Breath New Life into Your Furniture with this Gel Stain Furniture DIY!
I have a new love, and it is gel stain. I used it on my spare bathroom cabinets and LOVED how they look! If you have not seen them CLICK HERE! Gel stain is so simple to use and you can do just about any project within a weekend! So when my husband and I decided to look for new couches for our family room, I decided I wanted to keep my end tables as I love them! But they looked “tired” and old. They needed some help as they are about 20 years old. So I decided to go to my newest love, Gel Stain Furniture DIY!!!
Supplies
- Can of Gel Stain *for this project I chose Min Wax in a Cherry Wood color
- 120 Grain Sand Paper
- Bag of LINT FREE Rags. *I used these for the “ornamental” or “knobby” areas of the furniture
- 1 or 2 Foam Paint Brushes
- 1 Plastic Painters Tarp
- Plastic Gloves
Getting Started!
Sanding
As with the cabinets, I had to clean and lightly sand the tables. This took about 45 minutes. The hardest part was trying to sand the table legs. They are slightly ornate and I had a sanding block, paper probably would have worked better and faster! But I didn’t think getting it done in under an hour was bad!
Cleaning
After sanding, clean all the surfaces with a damp cloth to remove any of the dust. You want all your surfaces clean of dust and grime prior to staining!
Staining
Time to start staining! Remember to always brush with the grain of the wood. Also be sure to get all the nooks and crannies! For the table legs, I used a lint free cloth. It was perfect to use when getting in the smallest/tightest areas!
Two Coats?
For my cabinets I only did one coat of stain. Because we use these tables everyday and they were in sad shape, I did two coats of stain. I waited 24 hours before starting the second coat. Then another 24 hours before bringing the tables inside!
Conclusion
Additionally, this Gel Stain Furniture DIY saved me several hundred dollars as I love how they turned out and no longer need new side tables for my family room! Now if I could only find couches I loved as much as the tables!
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!
Products I used and LOVED!
For this project I used Minwax Cherry Wood Gel Stain. And I was extremely happy with the results! There is a variety of colors to choose from too! CLICK HERE to purchase from Amazon!
Plastic gloves keep your hands clean and stain free while working! CLICK HERE to purchase from Amazon!
*This post may contain affiliate links! That means, I may get a commission at no additional cost to you! I do not recommend any products/services that I don’t use and love myself!
Kathy Kenny Ngo
I wanted to do something like this but I learned that I am not cut out for it haha. It takes a set of skills which I don’t have.
Kelly
I didn’t think I was either. I have proven myself wrong!!!!
Knashz
Wow! This is so cool! I’d really love to try this out on my own.
Kelly
You should! Easier than you think!
An Indian Traveler
This product seems quite handy and useful. Will give it a try.
Kelly
Like I said, my new favorite DIY product!
Emily Fata
What a great thing to make over the holiday season!
Kelly
Defintely getting new life from my tired tables! But I love them as much as when I purchased them so many years again!
Kristy Bullard
I need to try this on some of our furniture. We have some good, solid pieces – they just need some TLC after years of use.
Kelly
Yup! Same here! Most of our furniture is Ethan Allen, defintely good quality!
Heidi
You did a great job! It looks really nice!
Kelly
Thank you!!!
rachel
I had no idea that this type of stain was even an OPTION! Can’t wait to try this on a few DIYs.
Kelly
I know! It is amazing!
World in Eyes
Just can’t believe it looks so fascinating and stunning one…just loved the look..indeed glad you shared your experience with us..great work though..
Kelly
Thank you!!!