Dresser Table
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The weather has not been very cooperative lately. I have an unfinished project to show you today, but I’d like your thoughts about dresser ideas and how to finish it out.
Do you remember this dresser I picked up recently? It was more than I usually pay, but I knew I would get 2 projects out of it, so I felt justified in paying $20 for it.
As soon as I got it off the truck, I started cutting it apart to make the 2 projects.
This is project #1, a kid’s bench made from the bottom part of a dresser. It is still not finished. I’m looking for some fun fabric for pillows, so I’ll know what color to paint the hardware.
Today, I’m going to show you what I did with the top of the dresser.
This is the bottom of the dresser top that I cut off. It needs a base. In order to give it a base I need to beef it up a little so that I’ll have a way to secure the base. I used some scrap lumber pieces and Gorilla Wood Glue.
I wanted this table to be chunky, not dainty, so I used 4×4’s for legs. I used Gorilla Wood Glue and screws to hold the legs in place.
I use a scrap piece of 4×4 block to mark the area, so I’ll know where to put the screws.
After attaching all four legs, I used screws to secure a piece of plywood to complete the base.
To cover up the chipped veneer, I selected some scrap trim pieces I had laying around.
I purposely put the legs all the way to the edge…
. . . so I could use all three drawers as seats (storage) underneath.
This stage was at the beginning of December when we had some warm(ish) weather. Then it turned cold, and I had to store it away.
When the weather warmed up enough to paint, (a couple of days after Christmas) I gave it a quick coat of some DIY Chalky Primer with my HomeRight Finish Max .
I never really liked having the legs all the way to the edge. I didn’t look how it looked so boxy.
When I started working on the drawer/seats, I realized all three of them were not going to fit after all.
Time for plan B
I removed the table from the base, then I removed all four legs. It wasn’t easy to do since I used the Gorilla Wood Glue, but I knew I would never be happy with it the way it was.
This is a dry fit to see if I like the legs—thinking about adding two more in the middle.
Meanwhile, I start finishing off the drawers. I added plywood to the bottom (so I can add wheels). Because it’s going to be for kids, I really didn’t want to hinge it because of fingers getting smashed, and the lid possibly being abused and coming off. I decided to have a lift off lid.
This is right after painting it. I didn’t want to shut the drawers because the were still a little tacky. You can see that I decided to add two more legs in the middle.
The weather turned cold again, so it is in storage for now.
The seats will have wheels. This will make a great table for kids to sit or stand at. I have two ideas to finish it off. One idea would be a chalkboard table, the other being a Lego table. My cousin had mentioned she might be looking for one, so I got to thinking with all the storage this might make the perfect Lego table. We’ve never really had many Legos around here, so I need to figure out how to paint it and finish it off. The dresser drawers sort of look Lego(ish) don’t you think? I’d like to do some sort of Lego handles for the drawers. Have you ever made anything permanent by gluing Legos together?
I plan to cover the lids to make the seats softer. And of course it will be painted. The black is just a primer.
I’m open to suggestions to finish off this table. Can you think of a better use for it? Maybe a train table? What kind of kids table needs a lot of storage?
Hopefully we will have some warm weather soon so I can finish this project.
gail
see more repurposed dresser ideas here
EDITED TO ADD:
It’s a DIY Lego Table
I love this idea…always have extra used furniture from our many houses and homes we furnished over the years in our evangelism…your work just amazes me..I look at every project …storing it in my head and computer for references and ideas…just love you work and imagination..my idea for your bench would of been to add round fat legs on the bench..not tall ones but like maybe six in or there about ..just to dress it up some..not that it needed it but for my own personal look I’d like. Love your work and imagination !! keep it up you have a fan !! right here in Eufaula /Longtown , Ok !
What a great table! If you’re turning it into a Lego table it would look cute painted in the classic Lego colors and in block shapes just like the pieces. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
If you use it as a Lego table, you can attach a green Lego mat to the top for building on. I LOVE his project and would have made it for my kids when they were small. Hmmmm, perhaps any future grandkids!
you are so clever!!! what a great tv stand it would be now!
Hot wheel cars or matchbox cars. You can draw a road on the top and store the cars. And for girls we are all about Barbie here so I would have to set it up with different rooms and clean up would be easy.
Love the bench, like the idea of the rolling seats. Still thinking about the table, for me, to much resemblance to a coffin.
I found your site right after I picked up a baby crib at my neighbors curb. I had no idea why I got it, except I did not want to see it go to waste. I plan to make the bench with it. The dresser above is coming out great. My suggestion would be that you would change the color to primary colors if it is for kids. The black just doesn’t seem to go with the look. I am totally impressed with your creativity and can’t wait to see what you come up with next. I am inspired!!!
amazing as ALWAYS!
Wonderful! You are so creative!
Cute idea! If you did a Lego table, they have Lego “bases” you could cover the top with. The storage is great idea. A train table is also an awesome idea. You could paint a scene on the top.
What a great job…..loved the ideas and the journal of how it is done is just as impressive….Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful project genius. Thanks for sharing