking paint and dust and in keeping with my shabby chic style-- painted the whole thing white. I didn't sand anything on the dresser, figuring on using those bits of globby paint to my advantage when antiquing it later. Once painted, I wanted to add some of those wooden appliques that everyone is just wild about....but heck, it is just a flimsy one dollar dresser, so that seemed absurd. Soooooooooo I got out one of my many stencils and I set out to stencil on some joint compound to give it the "appearance" of a wooden applique.
Firstly, your needing some joint compound, a putty knife (I use a stir stick instead), a stencil of your choice, some tape, a ruler & pencil. Thats it~ Next, if your centering your design like I did-- find the center and mark the spot with a pencil to help you align your stencil... next, just tape your stencil down. (yes, that is paint on my stencil, I do not wash the paint off of my stencils)Now, comes the fun part. You just take some of your joint compound and spread a nice coat of it on top of your stencil. No worries, don't stress-- it does end up looking fabulous-- promise! While this is setting up a little, I draw the center on the next drawer...so I would say about 2 minutes max. That seemed to work fine for me~ Next, you just pull up your stencil. Keep a good grip on it as its going to be heavy with the excess joint compound on it. (Place the stencil onto newspaper or scrap paper so you don't get anything on your work surface) If for any reason your not happy with the results, simply wipe off the joint compound while it is still wet, with a wet paper towel, and start over! (I had to wipe off a finished drawer as I noticed I had applied the stencil upside down lol) At this point you want to tap down any large peaks or wipe away any mistakes or globs. Again, no biggy-- enjoy the process~ When your ready for the next drawer, simply pick up your joint compound ladden stencil and reapply to a new drawer front. You do not have to clean your stencil between each drawer...unless your extremely messy and it is necessary! Repeat this process until all the drawers are completed. Let the newly appliqued pieces dry for 5 hours or more....until everything is dry to the touch. At this point you can either use your nail or an razor blade to cut off any bumpy bits --if you want to. Don't sand it or it will crumble completly off. To clean your stencil, simply scrape off remaining joint compound and put back into the container. Try to wipe off as much of the compound as possible (I use toilet paper, it is softer and less harsh on the stencil than paper towels) and toss the tissue into the trash. Just rinse the stencil under hot water while rubbing the stencil gently and the joint compound washes away. Next, I painted over the raised area with the same latex house paint that the drawers had been painted with. I put two coats on each drawer, once the paint has dried comes the super fun part! Antiquing! I used a nutmeg brown paint watered down and applied randomly with a large brush. I then used my fingers to rub the watered down paint all over the piece. I had to rewet my fingers a lot to keep the paint moving in an even coat. If it sets up and looks awful-- just rewet the area and run your fingers/hand across it until you like the looks of it.Looks good huh? If at a later date I feel I want it to be lighter, I'll just wet it and rub more off. Lastly, just take a brown ink pad.... I used a color called "chocolate chip" and rub it along the edges and raised areas of your piece. This is when the piece really comes to life. Here is my one dollar dresser all finished with its new knobs and freshly appliqued painted surfaces ready to be used once again! (I bought a bag of 24 of these knobs for $2 bucks) Here is a close up. Doesn't it look neat and super old? Not to bad for a dollar dresser~
You can view more Show & Tells on Kelli's blog. If you've arrived here from "There's no place like Home" and wish to view more of my blog, you can click here.

28 comments:

  1. hey, that's a great idea with the joint compound, never would've thought of it!
    thanks for visiting my blog and the hints, you gave me an idea to try on those shiny photos!
    off to check out the yarn...
    Kath

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  2. It's an amazing transformation. I thought you had used wood appliques. Your way is so much more economical than appliques. Nice job!

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  3. Now I know why I gave you the award! This is fabulous!

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  4. It looked so bad before you started, but now it looks amazing. Such a great job!!!

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  5. How wonderful! It look so great! I just love it! I going to do a plaster stencil on my dining room. Glad to see your project turned out so beautiful!

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  6. Fantastic. I love the joint compound. I have heard of that, but have never tried it!

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  7. I am totally impressed. And what a great finished project. You did a fabulous job.

    Excellent show n tell. Mine's posted, I do hope you can stop by and visit with me sometime today. Happy Friday.

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  8. You put a lot of work into it and it shows. Nice job.

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  9. Great make over project! Love the pink.

    Blessings

    Linda

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  10. YOU ROCK! I'd say Artsy Fartsy describes you perfectly! I am now wanting to go scrounge around for something I can give new life to! You have to be really proud of yourself, that turned out amazing!
    Connie

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  11. I like both looks, before and after. Great redo!
    Happy Friday, Candy

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  12. For only $1, I think you made a great choice! Wow is all I can think of the after shot! It is absolutely beautiful! What a great job you did!

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  13. I loved your tutorial. what a find!
    Mama Bear

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  14. WOW! I had no idea you could use joint compound like that. You are so talented and did just a beautiful job!

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  15. I am so impressed! You did a great job. I especially liked the idea of the stamp pad. Whoever would've thought to use it like that - not me! I really love how you transformed this inexpensive find into a beautiful piece. Wonderful!!

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  16. Great way to add a little somethin' to an old dresser. Super idea! Love it! There is an extender medium that can be added to waterbase paint to keep it wet longer. Might work here. Jean

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  17. Wow! Really beautiful! I may have to give it a try myself. Thanks for sharing - it turned out really neat!

    You are always welcome in The Shadow of the Cross. Feel free to stop in anytime.

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  18. Oh, you're GOOD! Thanks for sharing. Happy Show and Tell Day!

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  19. Your makeover is awesome!! I'm going to have to try this on something!!

    Thank you for taking the time to give a tutorial!! Really appreciate it!
    Blessings,
    Becky

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  20. You did a great job, twice! This little dresser is beautiful now. And you made a really interesting and useful tutorial! (I didn't know this method before.)
    Thanks,
    Maria

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  21. What a great tutorial! Thank you for taking the time to share the details and your tips and tricks! :-) You did a wonderful job transforming this little gem...it looks beautiful after its makeover!

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  22. Wow! I love the wood appliques...so pretty!
    ~Kelli

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  23. Hi,
    Your transformation of the dresser is awesome! Thanks for linking to trash to treasure!

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  24. That's a really neat idea. I have a lot of drywall putty from remodeling our home. I am definitely going to try that trick. I like the wood appliques, but they can be expensive.

    I found your blog on Sanctuary Arts. I really like it and will definitely be back!

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  25. Never thought of using the joint compound that way. How clever! Gotta try this.
    Elaine

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  26. That is a beautiful dresser! I cant believe all the yard sale (and Craig's List) treasures you find!

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  27. All I can say is WOW - that is a gorgeous transformation!... Donna @ An Enchanted Cottage

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Chaste hugs & air kisses!
~Cheryl