Sheet Music Dresser & Veneer Repair

Today's post will be about the sheet music dresser I finished recently.

I have to credit the original source, Miss Mustard Seed, with the idea for the sheet music dresser. Love her stuff. The concept is really quite simple, however, in this case I was working with a veneer dresser that was in pretty bad shape. So first I had to deal with the veneer, which could be a post in itself! The veneer on the top of the dresser was partially torn off already but the remaining veneer wasn't budging. So I tried out a trick I heard about recently, using an iron. I simply put an old cloth over a small area and held the iron on there for 20-30 seconds. Then use a small chisel to pry it up. It took a little while but it worked wonderfully (and I actually taught my mom something for once, instead of vice versa!). Now, the top still wasn't in what I would call "paintable" condition, so mod podge it is!

First though, I needed to address the sides.The veneer was coming up on the bottom edges but it wasn't gone completely. I glued it (with wood glue) and clamped it down overnight. I then used wood putty to fill in any small areas that were missing. The putty also helps to glue it down even more. Let it all dry (thicker areas require longer drying time) and then sand. After that's complete, wipe it down well, and on to the painting. I used my go to paint color - Heirloom White - on this dresser. Again, let it dry. I chose to distress the paint on the edges and corners using a medium grit sandpaper, followed by sanding the whole piece with a low grit paper (Note: low grit is a high number paper and vice versa) just to smooth any small bumps or roughness.

Finally, the sheet music application. While I wish that I could just jump right to this part (ie. results!), all the prep work is absolutely necessary to end up with a quality piece. Go through your sheet music and pick out the pieces that you want. I really wanted to mix up the colors a little bit, using light and dark yellowing next to each other. Once you have laid it out and determined a plan, start mod podging! Cover the back of a piece with mod podge and place on your surface. You can cut the edges to fit perfectly before you start or leave a little overhang and cut it off once all your pieces are on. Make sure to use a sharp razor blade if you do it this way, otherwise you may rip your paper. Cover and cut all areas that you want sheet music on, and then go back and cover the tops of the sheet music with mod podge, making sure to get the edges well so that they do not come up. Allow to dry several hours or overnight. Note: when the mod podge is wet the surface will have some bubbles. Don't fret, they will go away once it dries.

Next, add some age. After the first layer of mod podge I used a light brown glaze (Ralph Lauren Tea Stained) to antique it a little more. While I typically use a dry brush, in this case I used a cloth and just wiped a small amount over the entire dresser. Allow to dry. The next day add another layer of mod podge over the sheet music and let dry. Finally, cover the entire dresser with a protective coat of polyurethane (or 3).

That's it folks! It take a little patience but the end result is beautiful, at least I think so!
I hope that it inspires you to do a mod podge project of your own.
Brandi