PAINTING AND STAINING 101

Some of you have been asking about the painting....well, I normally stain over the painting..like in the photo of the little green dresser...notice it has been lightly sanded and then stained over all.

You can see on this leg how the stain makes the sanded part look worn and old....notice the little casters!

This is the stain I use...I use it on EVERYTHING....including white or cream...except I did NOT use it on the rocking chair.... I wanted it to be pure cream....I will probably end up staining it...I like how that looks. It will make even white appear old and creamy.

I buy my stain at Walmart because it is cheaper than at the paint store....it needs to be the Special Walnut.....it goes on VERY dark, but wipes off so nice and leaves every color....even the dark ones looking GOOD!

For my bathroom cupboards I left the stain on almost as dark as it went on and didn't wipe it off.

This cupboard had been painted white so when you sand down through the layers to get to the wood, some of the white show through....I just stained over everything.

The stain is an oil base, so you need to use rubber gloves and make sure you use a drop cloth.

Notice the cream rocker is not distressed. I use indoor latex paint, usually a egg shell or satin finish. I almost never use an oil base paint unless it is for kitchen cupboards...I don't like the clean up!

1. Clean your project

2. Paint your favorite color, enough coats to make a pretty finish...if you don't use 2-3 coats it will look like you didn't...even if you stain over it, the paint finish needs to look nice. Allow to dry thoroughly between coats.

3. Sand down through all the layers to the wood on the corners and edges.

4. Use a foam brush and stain over the entire piece, wiping off any excess to a dark finish you like. If you want it darker, leave the stain on longer before wiping, or add another coat of stain.

5. Allow stain to dry 24 hours or until not tacky before moving onto carpet.

There you go! Good luck....I think painting is an expensive way to keep myself entertained....I figure if I hate it, I will live with the color until I can't stand it and paint it again.......just ask my family!