Transform an old dresser into a stylish TV stand dresser makeover with a fresh coat of paint and wood strip drawers that adds rustic charm effortlessly without stripping paint! This easy DIY project results in a unique statement piece with a fresh look that’s effortless to do!

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When I’m out and about checking out thrift stores, I always search for those little hidden vintage finds at a good price.

One item I love to collect are vintage yardsticks! I love their stories, taking me back to elementary school days. But I also love their woodsy vibe and lettering, being somewhat of a sign fanatic!

I’m about to show you what I did with decadent said yardsticks! However I’m also teaming up with a few of my creative friends to flip thrift store finds into something amazing! Be sure to check them ALL out at the end of this post!

Subway sign dresser TV stand

Dresser before

 

Enter my very tired tv stand dresser that had seen better days. I loved this previous painted dresser idea with stencils used on the drawers, however I was ready for a fresh look. The sides really needed repainting after many years, plus I desired to flip the drawers into a wood grain look.

The theory was sound, but DIY dresser makeovers don’t always go as planned! As you can see by one drawer, the paint was absolutely impossible to remove! 

So I let this piece sit while I came up with a plan B. I wanted a high-end piece that combined paint colors and woodgrain without all the fuss.

And then I got a brainstorm. Why don’t I put a few of those pretty yardsticks to good use, to create the woodsy drawers of my dreams, but done easy? I LOVE a good cheat!

Well, not only did my plan work, it turned out even better than I imagined! So if you too love the vibe of a 2-toned painted dresser with wood drawers, but detest stripping paint, you just may want to collect a few cedar strips and yard sticks to try this easy hack out to create a tv stand dresser of your own dreams!

Here’s what I did:

Rustic TV stand dresser makeover with easy wood strip drawers

 

Supplies I used:

 

Wooden yardsticks

1.5″ cedar strips

Heavy duty hot glue sticks for woodworking

Glue gun

Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black (get 10% off)

Velour paint roller (get 10% off)

Smaller paint brush (get 10% off)

Fusion’s Tough Coat in Matte Finish (get 10% off)

Rusty junk for random hardware or use rustic drawer pulls

Bosch miter saw (I like this space saver arm)

Sanding sponge

Construction measuring tape

Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black (get 10% off)

Prepping and painting the dresser

 

1. Remove the dresser drawers, then paint the dresser body in Fusion’s Coal Black.

This dresser was so jammed and cluttered with memorabilia, that the mere idea of emptying the drawers was a little daunting! But there’s nothing like just gunning for the finish line! So I gutted everything, tossed it all in laundry baskets, cleaned out the drawers, then cleaned and painted the dresser body in Coal Black by Fusion Mineral Paint.

It actually was already Coal Black, but after years of hitting it with the vacuum, it needed mending. So I rolled on a fresh coat of paint using a velour roller to get the nicest coverage.

I like to use a paint brush in tighter areas, then use a roller for the rest. I lay the paint on relatively quickly, then use long end-to-end rolls without stopping in between for the best finish.

What a difference already!

Painting the drawers

 

2. Tape the sides of each drawer, then paint the drawer fronts and sides in Coal Black.

This dresser has been painted many times even before I landed it from a barn! So to get a reasonably nice look without major fuss, I taped off the drawer sides, then painted up to the tape and across the front of the drawers in Coal Black.

And… no. This will not be an all-black dresser by a long shot. You wait and see! This just creates the decadent background I desired.

Cutting the wood strips to fit the drawers

 

3. Measure each drawer width, then cut enough yard sticks and cedar strips to cover the front of each one.

Placing all the drawers on the floor in the order they’d sit inside the dresser, I played around with wood strip and yardstick positionings until I liked what I saw. I took care to position the words on the yardsticks right where I wanted them as a start.

Arranging the wood strips on the drawers

 

Then using a ruler, I drew a line against one edge of the drawer to mark my start cutting area. After measuring the drawer length, I cut the other side to fit.

I positioned the strips so they’d fit with small gaps in-between. The black background helps make the wood strips pop! Plus, ties in with the rest of the dresser.

Isn’t it a great look already?!

Hot gluing the wood strips to the drawer fronts

 

4. Hot glue the wood strips into place.

Since I had heavy duty glue sticks meant for woodworking, I hot glued all the wood strips into place since that was quick and easy!

However you can also attach using screws or a nail gun.

Fusion’s Tough Coat in Matte Finish (get 10% off)

Applying protection to wood strips

 

5. Protect the wood strips with Fusion’s Tough Coat to create a wipeable finish.

While I loved the raw wood look, this is a furniture piece I dust frequently, so I wanted it extra durable. So I covered all the wood strips with a coat of Fusion’s Tough Coat in Matte finish. I use this product whenever I wish to protect old wood finishes.

You simply brush it on, and allow it to dry. Easy! The product also deepens the wood tone a little making it a little more vibrant and not so dry-looking. I think it dresses up old wood wonderfully!

Attaching old rusty junk hardware to drawer fronts

 

6. Attach drawer hardware.

Since I adore a good rusty junk vibe, I gathered all the existing hardware for this dresser makeover plus a few more pieces I had in my stash, and screwed them onto each drawer front.

I used slightly longer screws so the hardware would be attached to the actual drawers, not just wood strips. This makes them stronger and effective to use.

Completed TV stand dresser with wood strip drawers

 

And now my once very tired tv media stand flipped into a re-painted TV stand dresser makeover with easy yardstick drawers is looking refreshed and gorgeous! I got the wood front drawers of my dreams, but even better, since the various wood strips teamed up with yard sticks gives it so much more quirk and interest, don’t you think?! It’s like this dresser makeover is art and function all-in-one!

Get the look:

• Faux olive tree plant
• Small faux fern
• Faux succulents

And it goes SO well with my faux barn wood headboard, rustic antiques mirror and wood feature wall with hooks!

My goodness, I can’t believe the difference. I find the black dresser makeover helps to make the TV components disappear moreso, while allowing the warmth of that decadent wood to absolutely take center stage. It’s gorgeous!

And the quirky handles just make my day! From random hooks to latches, to bed frame hardware, I used any rustic hardware I had on hand and made it work.

Eclectic rusty junk drawer pulls

 

I’ve also found adding hooks to furniture is a quick way to hang something up like a shirt, purse, belt or or jewelry which is actually kinda helpful! Or a cute small wreath would be cute too!

The cute little faux fern is from Walmart, and the faux succulent is from the thrift store. Just a dash of greenery brings life to this area, plus it’s easy enough to move when I watch TV.

Yup… watching my TV series is a LOT more fun these days, thanks to my new TV stand dresser makeover with wood strip drawers makeover! Do you think you may use this woodsy cheat to cover some dresser drawers to get this look?

Other unique dresser makeover ideas:

 

Pallet TV stand with vintage crate storage underneath

Faux fabric pattern painted dresser to store sewing supplies

Wood drawer dresser to store milk paint

Subway sign dresser TV stand

Visit other unique dresser makeovers HERE

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And now it’s time to see what everyone else made, by visiting each project below!

1. Shop at Blu  Metal Outdoor Side Table Upcycle

2. Exquisitely Unremarkable DIY Decal Pitcher Makeover

3. My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Easy Decorative Moss Balls for Spring

4. Redhead Can Decorate How I Transformed Our Foyer with a Thrift Store Room Divider

5. Sadie Seasongoods Geometric Abstract Art from a Collage Frame

6. Our Southern Home Piano Bench Makeover with New Color and Fabric

7. My Repurposed Life  Can This Become a Lamp?

8. Funky Junk Interiors Rustic TV Stand Dresser Makeover with Easy Wood Strip Drawers

9. Our Crafty Mom DIY Rope Vase Pottery Barn Dupe

10. Songbird Vintage Tool Decor Idea

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