DIY numbered bureau

We're takin' a hiatus from our regularly scheduled Friday's Find to bring you this little makeover.  Don't look so distraught, I promise it won't disappoint.

I snatched up this dresser about 4 years ago and painted it gray to use it in my boys bathroom.

I thought about just throwing some new hardware on it, but it just didn't seem like enough excitement for this baby.  I thought some random numbers would be cool, but I needed some further inspiration. So I turned to the thing I trust just as much as the Tooth Fairy.  Google.  Upon the first 2 minutes of my investigation, I found this noteworthy dresser from Anthro for One Thousand Dollars.  Since it was barely out of my price range, I decided to put my own spin on the dresser I bought for 20 bucks. 

Wanna sneak preview???

Here's how I did it.

I used Krylon (spray) primer for the first coat, then spray painted the second coat with Rust-Oleum Satin Granite (both found at Home Depot).  I filled in the holes with wood filler and didn't worry too much about it showing through because I was going for a distressed look.

I sanded down the drawers to reveal the magnificent, pine wood underneath
 

Then I took the wood down to it's natural state and lightly washed it with some watered down gray paint to kill the yellow tone of the pine  *Note- raw wood is very porous so dilute the paint down about 3-1, and using sparingly.

Next I correctly sized and printed three numbers (I chose the odd number I liked best from all three of my families birthdays) I chose a photoshop font called STENCIL.
*Note- I didn't like the top of the 5 so I edited slightly.

I put a piece of tracing paper underneath and traced it onto the drawer with a stylus.

I used diluted black paint to brush the numbers on the drawers. I'm pretty sure Van Gogh was smiling down at me.

Then I rubbed some the paint off before it completely dried to give a weathered patina.

Next I marked where I wanted the pulls to go then called my 15 year old son outside to assist me with the power tools.  (It makes him feel very manly.)

I loved the idea of using a natural material for handles so I found some un-used rope in my mans tool box and threaded it through the holes, tying knots on either sides of the drawer front.  *Note- cut the rope about 24 inches to give plenty of length for tying the knots.  Trust me, I tied it about 3 times before I got it right, Idiot!

And there you have it.  I completed the whole thing start to finish in a little over 1 hour, and that's my kind of project.

 

 I want to MARRY it! 


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