Turn Trash to Treasure with Love, and a Little Refinishing Touch

You know, to turn something that is old and ugly into something beautiful is such a wonderful process. Watching someone's junk become your treasure is part hard work and part dreaming. As you work and start to see the results, you feel like an artist drawing on a canvass. This creation is yours and you will display it with love and affection. You may even be thinking about handing this delight down to your children who will look upon it with love too. Or you may be starting your own apartment or house on a budget. Rather than buying new and busting your budget, you can purchase old junky items and make them new again. Whatever the reason you are refinishing furniture, you are going to enjoy the process of doing it.

I love to look for hidden treasures at places like thrift shops and yard sales. Quite often, you can find a fantastic item that may not look like much, but that can be given new life with a little refinishing!

In fact, not too long ago I found a beautiful wooden rocking chair at one of my many yard sale jaunts. Problem was, this chair looked appalling. No one wanted to buy it because it looked dirty and old. I plunked down $10 for this sad looking chair and took it home with me for a little tender loving care.

The first thing I did with the rocking chair was sand the existing finish off it. It wasn't too difficult, because there wasn't much of it left anyway. Sanding is a crucial step because no wood piece is going to properly take a new paint or stain without it. I’d say that it was a bit labor intensive, but definitely worth it. I used a 120 grain sandpaper at first, then finished the piece with a 220 grain.

After sanding, I rinsed the entire chair off with a light spraying from the garden hose and sat it in the sun to dry completely. After it dried, I applied a coat of grain filler to fill in the grain and provide a smooth surface for the stain. This product is like a paste and after being worked in with a stiff brush, should be smoothed to a uniform finish.

Next, the rocking chair is ready to prime for stain using a sanding sealer. I mix my own using a bit of stain plus paint thinner. After two coats of sanding sealer, it was time to sand once more using a 220 grain sandpaper.

The stain came next, and it’s the part I love the most! I used a rich oil based oak colored stain on this rocking chair, and I got to say, it came out beautifully! By finishing with an oil based polyurethane coating, the chair was given extra durability and a gleaming shine. After the chair was completely dry, the only thing left to do was add a colorful seat cushion.

My antique rocking chair now receives a lot of attention whenever I have guests visiting my house – they all want to sit in it! If only they could see what it looked like when I brought it home, they'd be amazed! I know I am!

Copyright 2006 Ned Stevenson - All Rights Reserved

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