3 Little Greenwoods

Sharing creativity by teaching others how to make wreaths.

by: Ashley Greenwood

My Grandmother’s Hope Chest ~ How to Repair Wood Veneer

Do you have an old piece of furniture that needs a little love? Let me know you how to repair wood veneer and bring it back to life.

That’s exactly what I did to my grandmother’s hope chest!

Bring that vintage piece back to life! Easy to follow tutorial for How to Repair Wood Veneer! by 3 Little Greenwoods

We all love to be gifted with furniture that holds meaning for us.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to use my Grandmother’s Hope Chest in our daughter’s room makeover.

My Grandmother's Hope Chest {3littlegreenwoods.com}

But before the piece could be ready for her room I had to learn How To Repair Wood Veneer that was chipped on each side of the chest.

I’m so thankful that a little bit of elbow grease worked to repair and revive this heirloom into a creamy white hope chest for Tootsie to fill with treasures.

The Big Green Elephant ~ My Grandmother's Hope Chest by 3 Little Greenwoods {3littlegreenwoods.com}

A creamy white would be perfect but before the piece could be repainted all the missing and chipping wood veneer had to be repaired.

Let me show you how I did it!

How to Repair Wood Veneer

This post contains affiliate links marked with an asterisk. Click here for my complete disclosure policy.

All-Purpose Putty (Click here to Buy)

Bondo Putty Filler Spreaders (click here to buy)

Painters Tape

Paper Plates and Plastic Spoons for Mixing

Protective Gloves (click here to buy)

Rubber Sanding Block (click here to buy)

how to fix missing veneer

I’m a lazy easy fix it kind of girl so I decided to follow use All-Purpose Putty to repair the missing veneer.

using Bondo to fix veneer

Before you mix up the All-Purpose Putty, tape off all the areas you need to repair. After that it’s time to prepare the putty.

easy veneer repair

Start with a about 2- 3 tablespoons of filler then add hardening agent  and mix according to instructions. Wear gloves to protect your hands and open windows if you can.

This stuff made my entire house stink.

Apply the putty to the taped off areas. Work quickly! The putty hardens fast.

fixed cracked veneer

Apply enough putty to fill the space left by the missing veneer but not so much that you leave gobs of putty that must be sanded off.  Use a Bondo Putty Filler Spreaders or a putty knife to remove excess filler.

Filling the spots was tricky for me.  I either applied so much that it was overflowing or not enough to fill the space.

Allow the putty to dry for a few minutes (should be hard to the touch) and remove the tape from each section. Do this now before the tape becomes adhered to the filler.

Not that I would know anything about that. Yeah – right! 

Once everything has dried, break out the sandpaper and get ready to work it! I sanded and sanded and sanded. Using a metal knife to scrape off the extra putty would have been super helpful with this part.

After all that repair work and sanding, the hope chest was painted a creamy white. So much better than green!

Repaired and Revived Hope Chest {3littlegreenwoods.com}

Repaired and Revived Hope Chest {3littlegreenwoods.com}

Okay. I’ve got to be honest. My skills as a repair girl are seriously limited. But each time I tackle a project I learn something.

 

Don't Forget It! Pin It Button from 3 Little Greenwoods

 

Tips for How to Repair Wood Veneer using All Purpose Putty:

  • Take your time! Do not try to squeeze furniture repair during errand running and preschool pick-up. {yes, I should have known better}
  • Remove as much filler as you can before it dries completely.
  • Even if it takes days – sand until each area is smooth.

Bondo Repaired Hope Chest {3littlegreenwoods.com}

Of course, I couldn’t resist adding Tootsie’s monogram to the chest’s corner.

Creating decals with washi tape is super simple! {Go here for the Washi Tape Wall Decals tutorial}

Monogram with Washi Tape {3littlegreenwoods.com}

Repaired and Revived Hope Chest {3littlegreenwoods.com}

The Hope Chest blends wonderfully with the other pieces in Tootsie’s bedroom.  It makes me smile to know my Grandmother requested it to be given to her.

Want to see the other projects that turned her bedroom from Grandma Frumpy to Little Girl Sweet? {Click here} to see the entire Adorable Little Girl’s Bedroom makeover!

Adorable Little Girl’s Bedroom

Adorable Little Girl's Bedroom Makeover


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Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and/or is a sponsored post. I may receive compensation in the form of monetary compensation or product compensation in exchange for my review. I take pride in reviewing only products that fit my brand and will be beneficial to my readers. And while this post is sponsored or contains affiliate links, all the opinions are my own. Why do I do this? It will help me keep this DIY’ing Mama crafting for another day! For more on my disclosure policy click here.

Comments

  1. 1

    Robyn says

    Fabulous job! The chest looks beautiful! What a great treasure for her room. And props for tackling such a project! I am hoping to get crafty over spring break!

    Reply
  2. 3

    Janice @ NearlyHandmade says

    Wow!! What a great tip about the putty! I had no idea! I’m true to the definition of lazy (mostly because i didnt know this stuff existed!) I would have just sanded down that part a little to make it blend, then painted it. haha (yup, I’ve done that… darn!) I’m pinning this so I don’t make the same mistake again! Thanks Ashley!

    Reply
  4. 7

    Kathi Riemer says

    I love your hope chest re-do and your room redo collage. I’ve pinned this because I have both to consider. The little granddaughter’s room is higher on my to-do list but I have been thinking about how to refurbish my mom’s ’50’s hope chest. Right now it’s hidden in a closet. Thank you for sharing and the inspiration.

    Reply
    • 8

      3littlegreenwoods says

      So excited that I have inspired you today with Tootsie’s bedroom makeover and my grandmother’s hope chest. I would love for you to follow along! There’s going to be a complete bedroom reveal next week! 😉

      Reply
      • 11

        Kim {Pinspired Home} says

        Oh dear… Four months sounds very timely to me. We’re three months into our family room update and I’m stuck… again. I’ve pretty much accomplished one step each (paint, toy organization, rug) each month. At this rate, I’ll be happy if we have a finished family room project by December! 🙂

        Reply
  6. 13

    Lindsay Eidahl says

    Love how this turned out and I am so glad you showed out to use the bonding. I find so many furniture pieces that I would love to makeover, but they are chipped or missing some of the veneer. This looks like an easy fix and I will be picking up those pieces now instead of passing them by!

    Reply
  7. 15

    Rachel Kathyg @ onlinesisterhood says

    Ashley, I really really love how this turned out! It is just perfect in your daughter’s room. It is so special it was your Grandma’s. You have inspired me. I have a cedar hope chest that was hand carved by my late father (he passed away from cancer in 2001). The chest is in storage in the U.S. until we return home. It also had some damage to the surface. I cannot wait to try this tip when we get back and restore the beauty of the chest. Thanks for sharing:) have a great weekend.

    Reply
  8. 17

    Marti says

    Ashley, the chest turned out beautiful, I love it and that it was passed down from Grandma! and her room looks adorable!! Can’t wait to see the complete room reveal next week!

    Reply
  11. 23

    Angie@SlipcoveredGrey says

    Ashley!!!! I am so glad you were able to use the tutorial and it turned out GREAT! That is so special that you transformed your grandmother’s hope chest for Tootsie. I bet it will be treasured for a lifetime. Blessings!

    Reply
    • 24

      3littlegreenwoods says

      Oh I am so excited you found my blog! You did such an awesome job with your tutorial that I was inspired to tackle the chipped and missing veneer on my grandmother’s chest. Thank you so much!

      {big hugs}
      ~ Ashley

      Reply
    • 26

      3littlegreenwoods says

      Hey Meredith! Thank you so much for your comment love about my grandmother’s hope chest. Hope you will join me again next week when I finally do Tootsie’s complete bedroom reveal. 😉

      ~ Ashley

      Reply
  21. 42

    Carrie This Home says

    What a sweet way to give new life to a special piece of furniture! I love how it turned out–just girly enough to be cute but practical! I’ll be featuring this at the next Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Thanks so much for sharing this with our readers!

    Reply
  25. 50

    Wendi@H2OBungalow says

    What a beautiful makeover and a lovely way to keep a family treasure. Thanks for the info on using Bondo as well. I haven’t tried it for furniture repair but have heard about it. Good job!

    Reply
  26. 52

    Mary says

    Thanks for the repair tips Ashley. I am in the process of repairing a china cabinet. And it seems as if the whole side of the veneer is coming off. What you said about learning new things every time you do a project is soooooo true.

    Reply

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