How to Paint Wood Furniture With a Glossy Finish

Painting your own wood furniture is a fun way to personalize your home, and this article shows you how to finish off that wood painting with a glossy shine.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wood Piece
• Sandpaper
• Primer
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Varnish

1. Sand down your piece of furniture, smoothing all the edges, and eliminating any snags in the wood.

2. Paint on the first coat of primer. Not only will this provide a good bottom coat to help the top color stand out more, but the moisture will cause the wood to swell us slightly, giving the paint a better base to sit on.

3. If necessary, paint a second coat of primer. You may want to do this if the first coat did not completely cover up the wood's color, or if you have paint drips from the first coat. In the second case, sand down the bumps, and do a complete second coat.

4. Time to add some color! Paint your furniture with the design and colors of your choosing. Usually, two coats are recommended. Just like with the primer, sand down any noticeable bumps and paint another coat on top.

5. Next, apply the varnish. Make sure the paint has thoroughly dried before adding your top coat. After the fist coat of varnish, wait several hours to make sure it has completely dried.

6. Once it is dry, sand down the varnish (carefully so you don't remove any paint along with it), and get rid of all the tiny air bubbles that may have accumulated, and any other bumps. Once it is smooth, paint another coat of varnish.

7. Repeat the above step a few times, until you are satisfied with the glossiness. Remember to sand carefully and thoroughly, because the smoother it is, the shinier it will be.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to remove any dust after sanding.
• Wear clothes you won't mind getting dirty, getting paint on yourself is almost inevitable.
• Put newspaper or a drop cloth under the furniture just in case of paint spills and droplets.
• Be delicate with your sanding. Coats of paint and varnish are not very thick, and you can easily sand right through them.

[juliemcmurchie]

on 3/11/2009 Good article, easy to follow instructions for painting furniture. Thanks.

[boatst]

on 3/10/2009 good article. I'm constantly redoing furniture. thanks for article.