My wood staining project

Recently I purchased a little end table from Goodwill for $10. Instead of painting it white like I planned, I decided staining it would be better. I haven't stained wood in years, but I remembered watching my mother do it so I thought I could manage it myself. I think I even surprised myself how well the table came out. In the spring I will finish the process putting a clear coat on it.

Before

After sanding...

I used paint stripper to get off the varnish

off the legs and edges.

I think next time I will try the gel version.

The stuff that sprays burns!

After applying the stain. I didn't get any on me until the very end where the stain splashed up on me when I was closing the can. My mother educated me next time to put a bag over the can when I close it to avoid that from happening. Lesson learned:Stain does not come off your skin easily. I at least remembered to wear gloves.

After the stain dried. :) Nice eh?

Before and After