Refinished Homeschool Desk for my Kindergartner!

Last week I shared some pictures of an old desk my dad had picked up years ago.  He had almost forgotten about it until I discovered it lying in pile of dust and cobwebs in his workshop.  I should have taken a picture of it before I washed it up!

Desk with a lot of rust buid-up. 

 I used a solvent that you can paint on to remove the rust.  I also sanded down the metal sides and legs to help remove any rust that remained.

It was then time to sand down the top and inside.  I'm glad I was at my parent's doing this job because I do not have a nice sander like this.  The job went very quickly!

While we were sanding, the desk collapsed.  My dad had to put in some new screws.  Thanks, Dad!

You can see that the legs and the sides look much better without all that rust.  At this point, I decided to work on the wood some more.  We used a stain my dad had on hand.  If you have never stained anything before, it is really easy.  Just find a nice brush, dip it in the stain, remove excess from brush and then begin.  Move the brush from one end of your work surface to the other in nice long strokes, working with the grain.  You will leave the stain on as long as you like.  The longer you leave it on the darker it will look.  I stained the entire desk and then wiped off with an old rag. Let it dry completely, lightly sand with a very fine sheet of sandpaper, and then repeat the process until you are satisfied with the color.  This puppy got 4-5 coats before it was all said and done!  (sigh)  But, it was worth it. :)

 Time for the legs.  I used a brown color at first, but did not end up liking it.  So, I went with black to match my other daughter's desk.

 Here is the black spray paint I chose.

It was a pretty windy day, so I did manage to get some paint on the legs of the desk and in my eyes!  "Safety first!", is what they would always say when I worked in the lab.  I never really listened then either.  Goggles just don't look good on me! :)

 The last step was to add some polyurethane to protect the wood and it was finished!

I can't wait to show it to my little girl.  She turns 5 in a few weeks and will be starting Kindergarten too!  This desk is a surprise, like I said, so I have to keep in hidden in the garage for a while.  :(

Do you like the chalkboard?  That was the other treasure I picked up on my parent's farm last week.  Hop on over and read how I made it here.

I had forgotten how much fun it was to refinish furniture.  It's so rewarding when you are all finished.  If you have never tried it, you should!!  What are you working on right now?  Are any of you sanding and staining your little hearts out?  I'd love to hear from you! :)

Don't miss a post-there are links to follow me on the right at the very top.  Look for the purple buttons! ;)

Blessings, ~Gina

This project has been featured at.....

I'll be linking up to these great parties...
Monday
Our Delightful Home
Silver Pennies (Sunday party)

Tuesday
Ladybug Blesings
MamalDiane 
VMG206
Diamond in the Stuff
Someday I'll Learn
Back to the Basics
It's Your Life
Stone Cottage
Our Home Away from Home
Hickory Trail
Elizabeth & Company 
Kammy's Korner 
Tweak It Tuesday
Cozy Little House
 Naptime Creations 
 Sugar Bee Crafts 
 The Dedicated House 
 ThediyDreamer 
Home Stories A to Z
Wednesday
Ashley's Dandelion Wishes
We Like to Learn as We Go 
 Ginger Snap Crafts 
 Daisy Cottage Designs
 DIY By Design 
 The Blissful Bee 
Made to be a Momma  
 Southern Lovely 
 Adorned from Above
The Real Thing with the Coake Family
The Blackberry Vine

Thursday
Organized 31
7Alive all Livin' in a Double Wide
Posed Perfection

Friday
French Country Cottage
Happy Hour Friday 
Simple Sweet Home
Shine On Fridays
Love and Laundry & The Thriftiness Miss
A Peak into My Paradise
504 Main
What-About Co.
Redfly Creations
Diana Rambles
Miss Mustard Seed
 If It's Not Baroque
Frugal Fit Family
Chic on a Shoestring