How to Redo RAST Drawers From IKEA

The IKEA Rast dresser is an inexpensive, knotty pine wood dresser that comes in a natural wood color. You can easily redo the dresser by staining or painting the entire piece, or by redoing just the drawers to have them contrast with the natural wood look of the rest of the piece. Redoing dresser drawers is not just about painting or staining, however. Removing the plain round dresser pulls and replacing them with something that better fits your decor will give the dresser an entirely new look.

Screwdriver
220 grit sandpaper
Tack cloth
High gloss interior paint or wood stain
Foam paint brush
Spray-on varnish
New dresser pulls

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the dresser drawers. Unscrew the handles with a screwdriver and remove them.
- 2
  Sand the surface of the drawers with 220 grit sandpaper, following the grain of the wood. Wipe the drawers with tack cloth to remove the dust.
- 3
  Apply one coat of high gloss interior paint or one coat of wood stain in your preferred color. Use a foam paintbrush, and follow the wood grain. Apply the colorant in even, overlapping strokes. If you are staining, let it sit for two to three minutes, then wipe the excess stain off with a rag.
- 4
  Let the first coat dry for two to three hours. Apply a second coat, if you want a darker color. Let that coat dry.
- 5
  Apply a coat of spray-on polyurethane varnish to the drawer surface. Let the drawers dry according to the directions on the varnish.
- 6
  Install new drawer pulls in the holes where the old pulls were. Screw them into place with the screwdriver.

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Bedroom Furniture