Fluff the Nest Friday: Staining the Picnic Table

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I’ve got a lot of cleaning to do on the inside of my house, but first I’m going to take you outside to share a little project I finished last week as part of my patio fluff. I stained the picnic table that my family gave me for Mother’s Day!

I used Valspar One-Coat Exterior Stain and Sealer in the color November Grey. It’s an opaque stain.

It is so true what they say about preparation being 90% of the job! I’ve learned from my many mistakes that it’s better to go ahead and put the time into prepping a project to make it go more smoothly and end up with pleasing results. So the first thing I did was sand every square inch of the wood surface, smoothing out knotty places and rough edges. I did not want us or our guests snagging our clothes or catching a splinter in the skin. I also knew the stain application would be easier if the wood grain were smooth.

Next, I pulled the table out into the sun so I could hose off all the sanding dust and let it dry in the sun. With the scorching temps that day, it was dry in no time!

Then I turned it upside down and stained all of the underside. This took a little while, but my daughter was painting the bunny cage while I was working on the table so we had each other to talk to the whole time.

And finally, I flipped it back over and stained the top. By the time I got to this part, the staining of the top went quickly.

I’m loving it! The color, the finish, the whole look.

While I was at it, I decided to give my old rusty lantern a face lift. I scrubbed it smooth with steal wool and then wiped it with a damp cloth. I slid index cards between the metal X’s and the glass to avoid spraying paint on the glass. Then I gave it a couple of coats with black spray paint.

I love when I can give new life to an old piece! I bought this lantern 12 years ago, and now it’s good for another 12.

The zinnias are compliments of my Country Girl who planted the seed and has been taking good care of them this summer. Boy, zinnias sure brighten the day, don’t they!

Look at the bumble bee on the dark pink one!

Well, time for me to be the busy bee and buzz around this house with a vacuum and dust cloth! Have a great weekend!