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Quick Dresser Updates on a Budget

August 6, 2015 By Chelsea Lipford Wolf Leave a Comment

Like a lot of people nowadays, Brandon and I decided to forego the standard nursery changing table. Instead, we’re using a dresser with a changing pad on top. Then we’ll be able to use the dresser for storage and clothes as our first born ages and outgrows the nursery.

And even better…we got the dresser for free!

cherry wood stained dresser with brass drawer pull hardware

It’s actually the dresser my parents bought as part of an entire bedroom suit for me when they were expecting their second child. So I guess you could say it’s an antique. 🙂

But I can’t just leave it as is! I wanted to change it up subtly, without involving the usual paint brush. And that’s when a light bulb went off. I remembered some pink and white striped wallpaper, also from my childhood bedroom, that I found in my parents’ attic close to a year ago.

pink and white striped wallpaper rolls in box

Not in the most pristine condition, given that it’s about 24 years old, but perfectly perfect for lining dresser drawers!

Nursery Dresser Drawer Before Wallpaper

So I got to work measuring the bottom of the drawers. Since there are 3 drawers of the same size, I measured once for all 3 using a yard stick.

using yardstick to measure dresser drawer

Then I used the yardstick to measure and mark on the wallpaper itself.

Marking Length of Drawer on Wallpaper

I lined up the yardstick with the marks and started running my X-acto knife along it. But that didn’t last very long since I kept cutting into the yardstick itself!

using x-acto knife to cut wallpaper along yardstick

So I switched over to scissors which worked out great. I was able to keep the lines pretty straight by taking it slowly and cutting only a little at a time.

You may also notice that the wallpaper is wrinkly from being in a semi-rolled state for many, many, many years. After I cut a piece of the paper, I set some heavy books on top to encourage it to flatten out. I cut my other 2 pieces of the same size and set them under the books for a few minutes while I cut the wallpaper to size for the two small top drawers.

Then I took one drawer and one piece of wallpaper at a time outside for the messy part.

Spray Adhesive for Dresser Drawer Liner

Spray adhesive seems to have more fumes than spray paint, so definitely don’t spray indoors! I don’t even like to spray it in my workshop if I can avoid it.

I turned the face of the drawer away from me before spraying to reduce any overspray getting on the “pretty side”.

spray adhesive elmer's drawer bottom liner

Spraying the bottom really well and don’t worry too much about getting it on other parts of the inside of the drawer. It’ll dry clear!

Carefully line up one corner of the wallpaper with the drawer bottom and roll it onto the drawer, smoothing it as you go. Just like you would put a screen protector on a cell phone…if you’re into that sort of thing!

Once I had one drawer done, I transferred my heavy books into the drawer to keep the wallpaper intact while the glue dried. And I moved on to the next drawer. Repeat that a few more times and all of the drawers had new lining!

Wallpaper Drawer Liner After Spray Adhesive

I switched up the direction of the stripes for the two small drawers for a fun change.

white and pink stripe wallpaper drawer liner

It didn’t take long to start filling up the drawers and making the new liner disappear! With a few new outfits from an excited aunt, grandma, and great-grandma and a TON of hand-me-downs from a lovely couple we met at our parish, one drawer is completely slammed. And the other 2 large drawers are almost there!

pink baby girl clothes in dresser drawer

What a blessing to already have so much for our baby girl! Can’t wait to see her in all of them!

Naturally I couldn’t stop there!

Since this dresser is over 20 years old, I thought my girl deserved some new hardware to freshen up the front. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it once she’s out of the womb. 😉

The old stuff wasn’t in bad shape, but it blended in and wasn’t shiny anymore.

Dresser With Original Hardware in Nursery

Original Drawer Pull on Dresser

I removed all of the old hardware and put them in a plastic bag. I saw somewhere that it’s a good idea to save the original hardware in case you want to sell it someday. That really only applies to actual antiques, but who knows? This could be considered an antique someday, no?

When I removed a few of the old pulls, I noticed a ring in the wood. I guess they were tightened too much at some point and dug into the finish.

Mark on Drawer from Old Hardware

But since I wanted this to be a “quick” update, I didn’t bother with it. There are only 2 spots that are noticeable if you’re looking for it. Most of the other ones just needed to be wiped with a damp rag.

Once the new hardware arrived on my doorstep, I got to work installing them. It looked instantly brighter and fresher!

Old Drawer Pull with New Drawer Pull

The top drawers had standard one-screw knobs, so they got something a little different…and pink.

Pink Glass Knob on Dresser

Love the classy, glamorous vibe the pink glass adds!

nursery dresser with brass hardware drawer pulls pink glass knob

Until we get the changing pad for the top, that’s all we’ve got for our dresser/changing table! Easy, peasy updates that can be done on a budget!

Dresser After New Hardware Install

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea

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Feeling like a million bucks at the Daytime Emmy C Feeling like a million bucks at the Daytime Emmy Creative Arts and Lifestyle Awards with my forever date! 6 more weeks until baby!🤩🏆 
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Hair by me
Makeup by me
Earrings by @elledragoclayco 
Dress @azazieofficial borrowed from @brittany_baugh 
Shoes @lulus borrowed from @emilylipford
B’s suit from @laurenralphlauren

#daytimeemmys @daytimeemmys
Home sweet home!✨It was a nice respite to go on Home sweet home!✨It was a nice respite to go on a work trip to @exploreclt after spending a week on a road trip with 3 small kids.🙉But there’s no place like home!
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Now time to tackle Mt Laundry because thankfully the little people wore clothes while I was away! What’s on your agenda this weekend?
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#homesweethome #sweethomealabama #noplacelikehome #familyroom #familyroomdecor #familyroomdesign #roundcoffeetable #ikeaforthewin #ikeadecor #kidslivehere
An occasion to get dressed up? We are here for it! An occasion to get dressed up? We are here for it!👏🏻 Nothing beats a family wedding on a beautiful spring day!☀️ Happy Memorial Day Weekend!🇺🇸
Happy 3rd birthday🎈to the biggest mama’s girl Happy 3rd birthday🎈to the biggest mama’s girl I’ve ever known! She weighs as much as her big siblings but still likes Mommy to hold her.😜 She’s got plenty of sass and insists on doing everything herself. Which is why she normally has hair in her face and a tornado of chaos all around her. Pretty much our life since she came into it. But the best kind of chaos that grows and stretches you and teaches you to slow down and accept them just the way they are.☺️
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Can’t believe it’s been 3 years!🥺
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#celebratethem #birthdayshoutout #girlbirthday #girlparty #3rdbirthday #springbreak2022 #familyvaca #vacay2022 #vacationmode #visitflorida #staugustinefl
Cheers to the weekend, friends! May it be filled w Cheers to the weekend, friends! May it be filled with plenty of sunshine and bright spots!☀️🥰
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#happyweekend #friyay #feelslikesummer #weekendvibes✨ #mothersdayweekend #beachday #plentyofsunshine #pocketfullofsunshine #girlbedroom #twinbeds #pinkvibes
FINALLY painted this eyesore of a wall and finishe FINALLY painted this eyesore of a wall and finished just before dark last night!🙌🏻 My husband and I decided instead of starting a new project (ahem a baby nursery) we should finish the projects we’ve already started. Since baby is due in the summer, it will be so nice to have our backyard up to par so we can rest and relax out there during recovery. ☺️
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We started this project back in October by stripping and scraping the many layers of paint so we could waterproof the bricks and paint the wall to match the house. But the house was painted exactly a year ago. So it was way past time to knock this huge item of the time-do list. And it feels like such a relief to not have to walk by the unfinished-ness every time we come home now!
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Next up we’ll slowly tackle patching hardwood floors and finish painting and replacing our interior doors that are taking up room in our garage.👏🏻
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What’s something you’ve knocked off your to-do list lately?!
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