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! 
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. 
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! 
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. 🙂
Next clean the surfaces and start sanding. Use a low grit sandpaper like 60 or 80 to speed the sanding process along.
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.
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.
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.
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 
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!
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Thanks for your comment Ivy! So glad you found something helpful from our table makeover. Best of luck with your furniture updates!
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.
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.:)
hi could you tell me what the color is you used on the chairs and where i can get it .. thanks
Thanks Samantha! Our stain was Walnut color. Good luck finishing you table-that is so exciting!
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?
Sweet! What a great find. Looks awesome!!
Stunning transformation. I love the colour of the chairs against the white and wood.