DIY Butcher block kitchen island from upcycled dresser

Butcher block counter tops are beautiful and fun but incredibly expensive!

What I like about this diy is that it recycles things that are otherwise outdated.

1) So I began with a quality built dresser, this is solid wood and does not have any trouble supporting the heavy butcher block.

2) I got an old work bench butcher block and sanded it down with a belt sander. I liked the character that this gives but you can always find something less used or even new at somewhere like Ikea for not too much money.

I salvaged some pieces of teak wood to finish over the ends with. I thought this gave it a clean look.

I had to piece the butcher block together since this was such a long dresser and my piece was not big enough. I did this by screwing both pieces to the dresser and filling it in with wood filler for the small crack, then sanding that down.

Getting the teak pieces on I did with wood glue in between and then screwing the pieces into the butcher block, but of course beginning with a pilot hole as to not split the teak.

For the dresser I decided to paint it, This was because the veneer over the wood was so thin that sanding and re-staining would have just caused a lot of uneven chips in the wood.. You can always sand and re-stain, if your piece allows.

After this my sister in law helped me with the best distressing technique. Which was to distress the edges, leaving big areas alone..

I found some hardware at hobby lobby. Including the brackets for the over hang and a large handle which I use on the side as a towel bar.

The most money I spent on this was probably the wheels. I wanted them to be very heavy duty to have no problem holding the weight of this dresser and to lock for safety. I suggest making sure the wheels you get are great quality. I got ones that are able to hold 1000 pounds of weight between the 4 of them.

Is there a dresser your looking to upcycle? Or do you need a kitchen island? The key is to find these items second hand and use creativity to reimagine them! I would love to know what you used to make yours!