• About Me
  • Policies + Privacy
  • Subscribe
  • Christmas
  • Dollar Store Crafts
  • Crafts
  • Round-Ups
  • Home Decor
  • FREE Calendar

The Crazy Craft Lady

You are here: Home / Home Decor / Furniture Projects / Ikea Tarva Dresser – Turned TV Stand

December 20, 2014 · 21 Comments

Ikea Tarva Dresser – Turned TV Stand

Furniture Projects· Home Decor

Sharing is caring!

126 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

Hey there lovely readers!  I hope you are enjoying this last Saturday-before-Christmas as much as I am.  Things have been pretty quiet in my part of the blogosphere lately, thanks in large part to an ear/sinus infection followed by law school final exams.  Try not to be too jealous of my glamorous life!  But winter break is in full force now, leaving me with plenty of free time to share my latest projects with you all.

I finished this TV stand about two weeks ago, and I am loving it’s new place in our living room.  Our living area is a really bizarre shape, with a nook next to the fireplace that contains the TV hookups.  The bizarre-ness continues in the nook with both the heater and A/C unit poking out from the wall.  I needed a way to stick the TV in the corner.  My first choice of floor-to-ceiling shelving was out thanks to the heat and A/C, so I opted for a small dresser instead.

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

This post contains some affiliate links.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Like so many furniture purchases go, I headed off to Ikea.  I bought this Tarva three drawer chest for $80.  It was the perfect size, and the unfinished wood made painting and staining a breeze!

Here are all of my supplies:

  • 1 Ikea Tarva three drawer chest
  • wood filler and sandpaper
  • Martha Stewart Chalk Paint in “linen”
  • Minwax Wood Finish stain in “classic gray”
  • 4 drawer-pulls.  I used Martha Stewart for Home Depot Bedford 3-inch Nickel Canopy Cup drawer pull in the “bedford nickel” finish – available here.
  • paint brushes and rags for painting and staining
  • drill and bits for adding new hardware
  • piece of wood (cut 14 3/8 by 28 1/8-inch) for the added shelf
  • hardward to mount the added shelf – I used 4 “L-brackets”
  • wax – to protect your hard painting work!

Start by unpacking your Ikea purchase and checking to make sure you have all of the parts needed.

If you plan on keeping the top drawer out, fill in the holes where that drawer’s hardware would go with wood filler.  Lightly sand when it has dried.  This will make your project look a little more professional.

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

Then start painting.  If you look carefully at the instructions, you can get away with painting only one side of some of the pieces of wood.  You can also assemble the dresser and then paint.  Do whatever you prefer.

How many coats you may ask?  Well, since I was working with chalk paint, which is much thicker than regular paint, I was able to get away with one and a half coats.  I basically did one good coat and then touch ups instead of a full second coat.  One 8-ounce container of paint was the perfect amount of paint for this project.

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

Next up: assembly.  I find that I am most successful with Ikea furniture if I assemble while watching a good movie that I have seen 100 times.  But, that’s just me… I don’t think there is a fool-proof method for following instructions that involve cartoons and no actual words!

Note: you only have to assemble 2 of the 3 drawers.  What should you do with the spare drawer?  That’s a really good question.  Leave me a comment if you have any ideas!

Add the shelf with “L-brackets” so the top of the shelf is just flush with the top of the drawer.  Also, use a level and maybe invite a friend over so you can have a second set of hands.

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

Paint the shelf, and then you are done painting!

Next up: the drawers.

I did one 10-minute coat of the stain on the fronts of the drawers before assembling them.

Then I added the custom hardware – just know that if you use the hardware that I did, you will have to drill new holes.  This was only, like, the second time I had used power tools unsupervised, so have confidence that if I didn’t screw this up, you can tackle this project too!

I did one quick coat of wax over the whole dresser to protect it, and then I was done!  I wouldn’t call this project easy per se.  It was time consuming.  However, for a rookie like me this project wasn’t too difficult.  Plus, I’m glad I have the perfect TV stand to put in this super-awkward corner.  Mission accomplished!

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

Ikea Tarva hack from the Crazy Craft Lady. Full tutorial for making a custom TV stand.

I LOVE these hexagon shoe cubbies! She took an old bookcase and transformed it into a unique shoe shelf to keep her family's entry organized.
DIY Hexagon Shoe Shelf
A step-by-step tutorial to make a DIY concrete table top that is finished, sealed, and food-safe. It's a great durable option for a table top!
DIY Concrete Table Top
DIY sofa table - farmhouse style sofa table
DIY Farmhouse Sofa Table

« Christmas Oreo Truffles
New Year Photo Cards + Minted »

Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    December 22, 2014 at 7:58 am

    This transformation is awesome. I love how you are using this dresser as a tv stand. It looks great! Thanks for sharing. PINNED!

    Reply
  2. Cindy Trobaugh says

    December 23, 2014 at 7:57 am

    Stopping by from The Twirl & take a Bow Party..This is Gorgeous! Merry Christmas. Cindy

    Reply
  3. Sarah J says

    December 23, 2014 at 11:57 am

    Popping over from Treasure Box Tuesday =) I love IKEA… I wish there was one closer to me. Lovely TV stand BTW. Be sure to share your crafts & DIYs at Two Uses Tuesday over at Sarah Celebrates if you don’t already!

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    January 4, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    Your TV stand is lovely! It takes a truly creative person to turn a dresser into a TV stand, it’s so functional too. Great Job.

    Reply
    • aimee says

      January 4, 2015 at 6:31 pm

      Thanks for the kind words Amy. I thought I would never find something with the right dimensions to fit in that weird corner!

      Reply
  5. Amy | Canary Street Crafts says

    January 8, 2015 at 7:04 am

    This is so pretty. I love the paint/stain combination you used. And the hardware is perfect!

    Reply
  6. Sharon says

    January 8, 2015 at 8:31 pm

    Great job! Looks like it was made for that corner in that room! Thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  7. Chelsea says

    March 30, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    i love what you did!
    Maybe make shelves with the top drawer??

    Reply
    • Marche says

      July 7, 2015 at 7:47 am

      Chelsea I was wondering the same thing. Could I use the bottom of the extra drawer for the shelf?

      Reply
      • aimee says

        August 30, 2015 at 12:10 pm

        Hi Marche. great question. Sadly, you actually can’t. It’s too small.

        Reply
  8. Erin Tofani says

    June 24, 2015 at 9:37 am

    Hey there! I LOVE the DIY project you did! I have the same dresser (two actually), I plan to use in my son’s nursery. I’m going to use your post as a guide for doing my DIY on them, plan to stain whole piece gray and paint bottom legs/trim and knobs white, but I wanted to ask, what kind of WAX did you use to seal it with?

    Thanks and happy DIY-ing!

    -Erin

    Reply
    • aimee says

      July 26, 2015 at 2:02 pm

      Hi Erin. I actually just used the Martha Stewart brand wax – it’s on the same shelf as the chalk paints in the craft store.

      Reply
  9. Terri says

    August 12, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    What to do with the spare drawer. Simple. Go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and purchase 4 chunky wood furniture legs. Screw them in the bottom. Have a piece of wood cut to the size of the drawer opening. Lowe’s will cut it free. I used 1/2 inch plywood. Get a hinge and attach it to the top of the drawer and you can either paint the entire piece or use a piece of thick foam and cover it and staple if on the top… Handy ottoman

    Reply
    • aimee says

      August 30, 2015 at 12:05 pm

      Great idea Terri!

      Reply
  10. Avanti says

    October 10, 2015 at 10:45 pm

    Hey! I love this idea and am planning on doing it with my Tarva as well. I’m a new DIY-er when it comes to furniture and was wondering how you mounted the L-Hooks and what screws/tools you used for it. Thanks!

    Reply
    • aimee says

      October 11, 2015 at 7:53 am

      Hi Avanti! I just used regular 1/2-inch screws (if I remember correctly). I used my electric drill to pre-drill some holes, to make it easier. I would recommend having a friend there to help you hold the shelf in place and make sure it is level while you are mounting the l-brackets. Good luck!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

I’m Aimee, The Crazy Craft Lady. I strive to make my home a more stylish, organized, and creative place, while keeping things uncomplicated and budget-friendly. Here you will find DIY projects, seasonal decor and crafts, recipes, and organizing tricks. I hope you stay awhile and leave inspired.

Let’s “make everyday creative” together!

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

looking for something?

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316

126 shares