Art Supplies Chest

Tools & Supplies:
Wooden knobs with screws.
Screwdriver.
Drop cloth.
Sandpaper, fine-grit.
Paintbrush.
Primer.
Semi-gloss latex enamel, Brick Red.
Pencil sharpener.
Liquid Nails glue.
Dremel rotary tool with cutting wheel.
Safety glasses.

WHAT TO DO
1. Place the chest on a drop cloth and remove all the drawers and hardware. Lay out the wooden knobs. Lightly sand the surface of the chest, the drawer fronts, and the knobs. Then clean with a damp cloth.

2. Apply 2 coats of primer to all the surfaces. Let dry, then paint the chest, drawer fronts, and knobs Brick Red. When the paint is dry, attach the new red knobs to the drawers.

4. Position the paintbrushes on one of the drawer fronts so they overlap the edges. Mark the overlap and saw the paintbrushes to fit with the Dremel tool. (Don’t forget to don your safety glasses!) Glue the paintbrushes onto the drawer front with the Liquid Nails.

5. Lay out the rulers and yardsticks on one of the drawer fronts and mark where to cut them into pieces. Use the Dremel tool to saw the rulers into segments, then glue them to the drawer front with Liquid Nails.

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 to cover any remaining drawer fronts. For variety, consider using buttons, erasers, and squeezed out watercolor tubes.

Buy In Bulk: Don’t get nickeled-and-dimed buying one old pencil at a time. Look for boxes filled with junk drawer dregs and offer a flat price for the whole thing. You might even discover a hidden treasure!