Dresser Makeover With IOD - Iron Orchid Designs

Ever wonder how people makeover furniture with what appears to be a hand painted image that took hour upon hour to create? Well yeah, you could hand paint a image onto a piece of furniture but what if you're not artsy or don't have the time. Want a quick makeover to your hand painted piece of furniture, that is simple & fast? There is a way and I'm going to show you how I took this plain jane piece to fabulous with IOD transfers!

IOD Transfer Makeover

I've had this piece in my shop for about a year, yeah I know, crazy right!?! That's way too long for something to sit in a booth business! While there is nothing wrong with it, it just sat too long, so it was the perfect candidate for a new look.

So I thought it was the just the right piece for this transfer technique. I choose IOD - Iron Orchard Designs "Sea Queen" transfer, in the size 24'' X 33''. This size comes in a tube with everything you'll need to use the transfer. I did need some painters tape to hold it onto my piece. This transfer retails for $32 plus shipping.

Iron Orchard Designs "Sea Queen"

Here's what you'll need:

- Your choice of IOD Transfer (comes with a scraper)

- Cleaning solution & rag

- Painters Tape

Always start with a clean piece.

First you will need to prep your furniture piece. Clean your furniture piece, so that there is no dirt or dust. I used a solution of water & vinegar to clean with.

Remove Hardware

You'll then need to remove your hardware. We will need to be able to lay our image flat against the surface you're transferring your image onto.

Align your transfer the way you like it.

Your going to remove your transfer from the packaging and remove the backing. Your transfer is on the grid sheet. Yes the grid will be your best friend! Line up the image on your furniture. Take your time placing it where you would like. Use your painters tape to secure your transfer. Once we rub the transfer onto the surface, you will not be able to remove it.

Here's a close up

Now that you have your image is lined up, we're going to take our provided rubbing tool, and start rubbing where the image is shown. Above is a close up, as you can see the darker black is still on the transfer sheet. The lighter black is transferred onto the furniture.

I quickly learned to pull back the transfer sheet to check my work. Pulling it back every now and then allowed me to catch any areas I missed and go back over them. I will also mention I started my rubbing at the top and worked my way down.

Almost Done!

At this point I was half way through rubbing the image. As you can see the transfer material was starting to get long. So I took some scissors and removed the excess material. This made it easier for me to work, without having to juggle the extra material. I also had some trouble getting between the drawers, maybe next time I'll choose a surface that is uniformly flat.

Wow! What a beauty she is now1

While this project took me an hour and I had a few areas I had problems with, I'm extremely happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to do a few more piece with their products. Oh I do't know if you noticed, but I did change out the hardware. I wanted a style that didn't compete with the image.

This project has got me looking around the house wondering what else I can use IOD products on! They sell them in all kinds of designs and sizes. IOD also has molds and stamps that literally have endless possibilities!

If you're local to Shreveport, LA and want to see the dresser in person, stop by my shop. We're located inside Kings Antiques, 133 Kings Hwy. Shreveport, LA. Open Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it!

Lot's of love,

-Leigh 😘