DIY Giraffe-Inspired Drawers

Who loves to DIY?

I do!!! I wanted to make something special for our son...something that he can grow with (and somewhere I can store his clothes) - making some drawers for him was the perfect choice! I chose a giraffe theme for Master M, as he was 'gigantic like a giraffe' and that was the theme I had chosen for my baby shower. 


HOW TO MAKE - DIY Giraffe Inspired Drawers 
(Step by Step Guide)

I found these red drawers (left pic) at the local Salvation Army for NZ$10 and thought they would be perfect for Master M. Here is what I did with them...(with a bit of help from Master M's daddy) 


Prep Time 1 day 
Time to complete 2-3 days 

Supplies
Drawers 
Oil-based pigmented sealer 
Sandpaper (grade P150 & P220) 
Sellys Rapid Filla 
Paintbrushes x 2 
Shur-Stik Wallpaper Border Adhesive 
Paint Rollers x 2 + trays 
Paint+ Painters White 
Paint+ Moorehouse Street 
Craft knife

Instructions

1. Sanding


Sand the "drawer body" and "drawer faces" using Grade P150 sandpaper, paying special attention to rough areas. Ultimately you want a smooth surface before applying undercoat. 

2. Undercoat


Apply one coat of Oil-based pigmented sealer (undercoat) to the "drawer body" and "drawer faces". Leave to dry. Lightly sand using Grade P220 sandpaper on any areas that need to be addressed. Apply a second coat of sealer (undercoat) and leave to dry. (Lightly sanding again if necessary) Note: Using an undercoat prevents the "old" colour seeping through the top coat. 

3. Top Coat "Drawer Body"


Using a paintbrush, apply the top coat colour - Painters White to the edges of the drawer body and any hard to get areas first before using a paint roller to cover bigger areas -back, side, & top. Leave to dry and apply second coat. 

4. Top Coat - "Drawer Faces"


Please note: The drawer handles couldn't be removed so I decided to spray the drawer faces rather than paint with a brush/roller. Using Ozito Spray Gun (bought from Bunnings) spray colour (Moorehouse Street) to edges first and then spray the face of the drawers. Spraying 2-3 coats for a better finish and to boost the colour. Leave drawer faces to dry in between each coat. 

5. Giraffe Print Wallpaper


Pre-cut wallpaper so that it is bigger than the drawer sides. Mark out where you are going to place it, by creasing along the edges. Apply wallpaper adhesive (or equivalent) using paint brush to the drawer side. Adhere wallpaper to drawer side smoothing out any air bubbles with a bank card or something similar. Cut the excess wallpaper from bottom and back edge of drawer using a craft knife/blade. (this prevents it from rubbing on the drawer runner). Wrap & adhere the wallpaper to the top edge of the drawer side for a better finished look. Repeat on each drawer side. Leave to dry. 

6. Final Product


This is the final product at different angles- DIY Giraffe-Inspired Drawers 

LOVE IT? SHARE IT! PIN IT!


7 comments

  1. I think you could give Tara Dennis from Better Homes and Gardens a run for her money - the draws look fab.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow! I will totally take that compliment! Thank you Sally-Ann! I love the drawers - so glad I made them for my son!

      Delete
  2. haha very cute! great for a little animal loving person :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks fantastic, you've done a great job!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really nice, they look great! Giraffes are very cute animals.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These are so cute! I love the sides of the drawers. Thanks for sharing with the #BlogFair. Hope you can visit again this week.

    ReplyDelete

Back to Top