Working On: The Costume Closet
With the warmer temperatures lately, we've managed to make some good progress
on our project for the
Earth Day Canada's Upcycling Challenge. A few of you smartypants figured out what I'm making: a costume closet!
How To Make A Dress Up Closet From A Dresser
My plan is to take this tall boy dresser I found for $40 at the Salvation Army and transform it into a rolling closet that eventually we'll keep downstairs in the playroom.
UPDATE: Head over to this post to see how the dress up closet turned out!
What should you look for when upcycling a dresser?
I picked this dresser because it was solid wood, had interesting Art Deco
styling, and was the right size for Chloe to be able to reach into it (the
dresser is about 4' tall). The drawers also fit and slid nicely - though you
will only need to keep the bottom dresser for this project.
We'll remove three of the drawers and install a rod for hanging costumes.
We'll keep the bottom drawer to store hats, bags, and other accessories. And
of course, I'll add in a few fun styling details too ;)
DIY Dress Up Closet
Materials:
- Tall boy dresser in good condition with at least one functional drawer
- Hand sander
- Wood filler or spackle
- Wood glue
- MDF
- Trim
Instructions:
- Find an old tall boy dresser.
- Sand down the dresser and one drawer to remove old paint finish.
- Remove all the drawer slide rails except for the bottom two slide rails.
- Remove drawer handle/pull.
- Optional: Add in a piece of MDF to close off the "ceiling" opening in the drawer and give it a nicer look.
- Fill all holes with wood filler. We used LePage Poly Filla for the smaller holes and DAP Drydex for the larger patches. Sand down the patches.
- Cut out a shelf from MDF. The shelf will sit on the second from the bottom slide rail.
- Optional: Attach a strip of MDF to fit the gap between the two rails. This strip will provide support for a trim piece.
- Attach trim to the face of the MDF shelf to give it a finished look.
And that's where things stand. Next up, we'll paint the piece and install
this pretty wrapping paper on the inside back and sides...
but until then, the little one gets to use it as a hiding spot ;)
Are any of you participating in the Upcycling Challenge?
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