Yesterday I finished up my dumpster coffee table makeover. If you’ll remember, just a few days ago, I found this coffee table leaning against the dumpster at my condo.
Initially, I planned to paint the entire thing, including the cheap particle board top with the plastic paper-thin veneer with wood print. But then I decided that those pretty little turned legs were worthy of a real wood top, so I removed the cheap top and painted the base.
Then I used my new Kreg Jig to make a new table top out of 1″ x 6″ pine lumber. I’ll do a whole post on the Kreg Jig soon, because it’s AMAZING. If you like to build things with wood, then you definitely need one of these. I could kick myself for waiting so long to buy one!!
With the table top put together, I attached it to the base with L-brackets. You can see the pocket holes that I drilled with the Kreg Jig that hold the table top together (orange arrows). There are more than six, but the others aren’t really visible.
Then I moved on to staining the top. Now in my experience, pine doesn’t stain very well. It starts out so orangish-yellow, and stain just highlights all of the yellow parts and turns the grain almost black. Not a good look. In fact, let’s revisit this horror from from last year that I made for John & Alice’s breakfast room.
So this time, I decided to try staining/antiquing the top with the tea, steel wool, and vinegar method. After researching the topic, I finally decided to follow the directions found at Craftaholics Anonymous. However, I confess that I was very impatient, so rather than letting my steel wool/vinegar solution sit for 24 hours, mine sat for about 10 hours.
This first board shows what the wood looked like immediately after applying one coat of the vinegar to the wood. You can see a slightly gray color.
And here’s what the entire table top looked like after waiting about an hour. You can see the dark splotchy areas on the last board. Those were areas that just hadn’t completely dried yet. And on the first board, you can see what the wood looks like with a coat of wax on it.
And here are the three in comparison: raw pine wood, pine treated with the tea/steel wool/vinegar treatment, and pine wood treated and then waxed.
Let me also point out that I used my electric sander to give the edges of the top a slightly rounded look. I think this looks so much better than the squared edges.
So after I got the entire surface waxed, I decided that the wood wasn’t quite dark enough to give enough contrast with the light aqua base. So I decided to give it a coat of stain. Yes, I stained right over the wax. I figured since both were oil-based products, it would be just fine. And it did work just fine.
Here you can see the difference between the table top and a piece of pine that has one coat of Minwax Special Walnut stain on it. See how the grain is so dark on the separate piece of wood? And that makes all of the yellow areas look really vibrant. Definitely not a good look.
I still need to give the table top another coat of wax, but here’s how the table looks now after staining the top and antiquing the base.
Sorry that I don’t have pictures that are all styled and pretty, but the top was still wet, and I was losing daylight quickly, so I wanted to go ahead and get some pictures to show you. 
I really love how the top turned out. Definitely a different experience than I’ve ever had in the past when I tried to stain pine.
And the dark wood in combination with the antiqued aqua base just makes me smile.
To antique the base, I simply let the paint dry and then sanded it (manually, not with an electric sander). Then I rubbed Minwax Special Walnut stain on it, let it sit for about a minute or two, and then wiped off the excess. I do this in sections, because if the stain sits on there too long, it’ll start drying and won’t leave a subtle antiqued finish. I really like antiquing furniture like this because the stain acts as a sealer and leaves a very nice satin finish, almost like furniture wax.
So that’s my experience with using the tea/steel wool/vinegar method. I’d definitely like to try it out again after letting the mixture set for 24 hours or more. Then I’d like to compare it to other methods, such as using wood conditioner on pine before stain (which I’ve never tried). I’d also like to try the steel wool/vinegar method, and then follow up with stain BEFORE waxing the wood. That’s actually how it should have been done, but I was too anxious to get wax on the top.
And as you can see, my steel wool/vinegar treatment didn’t really result in “antiqued” wood. I’m not really sure why. Perhaps there are many factors, such as weather conditions. (It was pouring down rain while I was working on this coffee table outside.) So there’s definitely lots of testing and comparing that I want to do to find the absolute best way to stain cheap pine lumber and get the best results.
Have you ever tried this antiquing/staining method? Did yours result in an actual antiqued wood look? Have you had success staining pine wood with other methods? I’d love to hear about it! And if you have a post showing your project and describing your method, please feel free to leave a link in the comments. I’d love to learn from your methods!
Hey there! Thanks so much for visiting! :-)
I'm an interior decorator-turned-blogger, and a DIY fanatic. My blog is where I share 
The top does look much nicer in the darker stain. Good on ya! I used to stain all of my painted wood furniture the way you described and never poly-ed or waxed over it. It does seal it nicely. Now, I like more of a “clean” distressed look. The table came out beautifully!
Jean’s Latest Post..Espresso Apocalypse, Show Prepping, and A Distressed Vanity: All in a Day’s Work
Thanks, Jean! Do you have an example of a “clean” distressed look? I’d love to see what you mean.
I’ve been out of town doing a vintage market, but as soon as I get settled back in, I will send you some pictures of what I mean.
Jean’s Latest Post..Espresso Apocalypse, Show Prepping, and A Distressed Vanity: All in a Day’s Work
I am lusting after that table, it turned out gorgeous! I have to stop reading your posts…..I will never finish any projects with new inspiration that I get from your posts! Shame on you! lol….I haven’t ever heard of the vinegar and steel wool treatment, definitely something I want to try. Geez, I must live in a cave, so many new finishes I haven’t ever heard of before!
hmm I do have a question now. In the cabin the upper section of the cabin was an add on and they used plywood for paneling, quaint for a mountainy type of look but I don’t like it AT ALL. It looks gross to me like it isn’t finished. Do you think this type of finish would work on plywood? A big job but if you get that kind of look (as in your coffee table) I am thinking it might make that nasty plywood look better too…..What do you think?
I’d certainly be tempted to try it, Wendy! Is there an inconspicuous place where you could test it out?
Yep I could try it on a wall in the loft. This might be just the thing to make the walls on the upper part of the cabin look great. It wouldn’t be so bad if the walls matched the lower half especially in the loft area but as it is now it sticks out like a sore thumb. I will let you know how it turns out….this may be another Monday project to finish in the future!
That’s a hit for sure! I love it. And I like how you used the jig for connecting the boards for the table top. What size screws did you use? I’d be afraid they’d go through.
Carolyn’s Latest Post..130 degree Coke
You actually have to use the Kreg screws.
I think the ones I used were 1 1/4″ long…maybe 1 1/2″. It worked perfectly! But yeah…the Kreg screwdriver bit that comes with the kit isn’t a standard Phillips or flat head screwdriver bit, although it does look like a Phillips screwdriver would fit into the screw head.
My hubby has a Kreg jig and LOVES it. It was especially useful when he made the fort for our kids, so no screws or nails are exposed, just a smooth wood floor for them. We were thinking of doing a kreg jig post, but I may just mention yours and link up. Let me know when it goes live
. This is my first fort post, but we will be a doing a whole series next week:
http://westernwarmth.blogspot.com/2012/07/building-fortand-love.html
Western Warmth’s Latest Post..2 Years Ago
That turned out lovely. Maybe I need to add a Kreg jig to my shopping list
Mel’s Latest Post..As seen on … Apartment Therapy
wow! so cool… I didn’t know about this type of treatment. I totally agree with how lousy the stained pine looks, it reminds me of those cheap waterbeds with huge bookcase headboards from the 70′s… oops, I guess I’m dating myself.
thanks for the great tute! Little Bit
Little Bit’s Latest Post..Our House: Free-Hanging Antique Window… Still More Interior Windows!
I am blown away by your patience and diligence with this project and many of your others. You are so focused and the results are inspiring. Thanks for the detailed explanations, even when you make a faux pas, it helps me understand the process. Beautiful table looks like something at expensive furniture store for $500!
Nicely timed! I just saw this technique earlier in the week but it was simply one of those “handy tips” that have no comments or demonstrations showing how said tip works – now I know that it works beautifully – that first photo of the entirely stained table is *exactly* the sort of color I want for my new bedroom when I move next month – yay!
Awesome table! I just stained a table top using the same method and will definitely be using it again. You can see it here. http://thestyledsoul.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/table-update-and-a-little-reminder/
Love the color of your table top!!! The whole thing looks great.
Awesome table! I just stained a table top using the same method and will definitely be using it again. You can see it here.
http://thestyledsoul.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/table-update-and-a-little-reminder/
Hi Kristi!
The table turned out beautifully!
I have never heard of putting the stain over the paint…but, it makes sense. Looks great too.
Regarding the wood conditioner. I stained a whole house before I learned about it…the difference is amazing. Get some and try it. It really makes pine look very even in coloration.
Take care!
Diane | An Extraordinary Day’s Latest Post..Are you Pinteresting?
I used wood conditioner on my butcherblock countertops in my kitchen. I was very pleased with the difference it made! I’ve never tried it on pine, though. I’ll have to do that!
Loving the finished product, especially the dark rich wood top. Will have to try that! Also looking forward to the post on the Kreg Jig. I had to do a web search just to see what it does and it already went on my Amazon wish list!
Mark E Tisdale’s Latest Post..Serendipity in Photography – Being There Versus Going There
If you go onto YouTube and watch the videos about the Kreg Jig that are actually by the company, I think you’d probably want to go TOMORROW and get yourself one!!
I love mine, and I’ve only used it once. I can’t wait to start building actual furniture with it. I can now imagine that building a coffee table from scratch like the one above would be a pretty simple task now that I have my Kreg Jig. Buy it! You won’t regret it!
Not sure I can justify it right now (sigh!), but it’s high on my want list! I did check youtube and am doubly sold on it – there are lots of projects I can imagine trying with that that I think would be out of my league without it. My birthday and Christmas are the same month, so it’s going to be a long wait if I have to wait for it as a gift! LOL
Mark E Tisdale’s Latest Post..Serendipity in Photography – Being There Versus Going There
The table looks beautiful. I never would have thought of taking off the crappy top and replacing it, brilliant!
Jayne’s Latest Post..Estate sale find
Hi! I just found your site by Pinterest and I love it! We have used the steel wool/vinegar/tea method on pallet projects and it turned the wood really dark which was gorgeous, but since we wanted a lighter weathered gray look you can just sand off some of the color and it’s gorgeous underneath! Love your table like it is!
I had no idea I could revamp my coffee table with just a few things that I already have around the house! I’ve been meaning to give that table a facelift for a while now! Between keeping up with my job at Dish and the rest of the household, I never have time to shop for staining supplies. This project idea is the perfect solution! How do you find out about this stuff? The only place I know to turn to for DIY help is DIY Network, and now your blog! My DVR is filled with DIY shows; it’s addicting! Luckily, I have the Hopper DVR that has plenty of recording space to accommodate my little DIY obsession. They never show ideas as simple as this one though, so thanks for sharing! I look forward to seeing how it turns out for me!
Hey! I’m about to build a farmhouse dining room table for my dining room and REALLY didn’t want to have to buy expensive wood for the top, but I knew pine wouldn’t stain well so I didn’t want to use it. NOW I can rethink buying that pine top! I also have a kreg jig and can’t wait to put it to good use! I do have a question though…..is there a reason you didn’t use the kreg jig on the apron of the table to connect it to the table top instead of using the L-brackets? I just wondered because I had planned on putting mine together that way and now wonder if there’s a reason it won’t work.
Thanks for being the staining guinea pig!
Hugs!
MIssy
Missy’s Latest Post..Antique Button Monograms
Hey Missy! If I were making the coffee table from scratch, I certainly would have used the Kreg Jig to put the whole thing together. But since I found this at the dumpster at my condo
it was already put together with the L brackets, so I just left them attached to the apron and reused them. Your Kreg Jig would certainly work, and probably make everything sturdier in the end. Can’t wait to see your table!
Well that makes perfect sense! lol I went back and looked at your first picture…..if I had been paying closer attention I would have noticed those L-brackets in the first picture!
I’ll send you a link when I get my table done. I’ll also send you a link to the window seat I just built in my dining room when I get the post done….it turned out doggone cute! :0)
Thanks for letting me know I can attach my table top with the jig…I thought I was missing something! lol
Missy
Missy’s Latest Post..Antique Button Monograms
your table is so pretty! i love what the whole vinegar thing did, very cool!
Heather H.’s Latest Post..My First Craigslist Find
This table really looked really great after the makeover. Im going to stain a piece of Cherry wood ( making a “wand” for my 8 year old brother ;o) and I want it to get that lovely dark reddish colour Cherry wood can get. Is this the right way to get it, or would you recomend another method?
Hi there,
Just stumbled on this post and wondered if I could offer a suggestion. I agree that pine (and other paint-grade woods like poplar) can be tricky to colour without covering the grain pattern, but it’s possible. A simpler solution to the one you posted here would be to apply one or two thin coats of half pound cut shellac. You just want light coats because all this is intended to do is seal the pores of the wood so it will take whatever stwin you are using evenly. I just use a regular amber shellac that I make myself, but you could also use Zinnser or similar. The amber colour won’t have much effect on the stain unless it’s really light. In which case you could use dewaxed (white) shellac.
The mixture of vinegar and steel wool creates a chemical stain that is used by woodworkers to ebonize wood. This blackens the wood without obscuring the grain. Typically, woods with higher tannin content will react more dramatically with this treatment.
Another way to colour wood without obscuring grain is to use aniline dyes dissolved in distilled water – places like leevalley.com sell these. You just needto pre-raise the grain as with any water-based finish on wood.
Hope this might be useful.
Hi there,
Just stumbled on this post and wondered if I could offer a suggestion. I agree that pine (and other paint-grade woods like poplar) can be tricky to colour without covering the grain pattern, but it’s possible. A simpler solution to the one you posted here would be to apply one or two thin coats of half pound cut shellac. You just want light coats because all this is intended to do is seal the pores of the wood so it will take whatever stwin you are using evenly. I just use a regular amber shellac that I make myself, but you could also use Zinnser or similar. The amber colour won’t have much effect on the stain unless it’s really light. In which case you could use dewaxed (white) shellac.
The mixture of vinegar and steel wool creates a chemical stain that is used by woodworkers to ebonize wood. This blackens the wood without obscuring the grain. Typically, woods with higher tannin content will react more dramatically with this treatment.
Another way to colour wood without obscuring grain is to use aniline dyes dissolved in distilled water – places like leevalley.com sell these. You just needto pre-raise the grain as with any water-based finish on wood.
Hope this might be useful.
Hi there,
Just stumbled on this post and wondered if I could offer a suggestion. I agree that pine (and other paint-grade woods like poplar) can be tricky to colour without covering the grain pattern, but it’s possible. A simpler solution to the one you posted here would be to apply one or two thin coats of half pound cut shellac. You just want light coats because all this is intended to do is seal the pores of the wood so it will take whatever stwin you are using evenly. I just use a regular amber shellac that I make myself, but you could also use Zinnser or similar. The amber colour won’t have much effect on the stain unless it’s really light. In which case you could use dewaxed (white) shellac.
The mixture of vinegar and steel wool creates a chemical stain that is used by woodworkers to ebonize wood. This blackens the wood without obscuring the grain. Typically, woods with higher tannin content will react more dramatically with this treatment.
Another way to colour wood without obscuring grain is to use aniline dyes dissolved in distilled water – places like leevalley.com sell these. You just needto pre-raise the grain as with any water-based finish on wood.
Hope this might be useful.
So sorry for the multiple posts — I was typing from my phone and kept getting an error message.
Any idea on how this would look on oak. My mom gave me an old table and she said its oak. It’s yellowish and I want it to be dark.
Tiffany, my experience with this has been that each time I’ve done it, I get a different result.