How to Build a Computer Credenza

Find a used dresser or vanity in a flea market, garage sale or thrift shop. Choose a vanity dresser with an open middle area if you plan on using the credenza as a desk, too. This way, the computer chair and your legs will fit under your new credenza. Place newspaper on the garage floor or on the driveway, so you can work on the dresser without staining the floor.

Remove the back mirror from the dresser by unscrewing it from the dresser back. Remove any hardware that was used to hold the mirror.

Unscrew any hardware from the dresser drawers. Pull out the drawers and set them aside. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and baking soda. Dip a toothbrush in the mixture and clean the hardware. If the hardware is too scuffed, paint it with metal-colored spray paint, or replace with hardware that looks more appropriate for a computer credenza.

Sand the entire dresser with a sander and a light-grit sand paper. Sand just enough so that a new finish will adhere to the dresser.

Draw a 2- to 3-inch hole with a pencil on the back of the dresser; here, you're marking the spot where any computer cables will fit through. Do the same in an inconspicuous place at the top rear of the new credenza. Cut the hole with a drill that has a hole-saw attachment; you can find this attachment in a home improvement store. These are relatively inexpensive with an approximate $10 to $20 cost.

Dip a paint brush in a stain or paint color you want to use. Paint the dresser if it was previously painted. This way, you will avoid having to strip off the old paint. Choose paint that is appropriate to the dresser surface material. Ask a home improvement sales representative to help you choose the correct finish. Paint several coats of your finish on the dresser. Allow each coat to dry for two to three hours before applying the next.

Allow the new credenza to dry and reinstall the hardware or add new contemporary hardware you purchase at the local home improvement store.

Add computer equipment and thread their cables through the holes you made. Store office supplies in the drawers.