After three months of woodworking classes this summer, I briefly entertained the idea of trying to make a replacement myself. Maybe one day, but after one box and one small end table, I'm definitely not there yet.
So what should one do when they can't afford to buy/make the piece they really want? Buy another cheap replacement and do your damnedest to make it look like something nice. It may have another two-year shelf life, but it's functional, pretty and exactly what I needed.
Before:
Ikea Rast 3-drawer chest ($35)
After:
($15 for stain + polyurethane, $60 for anthropologie knobs)
At $110, I'm pretty happy with how this came out. Plus, despite the dresser's two-year life expectancy, the knobs should be usable for years to come.