If you find a dresser that is missing a top, don’t pass it up! This post will show you how easy it is to make a DIY Top For Dresser!
I found this little dresser or chest of drawers at my local Restore. It did have all the drawers and the wood knobs still intact but the top was missing.
I thought I had a photo of the before piece but I must have deleted it because I painted the base of this piece. Oops. This post is more about the top and one of our favorite ways to create a top when we find a piece that is missing a top. Matt LOVES to pick up old yardsticks when we are at yard sales and estate sales. The older the better. We have done this with new yardsticks as well but the older ones just add so much more character.
In this post, we will show you how easy it is to make a DIY top for a dresser with thin plywood and yardsticks.
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Supplies Used For This DIY Top For Dresser
All-In-One Paint (Anchor)
Gel Stain (Dark Walnut)
Yardsticks
Thin Trim Pieces
Thin Plywood For the Base of the Top
Steps To Creating This Top
- The first thing I did was paint the dresser in one of my favorite black paint colors, “Anchor”. You can read how I prep furniture for paint in my post HERE.
- To make the top, Matt measured the opening and cut a piece of thin plywood to fit the opening. He nailed that piece to the top.
- Then, he measured and cut yardsticks to fit that piece of thin plywood on the top.
- He applied wood glue and started placing the cut yardsticks on the plywood.
- Once all the yardsticks were on, Matt measured the sides and cut thin plywood trim pieces to go around the side.
- When the trim pieces were cut, I stained them all before Matt mailed them to the dresser. I used the color “Dark Walnut” on the trim pieces.
Gel stain is a great option for your furniture projects!
- While the trim pieces dried, Matt hand-sanded all of the yardsticks really well. I was going to apply the same stain that I did to the trim to the top of all of the yardsticks. It allows the numbers and words on the yardsticks to still show through, but it makes the color and the overall top more cohesive with the stain.
- Once the stain was dry and the trim pieces were dry, Matt used a nail gun to attach the trim to the sides.
- I added the original wood knobs to the drawers and touched up any paint that needed it and this little piece was complete!
This little piece is so perfect.
A good black makeover with wood accents is always a good idea.
This top has so much character now too.
It is a conversation all on its own.
You can’t walk into a furniture store and find a piece like this.
Maybe you have a collection of yardsticks from a grandparent or someone else important to you. This is such a better way to keep their memory alive instead of a pile of the yardsticks in the garage. You would be able to see these every day and actually use them every day.
This DIY top for a dresser is EASY to do. We have done it so many times and will continue to do it when we find pieces like this.
Do you think you would try this project?
Do You Want To Make Money Flipping Furniture?
After twenty years of doing this, I am still picking up pieces when I can find them because I love the creative outlet, but I am now coaching other furniture flippers on how to make more money in their business. If you are someone who is looking to start and/or grow a furniture flipping business, I would love to help you. There are ways to make money in your business beyond painting a piece of furniture. Once I learned that, my business flourished. Don’t waste your time trying to figure it out on your own.
To help other flippers, I created The Furniture Flipping Academy! The academy includes everything you need to start, grow, and/or scale a furniture flipping business. It includes courses, resources, templates, social media planner and guide, a private community, and so much more. It will ensure that you are doing the steps that will lead to success and not wasting your time on things that won’t.
You can find all the information about the Furniture Flipping Academy HERE.
Let’s get your business started and/or moving in the right direction. The Furniture Flipping Academy is for any flipper, from beginner to experienced. If your business is stagnant, there is a reason for that. Let me help you grow it into a flipping career that is profitable and fits the lifestyle you want to live.
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If you liked this DIY Top For Dresser project, you will also love these DIY projects:
Easy DIY Desk Makeover With Paint & Stain
Headboard and Footboard DIY Bench