Toy box makeover Part 1

Months ago, I bought an old solid wood toy box for Alvin. It was a steal for $15 at the flea market. Since then, we've been using it in the living room to store all his wooden trains and tracks for his train table. It's functional, but it's not exactly what I'd choose for a toy box. (I think they should be colorful. They are storing toys after all.) So, today, I drug out the orbital sander and got to work.

 Here is the toy box before I began the make over. You can see it's just a typical brown stained wooden toy box. Clearly no fun at all. That's all about to change.

So, I grabbed the orbital sander and got to work. I went over it first with 80 grit sand paper to rip the old stain and sealer from the wood. Then went back over it with 220 grit sand paper to make it smooth. Here is the toy box after being sanded. Little bit of warning, if using an orbital sander, use gloves. They will minimize the numbing effect of the sander on your hands. After sanding, make sure to wipe with a tack cloth to get all sawdust off of your wood.

Then, it was time to stain. I used Minwax Express Color Wiping Stain & Finish in Indigo. I love this stain because if all you are doing is staining, this is all you need. There's no need to seal. I used a clean white sock, and covered my hands with disposable gloves. Simply wipe on. Then with a clean rag, wipe off. I wanted a deeper, darker color, so I just applied and left it on. This was after my first coat.

As you can see, it's a beautiful blue color, but still not exactly what I'm wanting. So, after waiting the hour the tube says, I reapplied. Now we're at the color I want. Just have to let it dry for 24 hours and I can finish with this makeover!

 Look for Part Two to be published in the next few days to see the final part of the makeover!

Disclaimer

* I was in no way compensated for this post. I use Mixwax stains because I love them and they are easy to use.*