My DIY Nightstand Makeover has been a long time coming.

Tired…..

Dated…..

Lost a few pieces of hardware along the way…..

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Way back in the day, I bought a bedroom set from Thomasville. You know the kind – the one with all the matching pieces.

Anyhoo……the nightstand with the marble top was part of the package.

I love the lines of this piece of furniture.

So much potential.

The piece needed to be stripped down completely, but I did not know where I wanted to go from there…….

Until I saw the most magnificent piece of furniture on Anthropologie’s website.

My brain started working overtime……

Now I had inspiration galore.

And, a great starting point for my one of a kind nightstand makeover!

Materials Needed

Furniture Stripper

Sander

Sanding Pads (I used 120 grit)

220 sanding block

Paint scraper

MinWax Color Wash in White Wash (this is just to give you an idea of what you are looking for, this price is ridiculous as there has been a run on paint lately). I finally found mine at Ace Hardware.

Sponge Brushes (assorted sizes)

Regular paint brush (chip brushes are fine)

Denatured Alcohol

Water

spray bottle

lint free cloths

New Hardware ( I found my new pulls at Hobby Lobby)

Rub and Buff (European Gold)

Wood filler

Resin Molds ( I chose a combination of floral molds and leaves to closely match the Anthropologie piece)

Small disposable cups to mix resin in

Resin Kit (I used 2 and 1/2 kits)

Wooden skewers or popsicle sticks to stir resin mixture

Titebond Glue

Clear wax ( I used Annie Sloan, as it is what I had on hand)

Dark Wax

Wax Brush

Steps to Strip and White Wash the Dresser

1. Move the dresser outside so that you can sand without making a mess inside.
2. Remove the old hardware.
3. I could not get all of the drawers out, so I sanded the piece using 120 grit sand paper with two of the three drawers still attached. If you can remove them, it is so much easier to sand.
4. Next, I used furniture stripper to remove any stubborn stain that did not come off with sanding alone.
5. Then I sanded the piece with 120 again.
6. I finished the sanding process by running a 220 sanding block over the entire piece to smooth everything out.
7. The dresser originally had handles, but I decided to use knobs for my new hardware. Using wood filler, I filled in the extra holes on each drawer that I did not need.
8. I cleaned the piece thoroughly with a 1:1 ration of denatured alcohol and water mixed together in a spray bottle.I allowed the piece to dry out for the afternoon before moving forward.
9. Then I applied 2 coats of Minwax white wash over the entire nightstand by brushing it on with a foam brush. I wiped off the excess with a lint free cloth.

Steps to Makeover New Hardware

1. While the piece was drying, I painted some rub and buff, using color European gold, onto the new hardware pieces I had selected. I applied the Rub N Buff with a small paint brush, and then set the pieces aside to dry.
2. Next, put the hardware back on the dresser so that you can form the resin pieces around the hardware.

Steps to Make and Apply the Resin Floral Pieces

1. Next, I laid out the molds I had chosen, and mixed up a small batch (using two disposable cups) of the resin following the directions.
2. I poured 1:1 amounts of each liquid into two separate cups.
3. Then I poured one cup into the other and mixed quickly, using a wooden skewer.
4. I poured that mixture into the molds and allowed the resin pieces to form.
5. It took about 10 minutes, and they turned white as they formed.
6. Remove the pieces from the mold. The resin pieces get hard fast. It is easier to work with one piece at a time when it is still warm – especially when you are trying to gently bend it around the hardware or sides of the nightstand.
7. For the flat areas that don’t need to be bent, try the pieces out by laying them out around the dresser.
8. Next, I liberally applied the Titebond glue and pressed the resin piece onto the furniture. I then placed some type of weight onto the piece of resin to keep it from sliding around while the glue was still wet.
9. Repeat this process over the entire dresser.
10. For pieces that lay over where the dresser drawers open, you can cut them with scissors while they are still warm.

Photos of Resin Process

Steps to White Wash and Seal the Entire Piece

1. Once I had the resin pieces attached to the entire dresser as I liked, I removed the hardware again.
2. I applied one more light coat of white wash over the entire piece, including all the resin pieces.
3. I applied the white wash with a foam brush and used a regular paint brush to dab the white wash into the crevices around the resin pieces.
4. After the piece had dried, using a 220 sanding block, I gently sanded the edges of the dresser and the drawers to distress it lightly.
5. Then, using a wax brush, I liberally applied clear wax over the entire piece to seal and protect it.
6. After the wax dried approximately 6 hours, using a lint free cloth, I then buffed the piece.
7. Next, I mixed some 1 Tablespoon clear wax and 1 Tablespoon dark wax together into a plastic bowl.
8. I sparingly applied this combo to the dresser to “age” the flowers a bit and add in some character to the edges of the dresser.
9. Put the hardware back on the dresser and put the marble top back in place.

I love the way the nightstand turned out.

There is no other piece like it in the world.

And, I spent $150 on the resin kits and molds as I had everything else on hand……..

That is a bargain compared to the $1500 price tag on the Anthro piece.

Now its your turn.

You should really try this DIY out.

If you loved this DIY Nightstand Makeover, please drop me a comment below and tell me what piece you are planning to try this out on.

Pin For Later…….

Looking For More DIY’s?

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Here’s another DIY furniture project where I also used wax. The finish is fabulous!.

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How About Some Recipes?

Have you tried my Carrot Cake Banana Bread? It is outstanding – and you can leave it naked or ice it with my light vanilla cream cheese icing.

Strawberry White Chocolate Cookies anyone?

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Try my Vanilla Pound Cake a la Darlene. My recipe makes a huge loaf cake that you can easily freeze for later.

My dill pickle dip is the perfect appetizer to serve at Easter brunch or at your next pool party.

This creamy balsamic salad dressing will become your new favorite.

My Monterey Jack Salsa will be your next favorite dip this summer.

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