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DIY Gel Stain Cabinets

Published by Kelly // Join The Conversation: 24 Comments

DIY Gel Stain Cabinets pinterest pin

DIY Gel Stain Cabinets

My husband and I have been in our home for 15 years.  And I have hated the honey oak finish since the day we moved in!  But alas, it has taken us becoming empty nesters to finally start redecorating and updating the house.  So this past year has been busy!  We replaced the carpet and kitchen floor.  I hired someone to paint and glaze the kitchen cabinets, that was a bigger job than I wanted to do!  And I did some quick floor replacements in the spare bathroom and master!  But I am excited to show you how I did with DIY Gel Stain Cabinets!  This was by far the easiest home improvement DIY I have done!

Items to Have on Hand

  • Plastic gloves (I used them so I didn’t get gel stain on my hands)
  • 120 Grit sandpaper block
  • Cleaning Cloth
  • Gel Stain, in the color of your choice
  • Plastic tarp
  • Foam Paint Brush, mine had a width of 3″.
  • Painter’s Tape (tape off any areas that you do not want gel on.  Such as along walls and floors)

Getting Your Cabinets Ready

I wiped down my cabinets with a non-toxic cleaner.  Just to get any dirt or dust off them.  Then I took off the cabinet knobs and removed the doors from the cabinets.  I then laid out my plastic tarp on the floor and taped off the walls and toilet dispenser.

Sanding

Then I used a 120 Grit sandpaper block and lightly sanded the cabinet doors and entire cabinet.  I also lightly sanded the trim.  Once I was done with the sanding I lightly wiped down the cabinets and doors with a wet cloth again.  After they dried, which was only a couple minutes, I was ready to start staining!  The sanding process only took about 30 minutes.  My cabinet is small, but it didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would!

gel stain
The gel stain is quite thick, so there was no worry of it dripping like with paint.

Using Stain Gel

I used Varanthane Gel Stain in Hickory.  I wanted a darker stain to match the new floor I installed several months ago.  You can see how I did my DIY Bathroom Makeover HERE!

Luckily, when I tested the color on the inside of the door, I knew I would only need one coat!  So I took my foam brush and started!  I went around the edges and got the stain in all the nooks and crannies first!  Then I started on the flat areas.  I made sure my paint strokes went with the grain of the wood.  If you need more than one coat, it is suggested you wait 2 hours in between each coat of stain.

gel stain with foam brush

DIY Gel Stain Cabinets before picture
Before Picture!
DIY Gel Stain Cabinets after picture
After Picture!

Conclusion

I spent less than $200 to give my spare bathroom a whole new look!  Flooring included!  If you notice I also changed out the knobs on the cabinet doors, so they would “pop” off the wood! This project took me less than 2 hours to complete and then 24 hours to dry.  So if you are looking for a cabinet “update” this DIY Gel Stain Cabinets home improvement is for you!Next Sign

Products I used!

DIY Gel Stain Cabinets

I loved the brand of gel stain I used, they have a huge variety of colors to choose from too!  Purchase from Amazon today!

 

Clear Plastic Gloves

I used a little heavier duty plastic glove.  And they worked great, no tears and they were easy to work with on.  Purchase from Amazon today!

 

More importantly, thank you for spending your time here at Colorado Kelly!  I love having you here and appreciate everyone that comes to visit and look forward to having you come back soon!

   

about kelly

About Kelly

Kelly is passionate about helping people feel beautiful from the inside out! She also loves helping people create thriving at home businesses! If you are interested in learning more about Kelly's journey Read more here...

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Comments

  2. Vanessa A King

    We just bought a home that was built in the 50’s and we have lots of projects to tackle around here. I haven’t heard of Gel Stain! I will definitely look into it once we get around to remodeling our kitchen 🙂

    Reply

  3. Rosey

    I did the same in my kitchen years ago. It took a long time because there were so many, but it turned out really nice. When we moved, the buyer upgraded a few things before reselling, but he left those cabinets as is… It was minimally priced, fairly easy to do, and totally worth it since the change, like your bathroom, as instant and perfect!

    Reply

  4. Cristina

    Home crafts and DIYs are so intimidating to me!
    It looks stunning, great textures and goes really well with the marble top!

    Reply

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