DIY Mustard Yellow Card Catalog Dresser
If you love farmhouse style with a pop of color, this DIY mustard yellow card catalog dresser is for you! Using these chalk paint furniture ideas as inspiration will help bring a sunny and cheerful touch to any room. We updated a vintage dresser with some paint and new hardware to create a faux card catalog cabinet.
It’s a fun and budget-friendly project that you can do yourself! Here’s how you can recreate this look in your own home.
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See more AFTER photos below these printable instructions!
DIY Mustard Yellow Card Catalog Dresser
Turn a vintage dresser into this DIY mustard yellow card catalog dresser and give your space a pop of color.
Materials
- Krud Kutter
- 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Tack Cloth
- Mustard Yellow Paint from Sherwin Williams
- BBFrosch Paint Transformer Powder
- Waterbased Polyurethane
- New Card Catalog Hardware
- Screws
- KwikWood
- Java Gel Stain
Tools
Instructions
- Remove hardware from the dresser and fill the old hardware holes with KwikWood.
- Router out the drawer fronts to recreate the design of a catalog dresser.
- After the drawer fronts are routered out, clean and scuff sand the dresser to prep for paint. Remove any dust with a vacuum and a tack cloth.
- Mix some paint and paint transformer powder to make homemade chalk paint.
- Paint a few coats onto the dresser then seal the chalk paint with waterbased polyurethane. Chalk style paint is very porous and has to be sealed for wipe-ability and extra durability.
- Add new card catalog hardware to the dresser and put little labels in them.
- Replace the laminated top with a wood top then stain the top with a deep and rich gel stain.
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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.
I’m a huge farmhouse-style fan! I love the eclectic, natural, and modern aspects of it! But I also love a good pop of color here and there. This card catalog dresser makeover combines those two worlds!
Yellow is such a versatile color. It can evoke different emotions depending on its shade – from bright and cheerful to warm and cozy.
In this DIY project, we chose a deep mustard yellow for the dresser to add a bold statement piece to the room. The mustard yellow paint gives it an eye-catching look, while the card catalog design adds vintage charm.
How to Make a Card Catalog Cabinet from a Vintage Dresser
A while back I came across two similar dressers. One totally had the look of a card catalog cabinet, the other had the beginnings of a card catalog-style cabinet, but it wasn’t complete.
I really wanted them to be matching card catalog dressers, and so I enlisted the help of my dad.
He helped me router out the drawer fronts to recreate the same exact design, but to look like a card catalog dresser. Then I painted them and ended up keeping them for myself.
Fast forward a year, I found the same exact dresser! And I couldn’t pass it up!
So, I went to work with my husband to router out the drawer fronts the same way we did on the first card catalog dresser makeover.
I’m so glad we wrote that old DIY card catalog dresser makeover blog post with all the details so I could recreate the look over a year later without my dad’s expertise!
Supplies Used For DIY Mustard Yellow Card Catalog Dresser
- Krud Kutter
- 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Shop Vac
- Tack Cloth
- Mustard Yellow Paint from Sherwin Williams
- BBFrosch Paint Transformer Powder
- Paint Sprayer
- Waterbased Polyurethane
- New Card Catalog Hardware
- Screws
- KwikWood
- Java Gel Stain
Prepping Card Catalog Dresser for Paint
After the drawer fronts were routered out, I started on the mustard yellow paint.
To make sure the paint stuck to the end table, I cleaned the dirt, grime, wax, and oil off of the dresser with Krud Kutter. Check out how to clean furniture before painting here.
Then I lightly sanded the whole dresser down with 220 grit sandpaper and removed any dust with a vacuum and a tack cloth. Learn about the importance of sanding before painting furniture here.
Prepping the dresser for paint is the most important step in the painting process. So if you want all your hard work to last, take a few extra minutes to properly prep the wood for paint. Otherwise, your paint could easily scratch or peel off!
Learn more about how to prep furniture for painting in this post.
Painting Dresser with Homemade Chalk Paint
I picked out a mustard yellow paint Sherwin Williams and had Home Depot color match it. Then I mixed some BBFrosch paint transformer powder into the paint to make homemade chalk paint.
This was my first time using BB Frosh to make homemade chalk paint, and I am super impressed by it!
It really did make latex paint into chalk-style paint, and not just any homemade chalk-style paint, but really good chalk-style paint! I actually can’t wait to use it again!
*Update: We did use BB Frosh powder again to transform this DIY pink dresser and I love how it turned out!
BB Frosch Paint Transformer Pros
- It turns cheap latex paint into quality chalk-style paint.
- Mix with any color under the sun from your local hardware or paint store.
- It’s easy to mix together.
- The homemade chalk paint is way better than the homemade chalk paint recipe I usually use.
- The adhesion was great!
- I love how it made the paint silky smooth and easy to distress.
- You can mix small batches so you don’t use all the powder in just one color.
- It’s a bit cheaper compared to other chalk-style paints!
BB Frosch Paint Transformer Cons
- You have to mix it into the paint, so it takes an extra minute or two.
- Honestly, I can’t think of another con.
Check out my honest and detailed BB Frosch Paint Transformer review to learn more.
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I painted the dresser with a few coats of mustard yellow paint and my favorite paint sprayer. Learn more about using a paint sprayer to paint a dresser here!
You can use a paintbrush if you don’t have a paint sprayer! This is my favorite paint brush because of its shape, quality, and price.
If you want unique ways to update your drawer with paint, you can check out these dresser drawer painting ideas!
Then I cleaned off any dust and sealed the chalk paint with my very favorite water-based polyurethane. Learn ALL of my tips and tricks on how to spray polyurethane here!
Chalk style paint is very porous and has to be sealed for wipe-ability and extra durability, and spraying poly from a paint sprayer is super and easy, and gives the perfect streak-free finish.
Adding Card Catalog Hardware
After the paint was dry I added fresh new card catalog hardware and put little labels in them. That’s my favorite part!
I used screws to attach the hardware to the dresser. I used the same ones on the other card catalog dresser makeover, and they have held up great, even with the drawers full of clothes.
**Before painting, we filled the old hardware holes with our favorite and easy-to-use KwikWood instead of wood filler. Learn more about how to change hardware on a dresser here!
Check out the best wood fillers for furniture here.
Replacing and Staining Dresser Top
You may have noticed that the top was missing from the during photos. This dresser had a laminated top, and I wanted a stained wood top for this dresser.
So I removed the old top and replaced it with a new wood top. The new wood was actually recycled from the top of this upcycling a desk into a pair of nightstands makeover.
I cut the old top down to the size of this dresser and then I stained it in the deep and rich Java gel stain.
Learn more about how to replace the top of a dresser in this black vintage farmhouse dresser makeover!
If you don’t need to replace the top, check out my post on how to make a plank top dresser where I just attached to the existing top.
I love that this piece can either be a card catalog dresser or a card catalog nightstand! Here are 30 amazing faux card catalog makeovers you should check out. If you want to add more yellow pieces to your home, here’s our list of yellow dresser ideas and yellow chalk painted furniture.
If you love bold colors, check out some pink dresser ideas and purple dresser ideas here. For more color inspiration, here are painted dresser color ideas, colorful dresser ideas, and rainbow dresser ideas!
We are using the originals as nightstands, and I love them! But it’s also big enough to be a dresser in an entryway, or a coffee bar, etc. Even extra storage in a bathroom!
How to make sure new dresser top matches the rest of the piece
When replacing a dresser top, it’s important to make sure that the new top matches the rest of the piece.
One key factor is choosing a similar type of wood for the replacement top. This will guarantee that the color and grain pattern are similar to the original piece.
Another tip is to use the same stain or paint color on both the body of the dresser and the new top. This will create a cohesive look and you won’t be able to tell that the top has been replaced.
Overall, considering details like the type of wood and the color of the stain or paint will make sure that the new dresser top looks like it’s always been a part of the piece.
Do I have to mix the BB Frosch powder into the entire can of paint?
Many people have asked if they have to mix the entire packet of BB Frosch powder into their can of paint. The answer is no! You can mix as little or as much as you need.
You can mix small batches for different projects and not worry about wasting any material. Plus, it gives you the flexibility to use any color of paint and still get the same quality chalk-style finish.
Another thing to keep in mind is that BB Frosch powder can be mixed with any brand or type of latex paint. This means you don’t have to stick to a specific brand or color, and you can easily find it at your local hardware or paint store.
More Bold Colored Furniture Makeovers
- DIY Emerald Green Dresser
- Painting a China Cabinet Purple
- Yellow Painted Vintage Dresser Makeover
- Painted Dresser Ideas
- Purple Painted Furniture Ideas
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Love the yellow.
Do you happen to have the exact SW color name/number? Or the mix numbers from the Behr paint can?
Hey Tanya!
I’m sorry I don’t know what it is anymore.
I love this piece! I like statement pieces.
Thank you for sharing and participating at SSPS 341 Nathalie and Taylor. See you at #342, Jan 6. Merry Christmas/Happy Festive Season.
Aww you’re so welcome Esme! Merry Christmas to you as well!
I have always wanted to find one of these for my home. But thanks to you I now know how to repurpose one to look like it. Great makeover and this post will be a feature at the first link party of the year.
Aww thank you so much, I appreciate it! Glad this was helpful for you!