Friday Guest: Kathleen from Between Blue & Yellow

Happy Friday!  We are already just about 2 weeks into the new year.  How on earth did that happen so fast?  Are you all ready for the weekend?  I am!  We are having a neighbor over tomorrow for some heart cookie decorating, and Emmy and I have a party to attend on Sunday for her classmate, and Monday.... well Monday I don't know!  The kids are off from school, and Emmy's actual birthday is Tuesday, so maybe we will do something special together.  This weekend I won't be attacking any projects, but just enjoying family time, and starting preparations for Emmy's birthday party.

Today, I have a fabulous guest for you!  Kathleen from Between Blue and Yellow is a long time blog friend of mine!  And hopefully this June she will become a real life blog friend because there is about  a 95% chance I will be attending the Haven Conference and staying with her! :)  I am so excited about meeting her in person!  She is a beautiful young woman, mother of 2 little girls (well one is a baby still!), and has so much talent and a sweet vintage style.  Check out a glimpse into her baby's nursery!

And here is a peak at the girls' bathroom vanity she refinished.


See what I mean?  Soft and sweet vintage style!  And she is super talented with furniture makeovers, which is how we became acquainted.  She is here to give you some tips on refinishing those dresser tops!


Hi everyone!
I'm Kathleen from Between Blue and Yellow. Thanks to Cassie today for inviting me to do my first guest post ever. Cassie has been such an inspiration to me. And I'm so honored to be here on her blog.

My blog is mostly about furniture re-dos but I also dabble a bit in DIY projects around the house.
Today I'm here to talk to you about staining the top of a dresser. Most of my pieces have a stained top and I think now I've got it down to a science.

Step 1:  Some may not choose to do this, but I find it makes the sanding part a little easier.  I choose to strip off the old varnish first.  I use Citristrip I get from Lowes.  It’s a better alternative to those stinky strippers of yester year.  And it works great.  Follow the directions on the bottle and get a good tool for scraping off the stuff.  It gets pretty messy so wear some gloves.  I wipe the gunk on an old paper bag.  Use what ever works for you.
After you scrape/wipe the stripper all off and it’s dry move on to the next step.

Step 2: (You must have a sander for this part)  Sand the top down to the bare wood with some 60 or 80 grit paper.  I recently got an orbital sander and it works great.  It will take a bit of elbow grease, but it will be worth it in the end.  I also highly suggest you get a nice breathing mask, it’s probably not a good idea to be breathing in that dust. After this sanding part, go over it again with a 120 grit to get the top smooth.

Step 3: Make sure you clean the top of all dust.  I just use a wet rag and wipe it down several times.  Allow it to dry completely.  Then to get a more even distribution of the stain, I recommend using a wood conditioner.  I use Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner.  Follow directions on can.

Step 4: Get the stain you want to use, I use Minwax.  They offer a large variety. Use a good quality brush and begin to paint it on with the wood grain.  Allow it to sit for as long as you want.  The longer you let it sit, the darker it will be.  However, try not to let it dry completely.  You will want to wipe off after 10 min or so.  If it’s not dark enough for you, do this process again.

Step 5:  Once you achieve your desired color, allow it to dry.  You can also brush some polyurthane on top as a protective coat and to make it shiny. Clean your brush right away, because the stain is a b*%$@ to get off when it dries.

Come on over and visit me if you have any questions!