Paint Ideas for Boys' Dressers

Camouflage

• Boys love camouflage as it conjures up tough images of soldiers and hunters. Painting a camouflage pattern takes just a bit of practice to get right, but because it is basically free-form, this pattern is very forgiving of mistakes and hides imperfections. Camo is traditionally done in natural shades such as brown, tan, and olive green. For a twist, paint a camouflage pattern in unexpected colors, such as neon brights. Another twist is painting the case of the dresser a solid color and the drawer fronts in camo.

Chalkboard

• Nearly any boy would love to scribble on the furniture without getting in trouble. That fantasy is a reality with a dresser covered in chalkboard paint, which is readily available in home centers and paint stores and goes on just like regular paint. Chalkboard paint is typically black, so you may want to add some bright drawer pulls or painted trim for a touch of color.

Checkerboard

• Pick your son's favorite colors, and use them on a fun checkerboard dresser. For this look you simply paint the dresser frame one color, then use painter's tape to create a checkerboard stencil on the drawers. Make the checks large or small; smaller drawers will look better with smaller checks while larger drawers can handle larger checks. Keep drawer pulls simple so they don't compete with the pattern on the dresser.

Blue Denim

• Believe it or not, you can use paint to very effectively create the look of blue denim on a dresser. This effect can be tricky at first, so use a piece of poster board to practice and get the technique down before attempting it on your dresser. Achieving the look of denim with paint involves layering a darker shade of blue over a lighter one and dragging various texturing tools over the paint before it dries.

Grafitti

• A graffiti dresser is a fun, easy treatment that anyone can do, and it's another opportunity for your boy to scribble on his furniture without getting into trouble. Start with a dresser that you've freshly painted white or the color of choice, and then use permanent markers or paint pens to cover it in graffiti. Although this project is all about getting crazy, it does help the look of the finished product to plan out the graphics' design and placement before getting started.