To make a designer dresser decor with your own hands means to make an expensive designer thing out of a simple, ordinary dresser. Few can afford to buy designer items - they are not cheap. Surrounding yourself with beautiful things that make you feel good and comfortable is in our power - you just really want to. To create a special mood in the house, to make the atmosphere unique - it's all in our hands. If you are a beginner decorator, you can first make a bedside table decor with your own hands. We offer 2 master classes: on the decor of the chest of drawers, and on the volumetric decor of wooden parts with putty.
Decor of a chest of drawers in the English style (master class)
The decor of an old chest of drawers from an ikeevsky store is our task for one or two evenings. The decoration will be done using acrylic paint, red and blue pigments, with which we achieve the desired color when mixing these components. In addition, we need a putty in order to make the surface textured. Then you will need oil paint and top-glaze. Toplazure is a decorative coating with natural wax that will preserve the unique color of the wood.
For work you will need:
- White acrylic water-based paint.
- Finished finishing putty.
- Red and blue pigments.
- Walnut colored top-glaze.
- Brown oil paint.
- Decorative furniture nails.
- Putty knife.
- Masking tape.
- Roller and brush.
- Sandpaper.
- Its a wooden chest of drawers.
Getting Started
Before decorating, it is necessary to remove all handles from the chest of drawers and wipe it from dust with a damp cloth.
Next, we take a spatula and spread a thin layer of white putty on the facades of all our drawers, that is, on the visible part of the chest of drawers. It is not necessary to adhere to a uniform filling of the surface, the board should be textured, and not simple. Smear the putty spots on the board. We are waiting for the putty to dry, and we pass with a roller with white acrylic paint, with a semi-dry brush, along the top of the boxes. We glue the masking tape and separate the places, which we will paint over in blue and red.
We take 2 glass jars and make the colors we need. Add blue and red pigments to the white acrylic paint. The more pigment, the darker the paint will turn out.
When staining, we see some spotting - it should be so. We need an unevenly colored surface.
We paint again, otherwise the color will be too pale. This is how it should turn out.
Then we take sandpaper, sand the top of the chest of drawers, side edges, and corners.
Then we take a sponge, and begin to rub on the entire surface of the chest of drawers, with the exception of the drawers, walnut-colored top-glaze. Especially intensively we process the side parts, the corners of the facade, and the top of the chest of drawers. Next, we begin to stuff furniture nails along the facade of our chest of drawers. We make sure that the distance between the nails is the same.
Then we screw on the handles that we removed at the beginning of work, or others that match the style. We paint with a brush and oil paint around the nails and pens - we make a dark shade. We are finishing the work.
People often throw away old furniture, not because it is broken, but because the old side tables, sideboards, or dressers are tired and no longer look beautiful. Often you see discarded furniture made of good wood, not modern chipboard and fiberboard. Old furniture undoubtedly deserves to be given a second chance, because it is a value that, in the right hands, turns into a stylish designer item. Yes, of course, you will have to put your hands and diligence, but such decor does not require large material costs, and the work will surely please you.
With the help of such a voluminous decor, you can make a do-it-yourself cabinet decor. You can decorate not only a chest of drawers or a bedside table with a volumetric decoration, but also make a cupboard decor with your own hands. Next, you will see stencils that can be useful to you in your work.
For work you will need:
- Wooden detail of a bedside table or chest.
- Putty knife.
- The stencil is plastic or made of thick cardboard.
- Acrylic filler or bulk paste.
- White and brown acrylic paint.
- Brush or sponge.
- Masking tape.
Getting Started
We fix the stencil on the surface of the tree, securing it with tape. We put putty on the stencil, level the surface with a spatula. Then remove the stencil with both hands and leave the work to dry.
Here we have such a voluminous decor.
Or another option: after the decorative element has dried, paint the surface with brown acrylic paint, then rub the pattern itself and the surface next to it with a candle.
Not everyone has the talent of an artist, and not everyone knows how to draw. It is in such cases that stencils can come in handy. Transfer to cardboard, cut out, and use stencils for work.
I will not open a secret if I say that slate (chalk paint) is very often used to decorate furniture now. It adheres well, uniformly to the surface, does not require special efforts for painting. But the price is quite high. Therefore, we want to offer a recipe that will help you make your own chalk paint for decoration.
Paint composition:
- 250 grams of water-based latex or acrylic paint.
- 2 tablespoons of ordinary plaster (can be taken from the children's kit). Plaster can be replaced with chalk.
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of hot water.
Preparation:
- We take a glass jar, pour 1 spoonful of hot water into it, then pour gypsum there, and mix well.
- Immediately pour paint into this mass (do not wait for the gypsum to harden).
- Mix the resulting mass well. The chalk paint is ready. This paint can be used to paint a chest of drawers, a bedside table, and more.
Dresser decor options
There are many options for decoration: using fabric, acrylic or oil paints, the remains of wallpaper, paper, volumetric decor. Even if you just change such a trifle as fittings - buy interesting metal or wooden handles, metal locks with keys in a furniture store, and replace these small details - this can completely change the look of your furniture.
Many amateurs transform old things by breathing new life into them. Having spent a little money and personal time, you can independently restore the chest of drawers, making it more modern and suitable for the interior of the room.
We will tell you how you can do it yourself.
Materials and tools
Before carrying out restoration work at home, you should prepare the necessary tools. In this case, the process will be faster.
Materials and tools that will be needed for the job.
- Sandpaper, it is better to use fine-grained paper.
- Sander.
- Paint brushes or roller.
- Paint and tray.
- Putty for woodworking.
- Appliques and stickers (in case of additional decoration).
- PVA glue.
reference... The list may vary depending on personal preference for furniture restoration.
Preparing the chest of drawers for restoration 
The final result directly depends on the preparatory process. The chest of drawers to be restored should be thoroughly prepared for the transformation. This will speed up the restoration process and help extend the life of the product.
- First of all, one should empty all boxes from other things and objects. The old handles and fasteners must be unscrewed. If desired, they can be left on with paint to obtain a new, more attractive color.
- We carefully wipe the surfaces of the chest of drawers from dust and dirt... To do this, use a special detergent for cleaning wooden furniture.
- If the drawers are decorated with carved elements, dust can accumulate in openings and cuts. For a more thorough cleaning, you can use a toothbrush..
Advice. It is better to refuse modern alkaline cleaners. This could damage the finish of the chest. A solution with laundry soap is suitable for cleaning.
- Using a grinder, we process the surface of the chest of drawers, carefully removing the old coating... In hard-to-reach places, we connect sandpaper to work.
- If the fasteners are loose, they can be unscrewed and processed with PVA glue for reliable fixation.... The slats for moving boxes can also be replaced with modern runners.
- We treat the surface of the furniture with the first layer of primer... Leave it on for at least 12 hours until it dries completely. After that apply the second layer, leave for another 12 hours. In this case, work should be carried out outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
Important! The drying time of the primer can be up to 24 hours. It depends on the chosen composition. The required information is indicated on the packaging.
Preparatory work is a rather lengthy and time-consuming task. For a high-quality and effective result, you should perform all the points one by one. Otherwise, the process will not have the desired result and will be in vain.
Restoration options
There are several methods to return furniture to its attractive and bright appearance.
Dyeing 
The most popular type of restoration is staining. Painting is the easiest method to change the image of furniture. The new paint will help freshen the dresser and blend harmoniously into the interior of the bedroom or living room.
The chest of drawers can be painted in a different color, several combinations can be used, bright drawings of a different shade can be applied over the main paint.
Important! All work is carried out exclusively in the fresh air.
Operating procedure
Before staining, it is necessary to clean the surface of the chest of drawers from the old coating. Here you can use acetone or a special cleaner. Using a brush, apply the cleaner to the surface. Experienced craftsmen use cling film, which covers the surface for 5-10 minutes. When the air supply is cut off cleaner or acetone works much faster.
Important! When working, do not forget about a respirator and gloves to avoid injury.
After the required time has passed, remove the film. After such "conservation" the paint easily leaves the wood. In hard-to-reach places, you can use a spatula or a brush dipped in acetone.
At the second stage, it is necessary to prepare the chest of drawers for staining.... For this we use 
grinding machine. With its help, it is easy to remove the remnants of the old coating and level all surfaces. In hard-to-reach places, we use fine-grained sandpaper. After sanding, we process the chest of drawers with putty.
After preparation, you can proceed directly to staining... Pour paint into a tray; a small roller or brushes (optional) are suitable for work. We process the surfaces with paint, let them dry. It is recommended to apply two coats of paint for a more intense shade.... We fix the result by processing the varnish. The inner surface of the drawers can be finished in white or beige.
Aging
Nowadays furniture made using the “aging” technique is very popular. If desired, a painted chest of drawers can be decorated using the technique of imitating antiquity.
After processing, the paint is erased in some places with sandpaper. When the desired result is achieved, the surfaces are coated with wax. You can use a regular candle. The chest of drawers is ready. It will become the main decoration of the room and will attract the attention of every guest.
Additional decoration
Decoupage technique is also not inferior to positions. With its help, you can achieve a complete renovation of furniture.
In this case additional elements are used for decoration... These can be appliqués, stickers, logos of various brands or popular music artists. Drawings and appliqués are chosen at will.
As a decoration also you can also apply collages made of colored paper, clippings from newspapers and magazines or photos.
Many craftsmen also use unnecessary wallpaper rolls, lace or fabric scraps... When decorating with additional fittings, you can fully open and show your imagination.
After the preparatory process and staining, you can start designing the fittings.
- Cutting out the jewelry elements, approximately place their position on the surface of the chest of drawers.
- The wrong side of the pictures we process with PVA glue, we do a similar action with the chest of drawers.
- We place the drawings on the surface, let them dry.
- In order for the fittings to look more natural, it is necessary to remove the gluing edges as much as possible. To do this, you can lightly rub the surface with sandpaper.
- Large items look harmonious on drawers, on the sides or on the top shelf. You can decorate the corners with small details.
Renovation work 
Antique pieces of furniture need more than just a fresh look. To upgrade, you will need to perform various repairs.
Restoration of fasteners and fittings will have a positive effect on the appearance and significantly extend the period of use.
Another option is alteration... The chest of drawers can be transformed with several auxiliary rails, drawers can be altered. With this approach, the product undergoes a thorough transformation, radically changes its appearance.
Antique handles, if firmly installed and undamaged, can be slightly updated... This requires only bright paint. Gold or silver looks especially impressive. After staining, carefully process the handles with paint using a thin brush.
For more comfortable use, you should replace old guides with new runners... We remove the old runners, mark the location of the new ones. Using screws and a screwdriver, we fix the runners on the surface of the boxes.
Useful Tips 
- When repairing and restoring you must first change the fasteners, and then proceed with the design of the appearance.
- Removing the old coating in the preparatory process is necessary... If you ignore this point, the restoration process may be in vain.
- Don't forget protective measures... Outdoor work, gloves, and a respirator will help protect against serious harm to health.
- Apply a primer, paint or varnish only after the previous coat has dried... Otherwise, streaks or cracks may appear. Then the work will have to start over.
A small but roomy chest of drawers has become an integral part of the design of any room. However, many products are not attractive in appearance or price. In this case, you can apply a little skill and restore the old chest of drawers. Such a piece of furniture will stand out for its uniqueness and originality.
READ ALSO: HOW TO MAKE YOUR HANDLES FOR DOORS OR FURNITURE YOURSELF. TOP 17
1. Floral print
2. Add fabric to the sides of the drawers
Read the detailed instructions.
3. Decorate drawers with wallpaper
You will also be interested - 45 Ways to Update Your Wardrobe with Wallpaper.
4. Use lace
Read the detailed instructions.
5. Apply paint to the lacquered chest of drawers
30+ Ways to Use Leftover Paint Wisely.
6. Commemorative dates on the dresser
Read the detailed instructions.
7. Or your favorite songs
Read the detailed instructions.
8. Or favorite cities (streets)
Read the detailed instructions.
9. Trailer from the chest of drawers
Read the detailed instructions.
10.Use filing cabinet drawer knobs
Read the detailed instructions.
11. Striped accent
Read the detailed instructions.
12. Use painted toys as pens
Read the detailed instructions. You will also be interested - How to make your own handles for doors or furniture. TOP 17.
13. Or their halves
14. Blue milk
Read the detailed instructions.
15. Cover the dresser with metallic paint
Read the detailed instructions.
16. Bold Ombre Style
Read the detailed instructions. You will also be interested - 33 Examples of walls with an ombre effect + Master class.
17. Use a stencil to create an original pattern.
Read the detailed instructions.
18. Another option using stencils
Read the detailed instructions.
19. Add a geometric pattern to the top of the dresser
Read the detailed instructions.
20.Use wood planks for lining drawers.
Read the detailed instructions.
21. Replace crates with baskets
22. Cover the boxes with maps of different countries of the world
Read the detailed instructions.
23. Or both
24. Ombre dresser style
Read the detailed instructions.
25. Ombre ...
Read the detailed instructions.
26. Another variant of the ombre ...
27. Use magnetic paint
Read the detailed instructions.
28. Use varnish of different shades
Read the detailed instructions.
29. Strictly and tastefully
Read the detailed instructions.
30. Run colorful stripes along the entire dresser
Read the detailed instructions.
31. Sunny accent
You will also be interested - how to make a simple plywood cabinet.
32. Cover the chest of drawers with newspapers. Why not?
33. Scallops
34. Charming designs on the boxes
Read the detailed instructions.
35. Upgrade the dresser with gift wrapping
Read the detailed instructions.
36. Use old rope instead of handles
Read the detailed instructions.
37. Funny mustache dressers
38. Optical illusion
Read the detailed instructions.
39. Bright circles on the dresser
40. Or triangles
41. Use nails with caps
Read the detailed instructions.
42. Cross stitch effect
Read the detailed instructions.
43. Ombre ...
44. For fans of sailing
Read the detailed instructions.
45. Stylized chest of drawers
Read the detailed instructions.
46. Cover the dresser with a cloth
Read the detailed instructions.
47. Cover with foil
Read the detailed instructions.
48. Don't be afraid to use bright colors.
49. Ombre ...
50. The case when doodles look organic
51. Add brass brackets and handles
Read the detailed instructions.
52. Create a colored texture on the boxes
Read the detailed instructions.
53. Marine chest of drawers
54. Experimenting ...
55. Use house numbers as handles
Read the detailed instructions.
56. Add miniature wheels
Read the detailed instructions.
57. Experimenting ...
58. Add vinyl letters
Read the detailed instructions.
59. Bright and colorful chest of drawers
Read the detailed instructions.
60. Bright geometric patterns
61. Create Fancy Shapes
Read the detailed instructions.
62. Get rid of the boxes
63. Another option for geometric patterns
64. Colorful dressers
Read the detailed instructions.
65. Leopard notes
Read the detailed instructions.
66. Do not forget about the decor of the inner surface of the drawers
67. Color contrast
68. Mix Prints
69. Experimenting ...
70. Use colored pencils as liner
Read the detailed instructions.
71. Marine shades
72. Use leather instead of commonplace pens
Read the detailed instructions.
73. Landscape chest of drawers
74. Mirror chest of drawers
Read the detailed instructions.
75. For UK fans
Read the detailed instructions.
76. Family photography
Read the detailed instructions.
77. Contrast stripes
78. New legs for an old chest of drawers
Read the detailed instructions.
Furniture that was produced during the Soviet period or even earlier was wooden, of high quality and unusual design. Such interior items were considered a treasure for their owners. But time is ruthless even to wooden interior items, and do-it-yourself restoration of a chest of drawers becomes the only chance to return its interior value to it. 
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Stylish DIY furniture
Long-term use of wooden furniture leads to damage to the paintwork, weakening of adhesive and metal fasteners. The influence of moisture and wood bugs violates the integrity of the structure. Some parts, especially the legs, can rot and flake.
The restoration of an old chest of drawers is able to cope with even the most severe damage. There is an option to contact specialists and fully rely on their professionalism. However, carrying out repair work with your own hands will not only save a large amount, but also decorate the interior with the pride of the owner.
The renovation process is not easy. It requires a number of skills, patience and knowledge of how to restore an old chest of drawers, with a clear sequence of actions - from cleaning the surface to decorating and varnishing.
The importance of each stage can hardly be overestimated. Especially if you are restoring Soviet furniture with carved elements and inserts, specific fittings and many component parts.
Restoration process from start to finish
Do-it-yourself dresser restoration at home consists of several main processes - cleaning wood from old coating, removing chips and other severe damage, priming and painting, decorating, and opening with varnish.
For beginners, you will need instructions for the step-by-step restoration with an indication of a list of the required material and tools, a preliminary sketch with a design drawing (if any) and a color definition.
Tools and materials for work
Before starting work, you need to purchase a special solvent for removing paints and varnishes, acrylic paint of the required color (or even several), acrylic varnish, wood putty, several wooden blocks, PVA glue.
Of the tools you will need:
- electric grinder;
- spatulas of different widths, awl, sandpaper of different grain size, needle files;
- jigsaw or hand saw for wood;
- ruler, pencil or marker;
- brushes or roller for applying paint and varnish;
- screwdriver, nails, hammer.
Cleaning the product
For any old chest of drawers, restoration begins with a complete cleaning of the product from the coating. A solvent with a large amount of acetone is applied to the entire surface and left for some time (it is indicated on the package) until the varnish and paint separate. Then the swollen coating is carefully removed with a spatula. All flat areas are processed with a grinding machine with a medium grit disc. Then they are sanded with felt.
If the chest of drawers is decorated with carvings, hard-to-reach areas should be cleaned with an awl and fine-grained sandpaper folded in half.
Preliminary preparation
After all the paint has been removed, wood imperfections become visible. To eliminate defects with wood putty, gaps are filled, holes from the vital activity of wood bugs, etc. If the edges are chipped strongly, you can restore the shape by gluing wooden planks and grinding them to the desired shape using sandpaper, small flaws are formed with putty.
It is often necessary to restore a chest of drawers that was stored in a damp place. For this reason, the legs deteriorate, and the slats, which act as runners for the boxes, come off or become unusable.
To restore functionality, the strips are glued and tightened with self-tapping screws or replaced. Hardwoods hold better on nail joints.
Legs can be trimmed to full wood or removed completely. Then replace with aged metal elements.
Today, the restoration of an old chest of drawers with your own hands using decoupage technique has become fashionable. The method involves decorating with elements that are cut from special cards, napkins, and other paper products, pasting with wallpaper and even cloth.
The decoupage process itself is simple, requires the use of improvised tools, and a wide stylistic choice of materials will allow you to design a chest of drawers for any interior.
A master class from experts in this type of needlework will help you to carefully familiarize yourself with the stages of decoupage, the exact technique of its execution.
The owner of this chest of drawers once saved it when neighbors were carrying it to the trash, and she saw such an outrage during the time, and since she adores all sorts of old things, she asked to give it for a couple of bottles.
He looked terrible, probably all his long life he was painted with floor paint. Ugh! She came up with the idea to restore it and revive it from a closet to a spacious recreation room, where the hostess was going to receive her guests. Then she turned to me. I, in turn, could not refuse such a gift! All my life I have dreamed of transforming old furniture.
His initial photo has not survived, here are the first works on it - a little sanded, but in some places there is this terrible floor paint.
After we removed a huge layer of old paint, a surprise awaited us! Almost the entire chest of drawers was eaten away by the bark beetle ... The photo shows how the beetle ate the tree.
It's sad ... It was decided to replace everything that was possible. Legs, for example, generally crumbled into dust and only paint held them for many years.
Then we sanded it very carefully, probably about 4 days, to remove all signs of paint from the wood. The photo shows how strong the defeats were.
After thoroughly sanding everything, using in general all possible materials - from a grinding machine to hand-made small skins.
Oh yeah! I almost forgot - we are sure to process the entire chest of drawers both outside and inside with some kind of "bug", because we do not want such a beautiful chest of drawers to collapse further!
Since the damage was almost everywhere, we decided not to preserve the texture of the wood. Then it was easy to putty the entire chest of drawers.
In this photo, the lockers are putty, we do the same with the chest of drawers itself.
The photo shows a rough putty and sills and legs are replaced. Then we dry, skin, putty again, dry again. Until we are satisfied with the result and a flat surface, we have putty and skinned three times.
Here is a photo of the chest of drawers in the process of grinding.
The ends of the chest of drawers were made of plywood, it was decided not to change them, we already had it heavier by a couple of kg. but it would not be lifting at all.
The most difficult and time consuming is the patterned columns along the edges of the chest of drawers! The main thing is not to be lazy and do everything carefully, otherwise all the imperfections will definitely come out on the painting !!!
More sanding of lockers.
Now everything suits us and we start painting. But how can it be without incident! We bought the paint on the lid in black and white, it was written "dark brown", while opening the can we saw something incomprehensible and very similar to the floor paint that we so carefully cleaned off ... We thought it was so damp and would darken after painting. But it was not there!
But we are artists and we must not despair! I took the usual color scheme and mixed the color that the chest of drawers should be painted with.
Apply layers until there are no gaps! In total, I got three layers.
Now the decor is the most difficult and interesting! Of course, it would be easier to unhook all the parts that we are going to paint in light, but we were going to experiment with shabby chic and therefore in the future there was a sea of jewelry work! But we are not looking for easy ways !!!
It can be seen that it is not neat, but it does not matter! Acrylic dries quickly and after drying it is easy to touch up with a dark color, which was accidentally climbed with light paint, for this purpose, of course, we use a thin brush (no more than 4 numbers.)
The shade was mixed by herself (white acrylic and color scheme). I was looking for a color close to pistachio, but this is what turned out warmer (unless, of course, the photo conveys everything ...)
Where necessary, waxed with a candle (protrusions, corners, etc. do not overdo it only, everything is very easy and a little bit :)), and then a layer of light paint was applied - again, three layers at least. The photo shows the protruding wax - in this place we overdid it a little and then a lot of stealing came off, but we were not upset - this was intended 
On the boxes, the painting was conceived, which also took more than one day, there is no photo in stages, but there is a result.
Now we dry everything for the night, and in the morning we cover it with varnish - it can be anything, depending on what goals are pursued. We needed lacquered and shiny, but there are those who don't like such furniture. Then it is possible to apply a matt acrylic varnish. Varnish also needs three layers - so for sure!
Here is the result - a handsome man with screwed handles, and at the request of the hostess, we attached runners to the drawers like in modern chests of drawers, so that it is not only beautiful, but also functional!
