Happy Tuesday Friends!

We are enjoying such a WARM spring and have been spending our weekends wrapping up our backyard projects. I can’t wait to show you the before and after pictures! But before we could finish the yard, I took a break from mulching to do a quick furniture makeover. It’s not unusual for me to rummage the neighborhood searching for free “junk” (ahem, treasures) to turn into my next project. On this particular occasion my next project walked its way into my backyard! My neighbor no longer had a need for her picnic table and wanted to find it a new home.

It was in great shape and just needed a little love and elbow grease. I started by giving it a good wash with our Karcher pressure washer. Is it weird that I get excited for spring to bring out the pressure washer and give everything a good rinse?? The pressure washer removed all the chipping paint and dirt. After allowing the wood to dry, I took an electric hand sander to remove any leftover paint. A few areas that weren’t exposed to the elements had paint still nicely adhered to the wood and needed to be sanded to remove. I lightly sanded the top and seats of the table for a fresh smooth finish. Look at what a difference a good wash and sanding makes…. It’s looks new!

Before staining I rinsed the table with the hose to remove any sanding dust and allowed to dry. The hubby picked out a transparent waterproofing stain in Woodland Cedar by Thompson’s WaterSeal. When I opened the can I was a bit concerned with the color, which looked a tad bit like pink salmon, but after applying to the wood it gave the table a natural cedar finish. The board on the right was given one coat.

Finished and ready to use for dinner!

We enjoyed a hearty meal of mac & cheese and chicken nuggets, which paired beautifully with a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio.

Little J is in love with eating on the picnic table and requests eating all his meals outside. I see a summer of outdoor dining in our future.

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