How to Make a Tool Chest Dresser

Scuff the surface of the dresser, the drawers and the edges of the drawer faces lightly with sandpaper to prepare the piece for painting. Wipe the entire dresser down with a damp rag or tack cloth to remove all dust. Remove any old handles or visible hardware, as well as the drawers.

Brush or roll the entire dresser and drawer faces with several coats of high gloss paint to achieve a look similar to that of a shiny metal tool chest. Opt for a bold color, such as yellow, turquoise or red -- one of the traditional tool chest colors -- or go for a neutral hue like black, brown, gray or white. For a more "glam" tool chest dresser, paint it a metallic silver or gold. If you want the magnetic finish of metal, first apply several coats of a commercially available magnetic primer.

Install a long, rod-shaped silver or black metal drawer pull on each drawer face to imitate the look of the handles on a tool chest. Alternatively, cut 1-inch diameter wooden dowel rods to the desired size, and paint them black or silver. Screw them onto the drawer faces, using washers or small sections of painted dowel to create a space for your fingers to grasp the handles.

Install another long drawer pull or painted dowel on one side of the dresser, to serve as the handle that would propel the tool chest around the room.

Flip the empty dresser upside down on a drop cloth or old sheet to protect the top surface. Install the casters on the bottom of the dresser following the manufacturer's instructions.

Set the dresser right side up and slide the drawers back into place.

Affix decals or stickers of brand names, favorite race car drivers' numbers or logos on the fronts of the drawers, if desired, to create an authentic tool chest look. Alternatively, if you used magnetic paint, affix lightweight decorative or logo magnets, or whimsical alphabet magnets.