STEP-BY-STEP

STEP 1

Choose a dresser with no curves, mouldings, or incising on the drawers —just flat fronts. Remove hardware. Sand off the old finish; use a sanding block or a power sander starting with 40- to 60-grit sandpaper. Switch to medium grit (80 to 120); for a natural finish, move on to 220-grit paper. If you use a power sander, don’t apply too much pressure or you may damage the grain or create dished-out areas. Wipe the dresser down with a damp tack cloth and let dry completely.

STEP 2

Inspect the piece now that the paint is off. If you find minor nicks or gouges, use wood filler, squeezing it into deeper gouges first and following up to fill to the surface. If you intend to change the hardware (knobs or pulls), fill in the old screw holes, using a putty knife if your filler is not in a tube. Slightly overfill the hole because the filler shrinks as it dries. Smooth with a putty knife and let dry overnight. Then sand the hardened spot until it is level and smooth; wipe with a tack cloth.

STEP 3

Prime case and drawers with latex primer, letting it dry for four hours or according to label instructions. Use a tinted primer if the final color is dark or very different from the original.

Apply two thin coats of the finish color. You can brush it on, or roll and then brush out for a traditional finish. Let dry four hours between coats, and for three or four days before you decoupage.

STEP 4

Any type of paper—wallpaper scraps, paper napkins (reduced to one ply), posters, magazine pages, sheet music, etc.—and even fabric can be used for decoupage. You can cut out discrete images with scissors and a craft knife if desired. Here we show whole sheets of paper, trimmed to fit drawer fronts. If you’re using fabric, leave ½” or less extra to be trimmed at the end. Position the paper on the surface and adjust as needed. (You can, of course, decoupage the entire piece, rather than just drawers, or side panels, etc.)

STEP 5

Using 300-grit paper, lightly sand surfaces to be decorated and wipe with a tack cloth. If you are using a collection of smaller pieces, work with one at a time: turn it over and spread PVA glue onto the back in an even coat. For large sheets of paper, the glue can be applied directly to the drawer itself with a foam brush, followed by the paper. Where paper overlaps, make sure to apply glue between the layers. For fabric, take care not to glue the excess border to the surface.

Once paper or fabric is applied to the dresser, smooth air bubbles and wrinkles with a damp sponge or a squeegee as you work. Work gently to keep paper from tearing or stretching. Let everything dry overnight.

STEP 6

Use a craft knife to carefully trim any excess fabric or paper at edges. Carefully sandpaper edges with a sanding block and 220-grit paper. To create a worn finish, use the sanding block over the entire decoupaged area.

Now you must seal the work with varnish (or specialty decoupage glue). Get a durable, lacquer-like finish by using multiple thin layers of varnish. Use gloss varnish. If you want a matte finish, use matte varnish for the final coat only. Let each coat dry completely and sand lightly between coats, finishing with a tack rag.

STEP 7

Replace hardware or, if you are going for a makeover, position the new pulls or knobs. Measure out their placement and mark with a pencil. Drill new holes at the marks. Attach new hardware.