This tutorial will attempt to teach you how to redo a dresser for about $20.

Step 1: Choose Your Piece + Buy Your Materials

Materials needed:

1. Paint--I used Martha Stewart Vintage Decor paint (two eight ounce bottles in Wedding Cake), but any chalk paint will do for this project. Annie Sloan is the original, but you can also use Americana Decor chalky finish paint or mix up your own. (MS brand is $8 for an 8 oz bottle, but you can usually use a coupon)

2. Paint brush--if you're not planning on doing a lot of pieces of furniture, you can just buy one brush. I bought two, one for the paint and one for the wax. (My MS brushes were $25 each, but I used a coupon so they were $12.50...you can also buy cheaper brushes for just a few dollars)

3. Wax. All of the chalk paint brands have their own wax for finishing, but I chose to use Minwax's Polycrylic finish. (The Minwax was $17 from Home Depot, but the MS brand was $8).

Optional: a cup or bucket for mixing the paint. I needed one because I can't get my brush into the Martha Stewart paint containers.

This project can cost as few as $20, depending on your shopping savvy.

Step 2: Remove Your Drawers and Hardware

This makes it easier to paint without missing spots.

If you're keeping the same knobs/pulls, put them and the screws somewhere safe.

Step 3: Paint

The number of coats will depend on what color you start with and what color you're painting. I needed three coats to go from black to white, which is why I needed two bottles of paint.

Try to paint with long strokes along the grain of the wood.

My brushes lost bristles as I was painting, so watch out for that. If you don't notice, they will dry in the paint and you won't be able to get them out.