DRESSER MAKEOVER

OK, I have to admit, I have a soft spot for anything retro! And I got the inspiration to makeover a new dresser for my son when I saw what Sherry & John did over at http://www.younghouselove.com/


Here is the FAB redo I am referring too. 

Courtesy of www.younghouselove.com

Go check it out here:  http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/03/nursery-progress-refinishing-a-veneer-dresser/

So when I came across this dresser at my local Salvation Army, I fell in love. But at the price of $40 dollars, I sadly walked away. But since I am a frequent shopper there, I checked back with my dresser several times over the next month. And within 4 weeks, I have to say it was marked down several times. (I don't think they like large furniture pieces taking up their showroom floor). But this last time I checked, it had been marked down to $15. SCORE!!! It was finally in my price range (I know, I am CHEAP!). But this proves that if you have some patience, you can get a unbelievable deal! So here is my little beauty, she needs a lot of TLC but I was up to the challenge:

BEFORE

BEFORE-MORE DETAIL

As you can see, she was beat up pretty badly. Hence why no one else grabbed her for over a month but me! But I saw the hidden potential and I couldn't wait to see her glow!
I started off by cleaning her thoroughly. I use baby wipes for this, my kids are way past the baby wipes stage, but I still keep them around for messy situations & furniture clean up.
My next step was to sand her down, which I used my handy dandy craftsman hand sander which I got for my birthday this past year from my Dad & Step mom. This step took the longest. Once I got her all sanded down, I used some of those tacky rags to remove all the sawdust and make sure my surface was clean. Then I started staining. I used the same stain as Sherry & John....Minwax Wood Finish in Red Mahogany.  This step took no time at all. I let it sit overnight in my garage and the next day finished her off with Minwax Water-based Polycrylic clear satin. I applied 2 coats over the entire dresser, and 4 coats on the top of the dresser for extra durability. And here she is:

AFTER

 Not bad for $15, huh??