Repurposing Furniture to Make a Changing Table

Repurpose a dresser into a new changing table for your baby.

Decorating and furnishing a nursery is an exciting process leading up to the arrival of your newborn, but it can also be a stressful one if you're on a budget. Essential furniture items like changing tables can cost a pretty penny, especially when you've got to purchase everything for the first time. Instead of shelling out for a pricey premanufactured model, create your own changing table using a repurposed dresser. Not only will you save money with this project, but as a bonus, you'll get double the storage for baby supplies with the dresser drawers.

Things You'll Need

• Dresser
• Washrag
• Sander
• Sandpaper
• Stain or paint
• Contour changing pad with straps
• Screws
• Drill

Instructions

1. Wipe down the dresser entirely with a moist rag to remove dust, dirt and cobwebs. This step is especially important if you've acquired a secondhand dresser.

2. Sand the dresser with a sander. Use sandpaper to get into the hard-to-reach crevices.

3. Remove the dresser drawers before applying any stain or paint to the surfaces.

4. Apply stain or paint in a color of your choice to match the rest of the nursery. Allow the stain to sit for 20 minutes, then gently wipe off the excess with a rag -- following the natural grain of the wood. Add a second coat if desired.

5. Apply a coating of primer before painting the dresser, if you plan to paint it at all. Drying times will vary, but on average let everything sit for 48 hours.

6. Screw in the straps of your contour changing pad to the back of the dresser. Apply a hook-and-loop fastener to the back of the dresser and straps if you do not wish to make holes in the dresser.

Tips & Warnings

• Add other decorative touches like hand-painted or stenciled designs, or if the drawer has old knobs, then replace them with new ones to match the nursery.

• No matter how sturdy you think your changing table is, a baby should never be left unattended.

References

• Young House Love: Nursery Progress: Refinishing a Veneer Dresser
• Saving By Making: 21 Ways to Repurpose Instead of Buying Something New
• "Nursery Style"; Serena Dugan & Lily Kanter; 2008