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1.16.2018

Covered in Canvas

 while homewardFOUND is generally all about seasonal decor ideas,
sometimes I like to pop in ideas for furniture, too...
all totally do-able projects for you to try out!
this dresser was found on the curb. free.
With lines like the ones on those drawers, I couldn't pass her up!

the case was solid, but the veneer on top and on the drawers was just wrecked.
no amount of putty and paint was going to make her presentable...
she went beyond needing mere 'makeup' into the realm of 'plastic surgery'!

while I was sanding her down, I had a brainstorm...

the dropcloth that she was sitting on in the prep room had some great texture.
i looked at the drawers, and then at the dropcloth, and that light bulb went on:
 cover the entire dresser with a new canvas dropcloth!

dropcloths are a great way to get a LOT of fabric for a ridiculously low price
and they come in many sizes and weights. 
i used the heaviest weight for this project, which covered up all of the 'blemishes' in her complexion.

continue reading to see what i did!
to prepare the dresser, I puttied the areas where the veneer was missing,
then painted her a base coat that was a tan color just a bit deeper than the canvas, for contrast.

then I cut pieces of the canvas dropcloth
to fit the top and sides of the case, and the front of each of the drawers.
i frayed every.last.edge. of all of those pieces.
then I glued the canvas pieces onto the dresser case and drawers using spray-mount adhesive.
it was easy to control the fabric placement that way - i glued it on a few inches at a time,
keeping the canvas very taut as i pressed it down onto the surface.
i added a 'medallion' piece to the lowest drawer, just because it needed an extra detail,
and then sprayed all of the canvas with Scotchguard fabric protector for easy cleaning.

her original knobs went back on again, after spraying them with white enamel appliance paint.
[my go-to for painting lamps, hardware, and glass]
i think she liked her makeover!
 [ is it just me, or does that bottom drawer look a bit like a smiling face?!]

i completed this project in 2009, for my former vintage business, RETREAT.
i shared it in 2012, just after starting the homewardFOUND blog...
but a recent perusal of my post archives made me think this was a project worth 'revisiting' in a fresh post!


and now i am seriously looking for a piece so i can do this treatment again! 


2 comments:

  1. Hmmn. An interesting and creative treatment. It all works for me except the fringy edges of the drop cloth pieces. I think I would like the edges to be outlined with something--burlap, heavy twine, ribbon--something. All in all, though, it's a unique solution for a difficult problem.

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    Replies
    1. thank you for sharing your thoughts, Naomi! the edges of the drawers had a bevel, sloping down away from the flat drawer front - making the edge lower. that made it hard to apply any kind of trim to the fabric. so, fringing the canvas was the only way i could conceive of to 'finish' the edge without adding bulk that could not be adhered to the surface securely. if the drawers had been completely flat, or had a raised edge detail, i would have done exactly what you thought of and added heavy twine around the edge! great idea! ;)

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