My DIY Nightstand Makeover has been a long time coming.

Tired…..

Dated…..

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

Nightstand with marble top before being stripped down - J Dub By Design™
Tired, Dated, and Missing Hardware

This post does contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my website.

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.
Nightstand sanded and prep for white wash - J Dub By Design™
The dresser has been sanded down and cleaned.
using a foam brush to apply Minwax color wash to nightstand - J Dub BY Design™
Paint the color wash on using a foam brush.
using a lint free cloth to wipe back the excess Minwax color wash - J Dub By Design™
Wipe the color wash back using a lint free cloth.
the nightstand after two coats of Minwax Color wash - J Dub By Design™
Here is the dresser after two coats of color wash.

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.
hardware that has been painted with rub n buff - J Dub By Design™
The knob on the left is without the rub n buff. The knob on the right is after I applied the rub n buff.

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

mixing resin to pour into molds - J Dub By Design™
I poured each liquid into a cup. I made sure that I used 1:1 ratio of each liquid..
mixing the resin to pour into the molds - J Dub By Design™
Then combine them into one cup and stir quickly to mix.
pouring resin into floral molds - J Dub By Design™
Pour the contents of the cup into each mold being careful not to overfill.
floral resin pieces drying their molds - J Dub By Design™
Allow the molds to sit approximately 10 minutes to set.
placing the resin pieces around the hardware to try them out - J Dub By Design™
Position the molds around the nightstand as you like.
putting glue on the back of resin appliqués to apply to nightstand - J Dub By Design™
Glue each resin piece down onto the nightstand using Tite Bond Glue.

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.
using a foam brush to apply a third coat of Minwax color wash to the dresser - J Dub By Design™
After the resin pieces have dried, apply another coat of Minwax Color Wash over the entire piece of furniture.
using a paint brush to get the Minwax color wash into the crevices of the resin appliqués - J Dub By Design™
Use a paint brush to get in the crevices of the resin pieces.
applying clear wax to the nightstand using a wax brush - J Dub By Design™
Once the color wash has dried completely, apply wax to the entire piece of furniture to seal it.
applying dark wax to the nightstand - J Dub By Design™
Once the clear wax has dried, apply dark wax sparingly to age the resin pieces.

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…….

DIY Nightstand Makeover styled in girl's room - J Dub By Design™
A Major Transformation!
Jennifer styling the nightstand after makeover - J Dub By Design™
Don’t forget to pin for later!

Looking For More DIY’s?

Don’t forget to try my method to clean all your glass surfaces. You will never rely on Windex again.

Have you seen the DIY outdoor dining space I just completed?

My old and tired wooden table and chairs got a whole new lease on life!

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

Have you ever dried an artichoke? This DIY is so easy to complete. You will end up with the most gorgeous muted dried pieces to use in all your floral decor.

Do you want to create a beautiful moss wreath like mine? I have a tutorial! This would an excellent gift for that special lady for in your life.

Have you seen my Aged Pot Tutorial? It’s a great way to transform any piece of pottery into an aged antique beauty!

And, don’t forget my fig topiary is the perfect gift for your favorite gardener.

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?

My Blueberry Banana Pie is the perfect pie for your Easter brunch. Your entire family will be begging you to share this recipe.

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.

Don’t forget to follow me on InstagramFacebookPinterestYou Tube, and Tik Tok to see all the daily happenings going on over at J Dub By Design™!