How to make your very own DIY Bone Inlay dresser from Ikea

Want to do the ultimate Bone Inlay Dresser DIY because you can’t afford the heavy price tag from Anthropologie? Yes? Of course, you do. Follow along below for all the details, supplies, and my DIY Bone Inlay guide for my Tarva Ikea dresser.

Obviously, you don’t have to use the same piece of furniture that I did, just apply the same stencil techniques and you should be golden.

I will warn you, stenciling is no joke. My whole right arm and shoulder were super sore after haha. Maybe I’m just not as young as I used to be. I can’t craft as hard as I used to in my early 20s. I had to ice my shoulder for a couple of nights. BUT MAMA DIDN’T RAISE NO QUITTER. It’s 100% worth it. I would do this a million times over to save $3,000 on an Anthropologie dresser. I am literally so impressed with myself. This dresser is by far my favorite project I have ever done. Big shout out to Girl in the Garage for all the tips!

Let’s get started!

Supplies for Your DIY Bone Inlay Dresser

Just an FYI, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Momma’s got bills to pay. Ya feel?

• Dresser or another piece of furniture – I bought the Ikea Tarva dresser for a couple of reasons. 1. I needed a dresser lol. 2. It’s unfinished, so I can paint it. 3. It’s dissembled so it’s WAY easier to paint and stencil.
• Paint for the dresser – I went to Home Depot and got the color #M430-7, Green Agate, by Behr in an eggshell finish.
• Paint roller kit – if you plan on painting the dresser and not spray painting.
• Microfiber cloths – to wipe down your pieces so they are nice and clean and you don’t paint/ stencil dirt or dust into your piece.
• Bone Inlay Stencils – So I searched high and low for the designs I wanted and landed on these because I wanted it to look like the Anthropologie design as much as possible.
• Chalk paint – you can use any white paint, or any color for that matter. The reason I used chalk paint was that it gave it a nice vintage look. It’s also thicker so it stencils SO nicely.
• Sponge/ foam pouncer – Don’t stencil with a brush, I tried it. It no worky. The ones I linked came in a bunch of sizes which I liked.
• Paintbrush – For applying the topcoat or if you prefer to paint the dresser with this and not the rollers. And small, fine-tipped paintbrushes, for touch-ups
• Polyurethane water-based interior top coat – I used the crystal clear satin finish. Don’t get oil-based!
• Blow dryer – to dry your pieces.
• Painters tape – to tape down your stencils. I found frog tape works the best. This is what we always used in design school.
• Toothbrush – to clean your stencils
• Pencil
• Paper towels
• Cuter drawer pulls – I got these golden bees off Etsy but the exact same bees are on Amazon by the same company. But I’m obsessed with the bees.

Tips before you begin

Please read through these tips before starting so you don’t have as many headaches as I did.

• Wash your stencils. This is SO annoying but if you want crisp lines and fewer touch-ups, wash em. I would use it about three times before I would wash them.
• The easiest way to wash them is with dawn dish soap and a toothbrush in the sink. Depending on how quickly I would need them again, I would dry them on a towel or with a blow dryer
• Always dab your foam pouncer on a paper towel before stenciling. It’s better to have LESS paint than too much.

• Use a blow dryer after each stenciling before lifting up the stencil to prevent smudging.
• tape, tape, tape, tape, tape everything
• Take the time to trace out or plan your pattern before laying down the paint. I traced out the pattern on a piece of cardboard to make sure it would all fit and work out before painting.
• Use the backside of your small paintbrush to help hold down the stencil as you dab your paint.
• If you mess up, a couple of coats of your furniture paint should cover up the white chalk paint.
• If you plan on adding different drawer pulls, knobs, or handles and you don’t like the location of the ones provided, wood fills the holes and sand it down before painting.
• Ice your shoulder/ take some Advil when you go to bed because it is a lot of work and you will be in pain haha. Maybe I’m just WEAK.

Step by Step Guide on How to Make a DIY Bone Inlay Dresser

Alright, let’s get to crafting!

Step 1

Layout all your pieces. I laid down a tarp and worked outside in my backyard. Paint all your pieces with the roller or paintbrush. Whatever you prefer. Paint the tops, bottoms, and all the sides. Once it is fully dry, add a second coat. It’s ok if the paint gets into the nail or screw holes.

Step 2

Once everything is painted, find a nice comfy spot to start stenciling. I used a folding table and my office chair because I knew I would be there for a while. I wanted to be comfy. Grab your foam pouncers, chalk paint, paper towels, blow dryer, tape, pencil, and stencils. I highly suggest cutting out a piece of scrap paper or cardboard, the size of the piece you are going to paint, and mapping out exactly what you want to do. Take your stencils and your pencil and figure out exactly how you want them to be laid out. Might not get it on the first try… I didn’t! I had to fake a lot.

Step 3

Once you know what you are doing, find the center of the length and width of your pieces, and mark it. Also, find the center point of your piece. Take your stencil and trace some points onto your piece. For example, on the drawers, I went around and stenciled out all the diamonds around the perimeter with a pencil before I laid down any paint. Once you do this, tape down your stencil to the piece.

Step 4

To stencil, dab your pouncer into a small amount of paint and dab it off onto a paper towel. LESS IS MORE. If you have too much paint it won’t be as crisp and will look smudged. Also, don’t wet your pouncer. Wet = running paint. (If this happens, don’t worry, that’s what touch-ups are for!) Add tape wherever necessary. If the stencil doesn’t fit perfectly, fake it!

Step 5

After you have stenciled, before you pull it up, give it a quick blow-dry. Lift it up and move it to the next part if you are using it again, like for a border. Overlap the start of the stencil with the finished painted one so you are always perfectly distanced. Blow-dry and repeat 2 or 3 times before washing your stencil. I noticed that the more delicate the lines of the stencil, the more often I had to clean it. Eventually, you will be able to tell when it’s ready to wash.

Step 6

And repeat. Dip in paint, dab dab dab on a paper towel, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, on the stencil. Get more paint, dab off excess, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab, dab.

Step 7

literally so much dabbing.

Step 8

Repeat on every single, visible piece. I posted the number of pieces below with the tarva dresser.

Step 9

Once you finish stenciling every piece, give yourself a good ol’ pat on the back because YOU DID IT! Almost done! Take the paint color you used to paint the dresser, I grabbed my Agate Green, and take your small fine-tipped brushes and fix up any mistakes. Repeat with the white if you need it. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Step 10

Once everything is nice and dry, grab your bigger paint brush and apply two top coats to your pieces. I even painted the pieces without the stencil artwork because I wanted to seal and protect the entire dresser to prevent future chips and dings.

Step 11

Assemble your dresser. Follow the directions provided.

Step 12

Lastly, for the finishing touches, attach new drawer pulls/ knobs.

The end! HURRAY. Go get yourself some wine. You deserve it.

All that’s left is to style the top of your dresser.

If you decide to undertake this DIY bone inlay project, please send me pictures or tag me on Instagram: @gingerandivory. I can’t WAIT to see what you guys come up with. If you are still in the crafting mooood check out some of my other crafts like my DIY Beyonce Costume or my DIY Advent Calendar.

Happy Crafting!