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AFTER

Time: 2 weekends
Cost: $400

Ever wanted a mirrored dresser and looked into how much they cost? Very fashionable in the last few years and VERY expensive, this is an awesome DIY project by Shauna that she submitted to our January Jumpstart Contest (which she also WON). In this DIY , she manages to take a modern IKEA dresser and turn it into a beautiful and much more dramatic art deco object...

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BEFORE

Tools and resources you used for the project:

Ikea dresser, jigsaw, screwdriver, beveled glass panels (custom ordered to size), silver leaf, gelatin (as glue), paint brush, black acrylic paint, silicone caulk, j-hooks.

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TOOLS

Share step by step instructions:

I wanted a mirrored dresser, but the retail price was prohibitive - so I decided to make my own, using an IKEA dresser I already had.

The ideal dresser would do double-duty as a nightstand, but mine was too tall. So first I shortened it by removing the largest bottom drawer. Using a jigsaw, I cut down the sides and back, then reattached the legs. Once everything was reassembled, the legs and edges of the dresser got a coat of black acrylic paint.

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DURING

I had six panels of glass custom cut and beveled in sizes to match the top, sides, and drawer fronts. Using a paint brush and gelatin as glue, I applied silver leaf to the back of each glass panel. The more imperfect the application, the better, since I wanted the finished effect to be 'antiqued'. Once the silver leaf was set, a coat of black acrylic paint was applied from the back to seal and protect it.

Once leafed and painted, the panels were installed onto the dresser. The drawer panels are held in place by the glass knobs, the side panels each rest on two small j-hooks and have been glued in place with silicone, and the top panel just stays put on its own (the acrylic paint on the back is sticky enough to keep it from sliding around).

Voila, a DIY mirrored dresser.

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AFTER

Price:

I can’t remember what the dresser cost initially (it was purchased years ago). The custom glass panels cost $300, the silver leaf roughly $40 (it’s actually aluminum, which is more cost-effective and won’t tarnish), and the glass knobs $10 each. The remaining supplies and tools were things I already had around the house. My total out-of-pocket expense was about $400.

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