Craft corner:

Disclaimer : You do not need to be an art major to complete this painting project. An even better disclaimer: You do not need to be an art major to paint anything.

Most college students do not have the money to purchase brand new furniture to decorate their apartment or house. Most of the time, the furniture college students own came from whatever their parents did not want.

These hand-me-downs could include things like a bookshelf, dresser or coffee table, and they are probably older than their owners by a few decades.

Instead of chucking an outdated piece of furniture in the trash and splurging on something new and expensive, try spending a couple bucks to make that unlovable piece of home décor look fresh and funky.

All of the items I used to transform my old wooden dresser into a whimsical mustard-yellow masterpiece came from a quick trip to Walmart that ended up costing me less than $30.

I decided to paint each dresser drawer a different color, which gives it an ombre look that goes from lighter shades to darker shades. However, I did not feel like spending $50 just on multiple paint cans for each of the different colors. Therefore, I purchased one can of white paint and one can of dark mustard yellow paint and mixed them together to create the shades in between.

Here are the few simple steps toward transforming an old wooden dresser from mom and dad into your bedroom’s statement piece.

Step 1: Shake it.

The great thing about Walmart is that they will mix the shade of paint you want at no extra cost to the can of paint. I was able to grab a color swatch and my half-gallon of paint and head to the paint counter where the employee then shook my paint to the exact shade. However, beware: If you don’t use the same brand of paint as the color swatch you chose, your mixed paint will most likely not match the desired color you wanted in the first place.

Step 2: Sand it.

The only way paint will stick to a smooth wooden surface is to sand the wood down before applying the paint. I purchased sandpaper with an abrasiveness of 100 medium. This allows you to gently wear down the finish of the wood just enough to take away the shine. Once you are done sanding, wipe down all surfaces with a slightly damp cloth to remove the wood debris. This would also be a good time to remove the drawer’s knobs to keep from getting paint on them.

Step 3: Mix it.

For the ombre dresser drawers, you will need a few extra plastic Tupperware containers to mix by hand the different paint colors that are in between the lightest shade and darkest shade. Simply mix each of the paint colors together until you reach the desired shade. Each drawer should be a different color, so mix accordingly. Also, do not make too much of a mixture of each color (about one or two cups) because not much paint is needed to cover the drawer’s faces.

Step 4: Paint it.

Before you begin painting, make sure your floors are covered up by placing a few garbage bags underneath the dresser as well as each of the drawers. Using the lightest shade of paint, cover the entire dresser as well as the drawer faces using smooth, consistent strokes with your paint brush. Once you have painted the entire dresser as well as the drawer faces, let dry for one day (or at least five hours if you are in a hurry). Once the paint has dried, apply a second coat only to the dresser.

Next, paint each of the drawers a different color that you mixed by hand. Let dry for another day. If needed, apply a second coat of mixed paint to the drawers for added richness. Once everything has dried, screw the knobs back in the dresser and reassemble the drawers.

You could place the drawers in the dresser going from lightest shade to the darkest shade to get that true ombre look, or you may place the drawers in the dresser going from every other light and dark shade for added dimension.

Step 5: Love it.

It will be hard not to love, especially since it cost less than $30 to do.

What you will need:
1/2 gallon Color Place semi-gloss paint (Antique White) $10.97
1/2 gallon Color Place semi-gloss accent base paint (Rich Curry Gold) $10.97
3M general purpose sandpaper (100 medium) $2.17
2 large paint brushes (clearance) $2.50
Garbage bags
Old Tupperware
Total cost: $26.61

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