Daily hacks: Tips on how to refinish wood and whitewash it

This festive season, get into DIY projects and create beautiful and personalised tables, chairs and other things which can be useful around the house.

If you have noticed that your wooden tables are looking old and scratchy over time, then you should consider sanding them down and whitewashing them to give them a newer look.

Here are some tips and steps which can be helpful with taking on this DIY project and transforming your old wooden tables into new masterpieces.

Refinishing wood

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Step 1

Move your table to a ventilated area, preferably the garage with an open door or the outside. Sand your wooden table to the direction of the wood grain. Repeat this step three times.

Step 2

Wipe the surface of the table with a black cloth

Step 3

Brush the stain of your choice onto the table in the direction of the wood of the grain. Allow the stain to soak into the table for a few minutes before wiping it off with a clean towel.

Step 4

Reapply the stain of your choice until you have reached your desired depth of colour.

Step 5

For an extra-smooth finish, sand your table one last time using a hand sander.

Step 6

Apply some polyurethane to your wooden table according to the directions written on the package. For a long-lasting finish, you should apply up to four coats.

If you would like to transform your wooden table and whitewash it to have a completely different look and feel, then you should consider whitewashing it with these simple hacks, tips and steps.

Whitewashing wood

Step 1

Whitewashing works best on raw wood, so it is recommended that you remove all of the existing finish from the wood by thoroughly sanding the table. Before moving onto the next step of the process, it is important to ensure that you have removed all of the dust from the table, from the sanding process.

Step 2

You need to now create your white wash by combining white paint with either water or paint thinner. If you are making use of a water-based paint, then you should dilute your paint with water. If you are using an oil-based paint, then you should dilute your paint with paint thinner or turpentine.

Step 3

If you are happy with the colour and outcome of your paint mixture, then you can make use of a paint brush or roller to paint onto your wooden table in the direction of the wood grain. If you want the wood grain to pop out, then use a cloth to wipe away any excess whitewash paint before it has the chance to dry completely.

Step 4

If you want a deeper colour of whitewash paint on your wooden table then you can apply more coats. Remember to allow each coat to dry first, and then sand the wooden table, before applying each extra coat.

Step 5

Bring your DIY project to completion by adding an even layer of polyurethane onto your wooden table to make it look sharper for longer.