small projects

Ok, I had a good Mothers Day but I have a sick husband and a sick child so I am in desperate need of a break. So I declare today to be time out Tuesday! So I went to the craft room and worked on a small project I have put off for a while. I got this wooden bowl almost a year ago on the way to a ball game. I had arrived early and stopped at a small junk store. And I got several treasures. I started off by cleaning the bowl with plain water. Then I stained the bowl with a cherry stain and sealer. I chose a stain with a sealer because the bowl had no sealer on it at all and I didn't want the paint to penetrate the wood. I let it dry completely and then added two coats of yellow okra craft paint. This may seem like a bright color but it will be tamed down later. I painted the entire bowl since there was a oil stain on the inside of the bowl that would not come out. Also make sure you allow the paint to dry between coats so that there is no streaking. Once the paint is dry I used a sanding sponge to age the bowl. The sanding sponge makes it easier to sand with the curve of the bowl. There is no wrong way to do this so go to town with the sanding if you want. After you sand it make sure to wipe it clean with a dry cloth and you are ready to apply your final coat of stain. Use a generous amount of stain to keep it smooth. You may leave the stain on like it is or wipe it off, it is your choice they both look good. This was a great project to do today since I could leave it and come back to it as needed. I hope this helps you with your refinishing projects and remember time outs are not always a bad thing!