DIY: Staining Furniture

Thanks for sticking with me through part two of my furniture overhaul! I know in the last post I focused heavily on the curio cabinet, but today I'm going to show how I stained my accompanying tables and then reveal the finished camera holder.

As I mentioned, the curio cabinet was made of pine wood. The end tables were already cherry. Since I wanted the two to match it was easier to use a red/cherry stain on the cabinet versus trying to dull down the redness of the tables.

Miniwax (found at your local Lowes / Home Depot) makes some great stain that enhances the quality of the wood without looking overly waxy/finished. I did my due diligence and scoured the internet for feedback on how to match pine to cherry and landed here. I'm very happy with the result but I'll leave it to you to determine how well it worked.

I started by adding one coat of stain to the tables and leaving it on for five minutes before wiping away the unabsorbed stain. I didn't want the tables to be much darker than they already were so the less time the better. I then took the bottom side of one of the curio cabinet shelves and tested (in five minute increments) how long it would take to get the closest color match. The result - 20 minutes!

Here's a half and half of the table progress. Talk about instant gratification!

This is the color difference between a stripped pine shelf and one being stained (before excess was wiped).

And now... the end result(s)! The staining took a bit longer (~1 week) with application AND dry time. I did this during the summer months (in humid Indiana) and it remained tacky longer than I'd hoped. 

*More on my fabulous lamps at another time.

DIY: Staining Patio Furniture

This was our beautiful new patio set. Shortly after placing it outside, a few birds did a fly over and sprinkled some mulberry droppings on the wooden top. I had to furiously scrub it down with vinegar water to keep the stain from setting into the porous wood.

Patio set before

I'd had enough. It was time to stain and seal the wood for longevity.

Some things to know before staining with a tinted sealant...

1. Put the items to be stained in a temperature controlled environment and allow it to settle for a day or so. Our garage worked great for this as it is temperature controlled. If your garage isn't temperature controlled, look for a non-humid, cool day (fall is a great time of year for this).
2. Paint multiple, thin layers of stain. Allow each layer to dry (shouldn't be tacky) before applying the next. The stain will gradually become darker with each layer.
3. If you want minimal mess, tape off the wooden areas before beginning the staining.
4. Find stain and supplies while your patio set becomes cool and controlled.

Prepped patio chairs and table before staining and sealing.

Up close of the taped off chair arms.

Who even knows where to begin when selecting the necessary products for sealing and staining? We went to the Home Depot and got the scoop from the paint staff there. You can use my advice, or seek theirs. Either way, here's what we gathered:

• First, see the previously stated bullets above.
• When choosing a sealant, consider whether you want it to double as a stain. If so, match it to other wooden items in the same area.
• The tricky part is knowing how much you'll use. This project (a table and 12 chair arms) required less than 1/5 of the quart of stain. Thankfully I didn't listen to my husband and buy the whole gallon! :/
• Choose a brush that is suitable for ALL PAINTS to use with a stain and sealant.
• Stir the stain with the wooden mixing stick before use.

Staining and sealing products.

The top arm is original. The bottom arm has been stained with one coat.

To seal and stain the table, I started on the bottom. I only did one layer here and didn't bother taping since nobody can see the bottom. Afterwards I quickly flipped it over to look for runs from the sealant on the top of the table. I was sure to brush those out before applying three full coats.

Table in progress.

With nearly 4/5 of stain remaining, I decided to also seal and stain this bench that my friend made me years ago for my birthday. Since they are both in our back yard space, they now match and seem more cohesive.

Staining the wooden bench that will also be in the back yard.

Stay tuned for the final product when I do a tutorial this spring on creating and decorating a patio space!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock, do come back!