How to Cut Decorative Granite Slabs for the Top of Your Dresser

Remove the dresser drawers and tape doors shut with low-tack masking tape.

Lay a large sheet of heavyweight paper on the floor.

Turn the dresser over with the assistance of a helper, resting the top of the dresser on the paper.

Trace a line around the dresser top with a pencil onto the paper. Move the dresser off the paper and turn it upright with the assistance of a helper.

Cut along the traced lines with scissors to create a pattern of the dresser top.

Lay a blanket or tarp on the floor and set the granite slab on top with the unfinished side facing up.

Lay the pattern on top of the granite slab. Tack the edges of the pattern to the granite slab with low-tack masking tape spaced every 12 to 18 inches to keep the pattern from moving. Do not lay tape around all edges; just use small strips to hold the pattern in place.

Trace a line around the pattern with a grease pencil. Lift a piece of masking tape and draw the section the tape was covering, put the tape back in place and move to the next tape-covered section. Lift the tape, draw the line and affix the tape until you draw a complete dresser top pattern on the granite slab. Remove the pattern.

Lay the granite slab over a workbench or across two sawhorses and clamp it in place with C-clamps.

Equip a hand-guided wet stone cutter with a diamond-dusted blade. Wet stone cutters come with an adapter and bottle for a built-in water feed. Fill the reservoir with water.

Put on safety goggles and a dust mask.

Align the blade of the wet stone cutter with the guideline, turn the cutter on and follow the grease pencil marks to cut the granite.