Dressers are a favorite piece of furniture in today's bedroom, but they weren't always used for storing clothing. According to Dressers.com, "Medieval dressers had colorful shelves...to store items for the king's noble feasts." The function of the dresser evolved over time. "By the 19th century...wood dressers stored...clothing...not kept in closets." A bedroom reflects the personalities of its owners. One way to achieve a custom look for dresser drawers is to apply fabric on the front drawer panel. Fabric covering is an innovative way to camouflage wood gouges and blemishes or to decorate with more color and flair than paint alone.
Instructions
1. Use a paint brush to paint the entire dresser using a latex-based, interior paint in a matte or semi-gloss finish in a color complementary to the fabric. Allow it to dry.
2. Lightly sand the front panel of the dresser drawer with a fine-grit sandpaper, just enough to provide a hint of texture. Clean all sandings away.
3. Pour half the bottle of liquid starch into a bucket.
4. Place the dresser drawer, front panel up, onto a clean, old towel on the floor.
5. Soak the fabric panel in the liquid starch in the bucket until the fabric is completely soaked through.
6. Place the fabric panel on top of the dresser drawer. Use a sponge to smooth the fabric panel onto the drawer, smoothing out all of the air bubbles and wrinkles. Any wrinkles and bubbles will be visible when the fabric dries. Smooth by pressing your sponge from the center toward the edges.
7. Allow it to dry. Repeat with the other drawer fronts. Once all the fabric is dried, proceed to the next step. It will usually take overnight or longer for the fabric to be completely dry and hardened.
8. Use scissors to trim any excess fabric along the dresser drawer edges. Most fabric will shrink when allowed to dry with the starch.
9. Use a craft blade/knife to cut a hole in the screw holes of the dresser drawer.
10. Spray the drawers in a well-ventilated outdoor area with clear spray paint for a finished gloss or matte look. Allow them to dry.
11. Install drawer knobs into the screw positions in the dresser drawer. Reassemble the dresser.
Tags: dresser drawer, fabric panel, fabric completely, front panel, liquid starch
