DIY: Transform An IKEA Mini-Chest

Here's the finished project! I love the way this turned out. I was winging it, so I didn't take pictures for a proper tutorial, but here is the how to. Gather these supplies:

IKEA Fira nine-drawer cabinet

Mod Podge (I used matte finish)

Craft paint (one small bottle should be enough)

Water-based clear varnish (I used CeramCoat)

Some fancy paper

Covered button blanks and covering kit

Some little fabric scraps for the drawer pulls

Little wooden cubes for mounting the drawer pulls

1. Start with the Fira mini-chest. It comes unassembled, so lightly sand all the pieces and then put it together with wood glue. This works better than trying to use the little nails that come with it. BEFORE you assemble, be sure to trace one of the drawer fronts (indicated by the black arrow) onto a piece of heavy cardstock or cardboard to make a template for your drawer front covers.

2. Gather your other supplies. I used nine different patterns of Heather Bailey Freshcut and Pop Garden scrapbook paper, and scraps from three coordinating Freshcut fabrics for the drawer pulls. Heavier, textured cardstock or paper works better than flimsier scrapbook paper. But both will work.

You'll also need Mod Podge. I used matte, but you could also use the lustre finish if you prefer. I used Gorilla Glue to attach the drawer pulls, but you could use whatever adhesive you choose. I painted the chest with FolkArt craft glue by Plaid in "Baby Pink," and I sealed everything with a top coat of Delta Ceramcoat Matter Interior Varnish (it's water-based and not noxious). I got all of my supplies at Michael's (but any craft store should have them).

3. Paint the exterior of the chest (interior, too, if you want . . . I did!) and the sides of each drawer. I used three coats of craft paint, followed by one coat of Mod Podge and one coat of varnish. Be sure to let every coat dry thoroughly before applying the next. I also lightly sanded between the painting and Mod Podge stages.

4. Using your drawer front template, trace nine drawer fronts on your paper and cut them out. Don't worry if they aren't perfect. Spread a thin coat of Mod Podge on the drawer front and lay your paper cutout on top, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles, as indicated by No. 1 below. The thinner paper is more susceptible to bubbling I found. Anyway, once the paper has dried, you can set the drawer, paper side down, on a self healing cutting mat and use an exacto knife to cut away any paper that overhangs. After the paper is secured to the drawer front, you can begin applying coat after coat of Mod Podge over the paper until you get the look you're after. I used six coats of Mod Podge, followed by a coat of varnish. After the first couple coats of Mod Podge, I sanded all around the edges of the drawer front to remove any last vestiges of overhanging paper and give it a slightly shabby look.

5. To make the drawer pulls (shown as No. 2 above), get nine cover button blanks and remove the little metal shanks from the back with small pliers. I used size 45 (1 1/8 in.) Dritz buttons, which you can get at JoAnn or other sewing stores, as well as online and from lots of Etsy sellers. Cover buttons with coordinating fabric. There are tons of tutorials on the internet showing how to do this, but really it's super easy (and fun and addicting but that's another story). Attach a small piece of wood to the back of the button with Gorilla Glue. I used these little cubes I found at Michael's in the unfinished wood section. Let dry completely. Attach buttons to drawer fronts with Gorilla Glue or other adhesive and let dry completely.

6. Once everything is dry, you can put the drawers in and start using your fancy new chest. This is one of those projects that end up looking like something that cost $100 at a shabby chic type store, but actually cost around $25-$30 to make. It's time consuming, but something you can work on for a bit, go do something else, and come back. I hope you enjoy this tutorial.

The "Before" Picture

I love my latest project -- decorating an IKEA Fira 9-drawer mini-chest to use for storage in the craft room. You can buy this unassembled for $14.99 (in store only) and put it together with wood glue, rather than the itsy bitsy nails that come with it (thanks Dad and Husband for doing this boring part for me). I'll show you the finished project with instructions soon. Woo.

Finally, Felt

I have been wanting to make felty projects for some time, and I finally ordered a sample pack of wool felt from Etsy seller Pixiexrose. Um, how did I not know that wool felt is so luxurious? I want to make sheets and a comforter out of it. Anway, I'll try to post some crafty felt links soon. Also, Pixiexrose has lovely buttons, and I've now purchased two packs from her. And no, I haven't used them yet. I like to just look at them.

Yes, It's Worth The Money

I have been diligently saving Sephora gift cards for two years in order to buy a Clarisonic skin cleaning brush. In short, I was blessed with lovely, blemish-free skin until I turned 28. Then, like the birthday present no one wants, I woke up one day with awful skin. I have tried everything. I heard from my lovely friend Flamy that the Clarisonic was a must. I'm no physicist, but basically, the brush uses sonic waves (like the Sonicare toothbrush), to jar loose dirt and oil on the skin's surface and in the pores. Sooooo, once I had $200 in Sephora cards, I went down and got my brush this weekend. It works GREAT!!!! My skin was looking better after the first time I used it. It is going to take a while to see really good results, but at least there is hope.

Two Quick Birthday DIY's

My little bitsy turns TWO tomorrow. Wow! We had a family birthday party Saturday evening, and I wanted to share a couple of super easy ideas. I think my failure to accomplish my crafty/decorating goals has been adequately documented, so I have decided to take it in stride and just show you what I am able to pull together. For the cake, I photocopied a chipboard "2" and enlarged it to the size I wanted. Then I printed it on cardstock and cut it out. I laid it right on the cake and outlined it with jelly beans. Then I lifted up the template off the cake. I used a funnel to fill it in with hot pink sprinkles. Easy peasy.

I wanted to make a fabric bunting or banner but ran out of time, so I improvised. I printed a few copies of this cool alphabet template from Martha Stewart on four colors of cardstock. I cut out the letters I needed and then stuck them onto crepe paper with a tiny bit of glue. I loosely draped each part of the banner across the mirror in the party room and taped it onto the sides of the mirror with scotch tape. I was surprised that it turned out so cute.

Easy Nursery Decor Ideas

Here is my "baby's" nursery circa May 2007. My friend Stephanie took this amazing picture. There are a few easy and inexpensive things I did/made to decorate the nursery that I wanted to share. Sorry for the lame photography, but I took these on a whim.

Have you noticed that lots of calendars have 12 x 12 inch pages? This is a standard frame size, so you can easily decorate the nursery with art from a calendar. Look right after Christmas when they are marked down 75% off. These pages are from an "Il Piccolo Principe" (the Italian translation of The Little Prince) calendar that my sister-in-law bought for us in Rome on her honeymoon several years ago. The Little Prince is one of my favorite books, so the instant I saw this calendar, I knew it had to become nursery art someday. So, here are the fox, the prince and the sheep in 12 x 12 frames from Michael's (don't forget your coupon), hanging right over the dresser with changing pad. I have one of the prince with the rose on the other side of the room!

I got this little side table for next to the rocker at the Pottery Barn outlet. I got the little bunny porcelain box there, too. The lamp is from Pottery Barn Kids. I wanted to dress up the table since I knew it was mostly just decorative. I measured some cotton quilting fabric about 1.5 inches smaller than the table surface, plus seam allowance, sewed right sides together, trimmed excess, turned right-side out, pressed and slip-stitched the opening by hand. I actually glued on the grosgrain ribbon and little bows, but you could certainly put it on with fusible interfacing or Stitch Witchery or you could sew it on. The whole project cost probably $3. You can also spray it with Scotch Guard to make it easier to clean.

My child is now 35 inches tall, but I still haven't finished this little measuring stick. Oh well. It's an old board we found in the garage. Taped to get straight lines and painted with craft paint. I used Gorilla Glue to add pre-painted shapes from Michael's (get them on sale!). Or you could buy unpainted shapes and paint them any color you want. I am going to hang this about 24 inches off the ground and just mark my daughter's height right on it with pencil. This is a lot less stressful (and neater) than trying to make nice straight ruler lines all the way up the whole stick.


Last but not least, here is the latest project -- the hair clip board from the other day. I sanded an old wooden frame that was metallic gold, had my husband prime it with white spray paint and gave it about 2.5 coats of craft paint. I like the mottled look so I didn't add a third coat. I hung it up inside the closet. It's like a colorful little surprise when you open the door. By the way, if I could do it over again, I would have used a larger canvas. I didn't realize we had so many clips.

I'm Back . . . Woo

So I finally got a chance to make something. I really have spent the last two weeks de-Marthaing and putting everything into nice, neat binders. Now that I am finished, I decided to work on a project I've wanted to do for a while -- a covered canvas to hold hair clips, following this easy peasy tutorial by the lovely Julie at Joy's Hope. I used Michael Miller Waterlily fabric in blush and some green grosgrain ribbon from Michael's. I also found an old frame, which has been sanded, painted and is currently drying in the garage. I'll update when it's framed and in place. This is seriously the easiest project on the planet, and I got the canvas at Michael's for $8.99, less 40% off coupon. This could be a gift that looks much more expensive than it cost to make.