Easy DIY Home Decor Crafts: Shabby Chic Drexel Dresser Revival!

Painting with stain and chalk paint isn't as intimidating as it may seem! I picked up this Drexel dresser at a local garage sale this summer. This puppy is heavy and was in pretty decent shape. A few scrapes and scratches here and there. Some not so fixable. My bedroom is in the process of transforming and I needed a dresser to fit my shabby chic style. Unfortunately, I was so excited to work on this I neglected to take a before picture! Dummy... Anyways, sanded that puppy down with a belt sander and a corner sander and picked out my stain of choice. My favorite go to is Kona. It's dark and warm and lovely!
The painting with stain technique has been floating around Facebook for a little while now. It looks incredibly difficult depending on the amount of detail and choice of design. BUT, if you can draw a flower and rub your finger on a dresser, you can do it. Don't get me wrong, it takes practice! But I promise once you nail it you'll be staining every dang piece of wood you can find. So, you'll need a pencil, cotton cloth, latex or vinyl gloves that fit semi tightly and your stain. I draw my pattern first lightly with pencil. Saturate one area of cloth and start my petals at the inner part near the center of my flower. Then I use a clean part of my cloth and blend out to the edge of the petals. So on and so on. For a full tutorial, check out Sawdust and Embryos on Facebook. The woman is brilliant!
I chose a very light blush pink chalk paint from one of the wonderful local vintage stores. I love chalk paint for many reasons, but mainly because I'm incredibly impatient. (Hence no before photo) It goes on flawlessly, you only need a couple coats depending on your finish of choice, and it dries in two snaps of your finger. (Slight exaggeration). Also, it distresses like a flippin' dream!! So, I applied two coats, allowed it to dry, and took a 120 grit sandpaper to the edges where it would naturally distress with time. I like to allow some of the natural wood to show through on my pieces most of the time. Fell in love instantly!
*sigh* I know painted furniture is not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm absolutely infatuated with this particular piece! And wouldn't life be boring if everyone had the same taste! Anyways, that's all for that! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via my Facebook page under BirdiesReclaimed! Thanks for checking it out!!