Project #2: The Old Dresser

Seven and a half years ago I acquired a dresser from my Mamaw. She had bought the house next door to her, and the dresser had been left in the house. Not even a week later, she was gone.

The dresser was looking a bit shabby, but I couldn't bear to part with it.

We decided to keep it for the girls room, but to update its look a bit.


This is what we started with:

1) First I attacked it with Murphy's Oil Soap and Liquid Gold (a theme you will see in many of my projects). That cleaned up the sides and the drawers, but the top was in back shape.

 2) Then it was time to sand. The finish (well what was left of it) was stubborn and I had to use a knife to remove the paint splatter...which meant more sanding.

3) I decided to just restain the top of the dresser, so I stopped sanding long enough to tape the top off.

4) One sanding block later, I was ready to stain. Made sure to wipe away any dust left from the sanding. I bought a can of Minwax in Red Mahogany. Please be sure to follow the directions on the can. Remember after about 10-15 minutes you will need to wipe off the excess stain with a soft cloth. Also, do not put it on too thick or on a surface that is not totally stripped.

      5) I let the stain dry over night. I also decided that I wanted new hardware. That meant: another trip to Lowes. I also sprayed a layer of polyurethane on the top of the dresser.

6) I removed the old hardware, and did one more attack with Murphy's and Liquid Gold before finishing it off with Old English. 

7) Once every thing was dry, I put on the new hardware,

The final product:

Stay tuned for more project fun. We have 2 more pieces for the girls room coming up next!