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Stenciling and Staining Wood Tables

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

A few years ago when we lived in Virginia, my husband and I loved going to garage sales and thrift stores because there was always something interesting to find.

One day we were just driving around and it so happened that there was an old wooden table sitting on the side of the road.

We didn’t hesitate to pick it up because we didn’t really see anything wrong with it.

We brought it home, cleaned it up, and sat it in the corner of our living room with little knick knacks on top.

Fast forward three years and the color is really starting to bug me.

The color scheme for my living room is chocolate with other neutral colors and even though the table is brown, it has red undertones which throws the whole scheme off!

I needed to do a decorative diy wood stain table in order for the table to work. I tried my hand at staining wood tables before.

This one wasn’t that much work either. Just a little stain and stencil work did the job!

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The table was used for random craft projects, so there were tiny bits of paint and scratches in the tabletop.

I used a sheet sander with 100 grit paper to remove the blemishes and then finished sanding with 150 grit paper to add a smooth finish.

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

Using a roller brush for soft surfaces, I applied a stain  that coordinated with my living room to the table.

I allowed the stain to completely dry.

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

Next, I used painters’ tape to cover the entire tabletop.

An applique that I had around the house for a few years was used as a decorative stencil for the design.

I applied the design by tracing the applique with a pencil.

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

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Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

A box cutter and very light pressure was used to cut out the design.

I’d suggest using an X-Acto Knife for this part, but I couldn’t find mine, so I used what was handy.

Then I pulled off the cut out design.

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

A darker stain was applied to the main design. I sanded the patterns where I applied the lighter stains.

I removed the painters’ tape before the stain dried.

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

Last, I applied a wood sealant to the table.

I used the Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations sealant leftover from my bathroom cabinet makeover.

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

Now I have a beautiful newish looking table that matches the rest of my furniture!

Do you have piece of furniture that you’ve been aching to refinish?

Decorative DIY Wood Stain Table - The Kreative Life

Staining Wood Tables - The Kreative Life

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35 Comments

  1. This is such a great idea! I like how you transform an old table to such a lovely table design. Very unique piece!

  2. That’s neat! I never would have thought to stain it different colors. I think you did a great job with it for something that was free and junked on the side of the road.

    1. Thank you! I like finding unique pieces by the road!

  3. This is so impressive. I love your creativity. I wish I pulled of such talent.

  4. This is such a wonderful and creative idea, I am absolutely rubbish with DIY but I love how you used the different stains to create something beautiful 🙂

  5. The table turned out lovely! I only hope I had a bit of that talent in me! I am handy with tools but not like you! Handy and creative rolled into one.

  6. My dad is the craftsman of the family. He loves woodwork. This post is perfect to show him. Very pretty detail and I love how it came out.

  7. This is such a fun and unique idea! How creative!

  8. Kendra!
    I love DIY and repainted furniture!
    Your table is a masterpiece. I love this table twice more because it was done by tender ladies hands!
    Have a nice day!

  9. Hi Kendra!,
    You’ve got god gifted talent, no doubt !
    along with you’ve a creative pair of eye which knows to transform anything ordinary into great one.
    Keep doing such a wonderful thing and lets update us.
    Cheers.

    1. Thank you so much, Sarwar! I’m glad that you like it!

  10. Hey Kreative Life, I want to say it is an impressive idea and thank you. I want to make a wood stain table. But I’m still confused about the roller brush for soft surfaces, Can you inform me what type or model roller brush is suitable for soft surfaces?

  11. This is such a great idea and will definitely try this for my mom’s old table, it’s still in good condition but the top of the table needs some improvement. Anyways, great post and definitely helpful. Cheers!

  12. Awesome job Kendra on the table makeover. Looking at the new look of the table, I’ll say it looks professional enough. If I set up to do this myself, without a guide like this, I’ll likely fail in achieving this kind of result. Do you think past experiences in doing similar tasks has helped you achieved this amazing result?

    1. Hi, Charlice! I’ve never stenciled a table before this one. The only skill that I needed was knowing how to trace, use a sander, and a paint brush. It’s a fairly easy project and that’s just the way I like it. =-)

  13. I’m a huge fan of DIY working. Really it’s a great DIY idea I really like this project. I got some brilliant idea about decorative DIY wood stain table from this content.

    Thanks for the share.

  14. Hi my name is Cal. That is pretty nice table decoration. You are super creative.