IKEA TARVA hack: Riding that DIY wave!

Pop quiz!

Dressers made out of all real wood are
A) expensive
B) hard to find
C) not always actually made out of all real wood*
D) all of the above

If you've ever been on the hunt for more drawer space, you know the answer! It's D! As in it is definitely difficult to divine directions to dressers not disgusting or deceptive in description.

*Even the IKEA TARVA, touted for being all pine, has three panels that are not real wood but manufactured wood, also known as particle board. And they smelled bad. No offense meant to IKEA, but I don't want to put clothes next to that smell.

I found that out when I bought the TARVA and brought it home and put it together.

What's a girl to do? Get some pine boards and cut replacements, that's what.

(Seriously. I would have rather paid $130 instead of $99 and gotten all real wood. IKEA, take note. It's a niche, wide open and waiting for you.)

Then comes the fun stuff! You get to paint it!

I found an image online that inspired me and dove right in!

And when I say I dove right in, I wasn't (only) referring to the wave picture. The brush was slowing me down so I ended up just using my hands!

After the drawers were done, I sealed them with two coats of polycrylic.

I then moved on to the outside "shell" of the dresser. I chose a product I found at Walmart for $8 and had used on another project. It's from Rust-Oleum and is a stain and poly coat in one. In the color Koona, for anyone who cares.

I did a couple of coats of that. (The product recommended only one coat, but it just wasn't dark enough and I didn't care to get another product.) Two coats shown below on the left, one on the right. Granted, the 2nd coat is fresh and wet and has a purple hue, but roll with it...

You of course follow the advised drying times and light sanding with 200 grit sandpaper in between each coat. Man, that 200 grit sandpaper makes it feel smooth as butter! Don't skip that part!!

And here is the finished product!

Yup. 

I did that. 

😍🤗

You can too! 

You got this. One bite at a time.

- Becca