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Revamp a Vintage Chest of Drawers with Stencils PLUS FREE STENCILLING CHEAT SHEET!

Phoenix Furniture Studio / Decoupage  / Revamp a Vintage Chest of Drawers with Stencils PLUS FREE STENCILLING CHEAT SHEET!
A side-by-side comparison of two dressers with the text "How to Stencil Paint Wash Decoupage on Furniture" in the center. The left dresser is plain wood, and the right dresser is colorfully painted with a portrait. Discover how to revamp a vintage chest of drawers. A "Read Now" button is at the bottom.

Revamp a Vintage Chest of Drawers with Stencils PLUS FREE STENCILLING CHEAT SHEET!

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The makeover of this vintage chest of drawers combines the elegance of decoupage with a pop of paint, perfect for those who love unique and personalized furniture.

What you’ll need:

  • Vintage chest of drawers
  • Cleaning solution
  • Sandpaper (120 grit)
  • Drill
  • Hardware (screws, knobs)
  • Decoupage paper
  • Paint
  • PVA glue
  • Wallpaper smoother
  • Craft knife
  • Primer
  • Paintbrush
  • Roller

Prep:

  1. Clean and prep the furniture: Firstly, give the drawers a good clean with any degreasing cleaning solution. If the drawers are sticky, you might need to lightly sand them down for better movement.
  2. Remove the hardware and drawers: Label the drawers to ensure they go back into the correct spots.

Decoupage the Drawers:

  1. Decoupage the drawers: Now the fun bit! Choose your favourite decoupage paper and cut it to size. The one I’m using in this project is from It’s So Chic Furniture Art. Apply a thin layer of PVA glue (I use Mod Podge) to the drawer surface and smooth out the decoupage paper with a wallpaper smoother, eliminating air bubbles. Use a craft knife to trim any excess paper, and sand smooth the edges with 220 grit sandpaper. Then, once it has fully dried, seal it with a couple of coats of varnish.

Paint the Body:

  1. Sand and prime: Lightly sand the entire chest of drawers and apply a coat of primer for a smooth painting surface. I use Zinsser Cover Stain, which is brilliant for blocking bleed-through and providing a good adhesion base to the furniture surface.
  2. Paint the body: Now, decide on your paint colour and apply it to the body of the chest. For this project, I used Vintage with Grace Mineral Paint in the shade Delamere – a deep forest green to complement the vibrant colours of the decoupage paper.
  3. Stencilling: Once I stepped back and looked at the decoupage drawers and painted body together, I knew it needed something more. So, I stencilled the entire body of the drawers using Roberson Liquid Metal in Classic Gold and some Indian Inlay stencils.
  4. Paint Wash: Once the stencilling had dried, I used a paint wash (50/50 ratio paint to water) over the entire body of the drawers. For the first coat, I removed the paint wash by dabbing at it with a cloth (this is called ragging). For the second coat of paint wash, I removed the excess with a scrunched-up ball of brown paper. This added lots more texture to the finish.

Final Touches:

  1. Glazing and waxing: The final step was using a sponge to wipe a very thin layer of the Roberson Liquid Metal in Classic Gold over the surface of the decoupaged drawers and body of the drawers to add a metallic shimmer and then finishing off with a layer of black wax over everything to add depth and age to the finish.
  2. Reattach the hardware: Lastly, put the knobs or pulls back on the drawers and step back to admire your one-of-a-kind creation!

My Tips:

  • When positioning your decoupage paper, ensure any important details like eyes on faces are fully on a drawer to avoid an awkward cut-off.
  • Use a sharp blade to cut the decoupage paper to prevent tearing.

With a little creativity and these easy steps, you can transform a tired piece of furniture into a stunning statement piece for your home!



If you have any questions or want to share your own furniture makeovers, please leave a comment below.

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See you on the next flip!

Brenda xx

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