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How To Re-stain a Table – Farmhouse Table Makeover

October 7, 2014 By: Melanie

It’s Transformation Tuesday!  We have missed a few over the past month or so due to a trip to Disneyland and the end of summer/start of school, so we are excited to be on the ball this wonderful Tuesday!   We have some great things coming up including being part of the Salt Lake City Pinner’s Conference on Nov. 7 & 8.  We have been invited to be presenters and just couldn’t be more thrilled!  You can now register for classes by visiting the Pinners Conference website HERE.  We would love, LOVE to see you there!  We have a discount code for your ticket too! Use code FINDITMAKEITLOVEIT to save $5!

Now let’s get to today’s transformation:  How to Re-stain a Table! how to restain a table

First, let’s show you our previous table situation in a before and after picture.   Functional and not too bad looking.  Couple issues though:  It has a leaf in the center and decorative ridges around the edges of the table top (you can see them in the picture below.) Guess what happens to all these cracks and ridges on the table?  They get all filled up with crumbs and sauce and cereal milk….and it’s gross and hard to clean.  Also, the the green bench is not quite long enough for the table.  My husband built it custom to our previous table, which we outgrew.  Okay, so despite these table issues,  we weren’t going to spend any big bucks on a new table.  Farmhouse Table Refinish (4)

And then!!  Our neighbors had a yard sale and I spotted this table from across the street.  I sent my daughter over to ask how much they wanted for it.

$30!  What?!

You bet I skipped out my door with a 20 and a 10 as quick as I could!  A solid, heavy table with 2 chairs and 2 benches for $30. Oh, I was thrilled!  It was a cheap DIYer’s dream come true!  Farmhouse Table Refinish (1)

So here we go, first step is to take the table apart.   Remove the legs and table top.  We removed the bench tops, as well as the built in drawer on this table.  Make sure you place all the hardware and screws in ziploc bags and label them if necessary- trust us, you will be so happy you did. 🙂

Farmhouse Table Refinish (22) Farmhouse Table Refinish (23)

Next clean the surfaces and start sanding.  Use a low grit sandpaper like 60 or 80 to speed the sanding process along.

Farmhouse Table Refinish (21) Farmhouse Table Refinish (20)

Then just keep sanding, and sanding, and sanding.  You probably don’t want to attempt this kind of project without an electric sander.  For real, if you don’t own one, go to your local hardware store and pick one up for about $20……. $20 well spent!

After sanding over all the pieces 3-5 times, you should be down to the raw wood.  Hooray!  Wipe the surfaces really well using a lint free cloth or tack cloth.  Then start staining using a foam brush.  We have found foam brushes to be the easiest to work with when using stain.  Another tip when using stain:  any stain that is not absorbed into the wood after 15 minutes should be wiped off with a lint free cloth.

Farmhouse Table Refinish (19) Farmhouse Table Refinish (18)

Apply as many coats as desired of the stain and allow to dry according to the stain label.  Then apply at least 2 coats of polyurethane to seal the table.  (We typically stay away from polyurethane on furniture because it will yellow over time, but on a dark stain, yellowing will not be an issue.)  Use a fine grit sandpaper to sand between coats.  Be sure to wipe down the surfaces after sanding.  Do not sand over the final coat.

Farmhouse Table Refinish (14)

This table had these little wood pieces covering the screws on the benches.  We popped them off,  and rather than trying to sand them, we sprayed them with our favorite metallic spray by Rust-oleum.

Farmhouse Table Refinish (17) Farmhouse Table Refinish (16)

Farmhouse Table Refinish (15)

Let the polyurethane dry completely, again refer to the                                        label for exact dry times.  Then get that baby put back together!!                        This is where your hardware in labeled ziploc baggies                                                  saves the day.  🙂

Farmhouse Table Refinish (11)

We better mention, we did NOT paint the rest of the table.  We only refinished the table and bench tops.  I would have painted the rest of the table white anyway and the existing paint was in pretty good condition, after a good cleaning.  We weren’t going to do more work than necessary for the same results. 🙂Farmhouse Table Refinish (6)Farmhouse Table Refinish (7)Farmhouse Table Refinish (8)Farmhouse Table Refinish (9)

Looks better right?!  You can see I added a rug ($30 from ShopKo) and a centerpiece (see that tutorial HERE.)  The two benches look much better than my lopsided bench and chairs before.  I do love symmetry!  Also, I still used my teal chairs instead of the chairs that came with the table, because they are my favorite.  Farmhouse Table Refinish (5)  

Farmhouse Table Refinish (3)

Farmhouse Table Refinish (2)

We love that having nice things doesn’t have to cost much!  Be sure to visit our Furniture Gallery page HERE for more furniture transformations.  Have a great day!

Linking up to some of these parties:

Monday:  Craft-o-maniac, Skip to my Lou, Keeping it Simple, Creatively Living
Tuesday: Clean and Scentsible, Not Just a Housewife  Wednesday: Seven Thirty Three, Snap!Creativity,  Creations by Kara, Made to be a Momma,
Oh my! Creative, Someday Crafts, Gingersnap Crafts, The Life of Jennifer Dawn, Life as Mrs. Larson  Thursday: Artsy Fartsy Mama, Put a Bird on it, The Happy Scraps
Friday: Tatertots and Jello, Summer Scraps, Just us Four, Wait Til Your Father gets Home,
Design Dining and Diapers, Practically Functional, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Whipperberry, Remodelaholic, Classy Clutter

 

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Comments

  1. Melanie says

    November 19, 2017 at 6:18 am

    Thanks for your comment Ivy! So glad you found something helpful from our table makeover. Best of luck with your furniture updates!

  2. Ivy Baker says

    November 7, 2017 at 12:12 am

    This is some really good information about how to refinish a table. I just inherited a bunch of different pieces of furniture from my grandmother, and I would love to update them. So, I liked your tip about staring with a low grit of sandpaper. I really don’t like sanding, and I am hoping to find a place that will sand all of the furniture for me. But it is still good to know that I should start with a low grit paper in case I have to do it myself.

  3. Melanie says

    July 21, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    We didn’t paint the chairs-we found them at a local consignment shop and fell in love with them. But comparing the color in our Master Palette book of paint colors, it looks like ‘Night Tides,’ notation number:10BG 14/296. If you take the notation number to any hardware or paint store, they should be able to make it for you.:)

  4. mick says

    July 10, 2015 at 10:33 pm

    hi could you tell me what the color is you used on the chairs and where i can get it .. thanks

  5. Melanie says

    November 17, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Thanks Samantha! Our stain was Walnut color. Good luck finishing you table-that is so exciting!

  6. Samantha says

    November 8, 2014 at 11:30 am

    I love this table! I am currently sanding one a friend gave me for free and love the look of this. WIth that being said, what color stain did you use?

  7. The bean spRout nOtes says

    October 8, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Sweet! What a great find. Looks awesome!!

  8. Al says

    October 8, 2014 at 2:26 am

    Stunning transformation. I love the colour of the chairs against the white and wood.

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