Not everyone has the knack for do-it-yourself projects. After all, it’s essentially taking one person’s trash and turning it into treasure. You just have to have an eye for it. Larissa with Prodigal Pieces blog is one of those lucky few with a true eye and talent for the task.

When she saw the Art Deco double waterfall dresser, beaten up and missing knobs with peeling veneer at her friend’s garage sale, she knew she had to have it. She snagged it for a mere 5 bucks, knowing that she could turn it into something so much more.


She started the project off by leaving a wet towel on the dresser overnight to allow her to peel off the veneer. The wood underneath was beautiful and just needed a little sanding. Larissa then removed the ornate strip from it, setting it aside for a future project. She added some primer and was ready to start. Her vision? A VW bus!

She used cardboard boxes to make stencils and traced them onto the dresser. She traced over the dresser and the drawers, carefully drawing her design. Choosing her favorite shade of blue, she began painting.

She added drawer knobs and handles, a VW decal she managed to track down on eBay, and finished up her design with paints. Using handles rather than knobs as windshield wipers was a truly nice touch. She affectionately named the refurbished dresser “Beep”.