DIY Wood Finishing

Think you can’t transform a wood piece into something beautiful and custom on your own?  Think again!  Many of us can get intimidated by woodworking.  It seems complicated, all the sanding, staining, protective coating and what if it doesn’t come out the way you want it?  Well, here’s my project below.  Perhaps this will help and show you how beautiful and inexpensive it is!

I purchased this cart from amazon for $69.00It came unfinished, but first, I had to sand it down.  It’s always important to freshly sand anything so the wood can properly absorb the stain or paint.  If not, it will be uneven, bumpy and could peel. I use a rougher grit sand paper (150) then go to finer (220 grit). Wikipedia has an excellent chart on sand paper grit if you’re ever second guessing which you should use for what project. The sand paper was only a couple of dollars.

This was the color I used.  It’s also been used throughout my house for my hardwood floors, shelf in the dining room, and the new railing.  It’s a redish darker color that brings out the grain in any wood.  At $6.99, it’s a good way to get some color.  There are a variety of stains out there and the more you put on or take off, you can create the look you want!  Keep in mind it is stain!  So wear clothes you don’t mind ruining and gloves.  It can stain your skin.

So here’s how it came out!  After 3 coats of stain, beautiful!  I use just a dry clean cotton cloth to stain, but you can use a brush or foam brush to apply it as well.  If you go too dark, just sand it down a little.
But don’t stop at the staining.  One small scratch and your piece is ruined.  Polyurethane is necessary to seal in the stain and give it a nice shine.  This big can was only $10.99 and will last me a long time and many projects.   I put 5 coats of this on because I figure this cart will get a lot of use and is in a high traffic area.  Again, I use a cloth, and wear gloves.

This is the finished product all assembled.  Now, I have more counter space available in my kitchen!

Now, if you want different looks, you can use different types of paint as well.  You can stencil something on, sand it down to give it that shabby chic look, use a bit of steel wool when you rub in the stain to give it a texture and more.  The possibilities are endless!  This is just a simple cart, but you may find a beautiful coffee table to refinish, or an unfinished picnic table you want to make your own.  Hopefully these tips are helpful!  Coming up next, the new stairwell banister!
The staining is done, and a bunch of coats of polyurethane are on it.  Just have to put a few more coats on and put it on the stairs Stay tuned!

What are your “woodworking/texturing” techniques?

*K