Victoria Salas

Hello everyone! My name is Victoria Salas. I’m a mother of three, a wife, and a proud breast
cancer survivor, ready to thrive! I’m truly honored to be a finalist for Brand Ambassador for
*American Farmhouse Style*, and I can’t wait to share my project with you: how to create
your very own budget-friendly faux card catalog piece with a simple 6-step tutorial.

I chose this project because, like many of you, I love antique furniture. However, card
catalogs can often be outside of our budget. That’s why I decided to repurpose an old
dresser and turn it into the card catalog of my dreams. Now, let’s dive into the steps so you

can create your own!

**Step 1:** Start by searching for an old dresser. The one I used was purchased on
Marketplace for just $10! I recommend choosing a dresser with drawers that already have
multiple small squares on each, as this gives the appearance of individual card catalog
drawers. In reality, it’s just one drawer with the illusion of many.

**Step 2:** Next, decide whether to keep the finish as is, paint it, or strip it down to reveal
natural wood. Personally, I wanted a light, natural tone for my home, so I chose to strip and
sand it down to bare wood. In the next steps, I’ll explain how I achieved this.

**Step 3:** To begin stripping the wood, I used a hand sander with 60-grit sandpaper to
remove the original stain from the drawers. You don’t have to do this, but I wanted to see
the natural color of the wood before deciding whether to lighten it further. In my case, the
wood had an orange hue that wasn’t what I wanted, so I opted to lighten it.

**Step 4:** To lighten the wood, I used a surprisingly effective method: oven cleaner. “Easy
Off” works wonders when trying to achieve a natural wood look. I applied a thick coat of the
cleaner and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area,
preferably outdoors, and wear protective gear like gloves, goggles, and a mask, as the
fumes can be strong.

**Step 5:** After 30 minutes, I scrubbed the surface with a pot scrubber to remove the
cleaner, then rinsed it off with a water hose. Once dry, you’ll notice a significant difference
in the wood’s appearance, often revealing the beautiful, aged character of the wood. If the
wood is still too dark, you can repeat the process to achieve your desired look.

**Step 6:** Finally, it’s time to add hardware. I purchased both the handles and library file
holders from Amazon—just search for “card catalog hardware” to find a wide variety of
options. Once you have the hardware, drill them onto the individual squares to complete
the illusion of separate card catalog drawers.

And there you have it. Your very own faux card catalog! I hope this project inspires you to
repurpose furniture and create beautiful, custom pieces like I did with this dresser.