Pull out a Plum: Dresser Makeover

I have been wanting to do this project for a long time. I finally got around to it the last couple of days, and I'm so glad I waited because I changed my mind on what to do at the last minute! Here is the little dresser before:

I got this for $5 at an estate sale a year or so ago. It was exactly what I had been looking for, at the right price, too!!

Here it is at our last house:

This is in our entryway, and holds all our board and card games. I will have to show in another post how we fit so many games in here. I had originally wanted to paint it black with a black and white harlequin pattern on the front. It would have been darling, but I suddenly wanted something lighter instead. I wanted to keep the harlequin idea, however. I figured it should be something fun since our fun games were inside. Silly, I know. :)

So, the plan changed to a lighter version. I also had to use what I had on hand. First, I gave it a coat of Behr Swiss Coffee. Then, to create the diamond pattern on the front, I put the drawers in and used a yard stick to draw a light pencil line from corner to corner. This created an "X" that showed me where the middle of the front was. Then, I cut out a diamond the size and shape that I wanted. I drew more pencil lines: one going straight across the middle, and one going straight up and down through the middle.

I then placed the first diamond in the center of the dresser and traced it.

Then I traced a row of diamonds along the center going across and then along the vertical pencil line. After that, I just traced them all in. They came out pretty straight! Keep in mind, that I wasn't going for a precise, perfect design. I wanted a hand-painted, whimsical look. (which means, I didn't want to be to picky about it, just get 'er done!) :)

After all the diamonds were traced, I used a small foam brush to paint in the tan diamonds. The color is Behr Gobi Desert that was I think 50% lightened.

After the tan was painted, I had to go back with a small foam brush and paint the Swiss Coffee over any showing pencil lines. Here she is with all the diamonds painted:

After it was painted, I took a sanding block and distressed the edges a bit. Then, the FUN part...the knobs!! I went to Hobby Lobby when the knobs were all half off and picked out a few fun ones. They were also some of the cheapest ones, so I think I spent under $15 for all of them. That makes this whole dresser about $20!!