My friend/picker Sue picked up this cute little toy dresser for me recently.

It’s not an antique, or a salesman sample, or anything like that.  But it is pretty darn cute.  If only it wasn’t missing the mirror.

Sue thought I could get a new one cut for it, and maybe so.  I do wonder how difficult it would be to cut that oval though.  So I decided to just paint it in and see what I could find in my transfer stash to fill that spot.

But first up, I removed the knobs.  They are OK, but I knew I could do better.  Especially since I already had some fabulous small glass knobs on hand (from D Lawless Hardware).

Next I gave the piece a good sanding, and then a good cleaning.  Then I followed that up with two coats of Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.  The existing finish was pretty dinged up, and I much prefer the warmer shade of the Drop Cloth over the original white on the dresser.

Then I added the top half or so of the small Petit Rosier transfer from I.O.D. to the front of the dresser.

The small (11″ x 14″) version of the transfer fit almost exactly across the width of the drawers, what luck.

FYI, this transfer has been retired.  You can still find it online, but supplies are limited.

Next I pulled out my Classic Vintage Labels transfers from re.design with prima.  I knew there was an oval shaped label in that set and I was hoping it would be the right size and shape to fill that spot where the mirror once was.  I will admit that I was thinking to myself, ‘what are the chances?  probably pretty slim, right?’

And look at that!  Pretty much the perfect fit.  Seriously, what are the chances?  Things like this rarely work out this well.

Once I’d also added the “les roses.” wording from the I.O.D. transfer to the top, I sanded the edges of everything and then added a coat of clear wax.

Then I popped on the glass knobs.

I think those knobs elevate this piece just a tad, don’t you?

Finally, I lined the drawers with some pretty floral scrapbook paper.

How sweet is that?

I staged it simply with a lovely little round floral dish that Sue also found for me, and some vintage jewelry.

This would make a fun jewelry box, you’d just have to come up with some little boxes or something to put inside the drawers to prevent everything from becoming a jumbled mess.

But really, this piece could be used anywhere to hold small items … like perhaps your large collection of reading glasses … or is that just me?

I already happen to have a mini with the Petit Rosier transfer on it of my own …

So today’s project is for sale (locals only, no shipping available).  Be sure to check out my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

One last thought on this project; this is not the sort of thing that anyone is going to make their fortune on … or really even be able to pay the bills with.  I paid $12 for the dresser, $18 for the transfer and $9 for the knobs.  It didn’t take much paint or wax, so I’m not counting those things.  Plus I have a lifetime supply of scrapbook paper, so I’m just happy to be able to use that stuff up.  But, that means I have $39 into this piece, which would be perfectly fine if I was keeping it for myself.  However, I usually sell pieces like this for $48.  So, if it sells at that price, I’ve made about $4.50/hour for my two hours of labor.

Choosing to change out the hardware and add that expensive smaller I.O.D. transfer would not be wise choices if I was in this for the money. Instead I would recommend using pieces from the I.O.D. Label Ephemera transfer (also retired unfortunately), or the newer I.O.D. Brocante or Traditional Pots transfers.  Although those are more expensive at around $30 each, I can get 10 or more projects out of each one.

Luckily I’m not in this for the money, although I try not to lose money on any of my projects!  I really enjoy the process of creating, and in the end I’m happy that I can sell most of my pieces and I don’t have to become a hoarder.  Or, worse yet, take them to the Goodwill.  But I wanted to at least mention this for those of you who may be trying to make a buck.

If you sell your items, would you bother with a project like this?  Or do you stick to items with a higher profit margin?  Or maybe you think my price is too low and you could sell it for more?  Leave a comment and let me know.