How to Repaint Your Old Night Stand In this Do It Yourself project I will show you how to repaint your old night stand using a virtually chemical free process that you can accomplish in any room In your home with very little mess. The process is also very easy to follow and can be accomplished by anyone whether you have experience in painting or not.

To complete this project you will need the following list of materials:

Latex Gloves

Dust Mask

Masking Tape

Masking Plastic

Shop Rags

Plastic Container

Household Vinegar

150 Grit Sanding Block

Scrubbing Pad

Paint Can Opener

Stir Stick

Screw Driver

Paint Brush

Interior Primer and Sealer

Interior Latex Paint

Oil Based Wood Stain

All of these items can be purchased at your local hardware store. I was able to purchase everything listed for about $60 which is well under the cost of a new nightstand.To begin you will make your cleaning solution by mixing 1 part houshold vinegar, to 3 parts water. I like this solution as that it does a good job of cleaning off old grime from the wood surface, but is chemical free so it is safe for use in your living space.

Next you will need to remove the old hardware from the nightsand using the screwdriver. You might want to set the old hardware aside if you would like to reuse it, or you can purchase new hardware if you would like to update it.

Now you will use the scrubbing pad and the cleaning solution to thoroughly clean all of the furniture surfaces you intend to repaint. This is important as you need a clean and slightly roughened surface for the primer to adhere to.

Before you paint be sure to protect your houshold surfaces with your masking plastic or paper. Also remember to always use gloves!

Apply masking tape to the edges of the painted surfaces to prevent overbrushing.

The primer you want to buy is called “Gripper” primer, and is made by Glidden. It is important that you use only this primer as it is specially made to adhere to varnished surfaces.

Put some of the primer in your plasic container and with smooth brush strokes begin to apply a light coat of

primer to the varnished surfaces. Be sure to keep the coat even and thin so that it will dry and adhere properly to the varnish.

If you can still see color after the first coat you will want to apply a second coat. Allow 2 hours of dry time between coats and at least 12 hours dry time for the final coat.

Once the primer coat is thoroughly dry we will sand all the surfaces lightly and evenly with your sanding block. It doesn’t take a lot of pressure to sand primer but make

sure to sand every surface until it is smooth to the touch. This will prepare a smooth surface for our paint coat.

Again protect the area around your project with masking plasic before beginning to paint!

You are now

ready to apply your paint coat. If you would like to achieve the same finished look that I did the paint color I used was “Sky Grey” by “Glidden. Put some paint in your plastic container and begin to apply in smooth even strokes. You can go a little thicker on the paint coat but it should cover easily in one coat.

Be sure to watch the edges for drips as you paint. You don’t want them to dry before you can smooth them!

Once the paint coat has been allowed about 12 hours to dry you are ready to apply your stain. Again if you would like to get the look I got use “Ebony” stain by “Minwax”. The staining process tends to be a bit messy so be sure to use your gloves! You will also want to wear your mask during this process and likely will need to open a window

as the fumes can get a bit intense. Apply the stain using a clean white shop rag.

Once the stain is applied let it sit for about 5 minutes to give it time to adhere to the paint. It may be best to work on one face at a time so the stain does not dry too much before you can start to remove it. Again make sure to watch for drips on the face you are not working on.

Once the stain has sat for 5 minutes start with a new shop cloth and begin to remove the bulk of the stain. This is the part where you can get creative and achieve whatever effect you wish. I let the stain stay dark in the cracks and used a paint brush to feather it in the main areas. This creates a nice “antique” effect.

Once the stain is fully applied and worked for the desired effect, allow the stain coat to dry for at least 12 hours. And that is it! Reinstall the hardware and the project is finished.

I hope you enjoy this Do It Yourself project as much as I did. Have fun!