chalk paint dresser makeover, diy repurposed chalk paint dresser

Well Hello Monday! How about diving into a chalk paint dresser makeover to get our week started?! It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend to say the least. I got my oldest son moved into his apartment a few weeks ago and this was his living room ‘decor’ AFTER he and his roommate moved in! Honestly, there’s not too much exaggeration there! Boys! As long as they have food in the cupboard, they’re good to go.

But seriously……we’ve slowly been finding things to furnish his apartment. Since he came home this weekend for work related appointments, we did some thrift shopping and found some awesome treasures. Who else loves thrift shopping? We picked up this dresser for $20!! I also found a gorgeous antique dresser for $45…..but that makeover will be saved for another post 🙂 )

I’ve never chalk painted, but was so excited to finally try it. Off to Home Depot we went to get supplies and I left empty handed due to sticker shock. Seriously? $30 for a small can of chalk paint? Plan B: Make my own chalk paint!

I went to Walmart for some Plaster of Paris and ended up finding the grey paint he wanted in a tester can for $5. One can was the perfect amount for the dresser.

Making your own chalk paint is SO EASY and inexpensive.

What to do:

To start, I removed all the hardware and my son had a brilliant idea to attached them to a piece of cardboard for easier painting. What a great idea! This worked so well. While I worked on the dresser, he spray painted all the hardware with silver spray paint that we had left from another project.

I gave the dresser a couple coats of the grey chalk paint. This looked great, but I knew I wanted to add some dimension. I used an antique white paint to white wash the dresser. White washing is super easy and gives a beautiful finish. To white wash, simply dip the tip of your brush into the paint and wipe the excess off with a paper towel or cloth. Lightly paint in one direction and follow up by wiping the paint with a soft cloth. You’ll need to wipe quickly, since you’re working with very little paint, it dries fast!

I just love the way this looked. It made such a big difference. Now to seal the finished product with wax. I knew I wanted to add another layer of dimension, so I chose to mix a bit of black craft paint into the wax. I rubbed the wax on with a soft cloth, then wiped it away. Here you can see the difference between just the white wash, and the dark wax.

This was a super easy project and it looks great in my son’s apartment! I am so happy with the way it turned out and I can’t wait to tackle the next piece of furniture.