DIY: Farmhouse Table Tutorial

by Heather Hess

Let me start out by saying I have an amazing father-in-law. He built our new dining room table and bench with his own plans. We discussed what type of table my husband and I wanted and he made it happen. We originally planned on more formal white legs with a wood top but I changed my mind at the end. I am so glad I did because I absolutely love it now.

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I do not have a tutorial for the table building plans since I did not build it myself, but I will share how we stained and finished our wood. The top of the table is Redwood, but since I changed my mind on the legs, we had to use different wood for the legs. This made it a little tricky when staining but we found a perfect match. On the top we used Early American by MiniWax, and on the bottom we used Red Mahogany by MiniWax. We did this to even out the differences of red tones in the wood. I applied the stain with a rag in a wiping motion and did 2 coats.

Tabletop Finish Instructions:

1. After the stain is dry, sand the top and wipe it clean with a rag to get all the dust off. Next, pour a small amount of Mineral Spirits into a paint tray. Roll a microfiber paint roller into the Mineral Spirit's tray until lightly damp. This helps keep a clean, dust free finish with your roller. We used the white colored Mineral Spirits but highly recommend using the clear kind.

2. In another paint tray, pour in the Spar Urethane by MiniWax. Roll the damp microfiber paint roller in the Spar Urethane's tray. Roll your 1st coat on the table. We chose this finish instead of polyurethane because it will stand up to moisture really well and with kids we have a lot of spills at dinner time. Trust me, this stuff is amazing.

3. Your coat will have a few bubbles, but they will go away after it dries. Don't try and fix them or go over them. Let the table sit. Let it dry at least 6-8 hours in between each coat.

4. Before applying another coat, sand the table and wipe it clean with Mineral Spirits.

5. Repeat step 1 and 2 for your next coats. I recommend 3 coats.

6. Let it dry. We waited 2 days before using the table to make sure it was completely dry.