My $40 Nightstands Makeover Using Black Stain

I'm so excited to finally say that my bedroom furniture re-do is finally finished!  It's my first big project that I did and I was so happy to see that it turned out pretty good!  

I wanted to update my bedroom ( which is still, and probably always will be, under construction).  But I didn't want to get rid of my furniture because I had bought it when I first got married and the quality of the wood, according to my husband, was very good.  And frankly, I didn't want to spend all this money to replace my furniture.  Especially when I can use that money for new decor and other projects!  (wink, wink Mr. Husband!)

I knew the color scheme I wanted in my bedroom, and I knew I wanted my furniture to be black.  But I didn't want to paint it because I wanted some of the natural wood grain to show.  So I decided to stain it.

So now, the only problem I have is not wanting to refinish, stain, or paint everything in my house.  Lord, help my husband!  He's going to go insane!

Be prepared:  this post is pic heavy!  :)

So this was one of my nightstands before:

This picture makes me cringe a little, not gonna lie.  It was scratched, had some little dents, and had residue from tape all over it from when we moved into our house.  By the way, I tried everything to get that off and NOTHING worked!  So I knew this furniture had to go!

Here's the main supplies I used:

• Classic Black Satin stain by Minwax -$12
• Pre-Stain wood conditioner by Minwax- $16
• Elmer's Stainable Wood Filler -$4
• Foam brushes- $2
• 100 & 150 grit sandpaper- $6
• Palm sander (already had)
• Steel wool (already had)
• Two nightstands ( um, really?)

The Pre-Stain conditioner by Minwax was a super important step when staining my nightstands.  Apparently the wood is pine and stain doesn't take very well to pine.  (Of course it doesn't!  Because that would have made my life a bit easier.)  So this conditioner actually helped the stain stick to the wood.   The stain I used is Polyshades by Minwax in the color Classic Black Satin.  I wanted to use PolyShades because I was pretty much killing two birds with one stone.  Stain and Polyurethane in one step.  I probably wouldn't use this stain again because it was more of a paint like consistency than an actual stain. I also needed wood filler to fill in a few dents, deep scratches, and I was getting rid of these deep lines on the sides of the drawers.  ( Look at the picture, you'll see what I'm talking about. )

First things first.  I removed all the drawers and hardware and started to sand the nightstands using 100 grit sandpaper and a hand sander.  This step was a little time consuming because I had to get the finish off the dressers, so it took some time and a whole lot of sand paper.  After all the finish was off, I went back in with 150 grit sandpaper to smooth it all out.

 All clean and sanded!

 Next step for me was filling in those lines that were on the side of the drawer.  I wanted a nice clean look to the drawers and I just didn't like that particular "detail" on the drawer so I filled it in with Wood Filler. I also wanted one knob in the middle of the drawer instead of two on each drawer.  So I filled in the holes where the knobs were by placing some painters tape inside the drawer over the hole and filling it in with the filler.  To fill in the lines, I just put some filler on my finger and filled it in.  Isn't that what the professionals do?

I let it dry over night and then sanded the whole drawer down with 100 grit sandpaper.  Making sure that the wood filler was nice and smooth.  Then again with 150 grit.  

 Making sure my nightstands were clear of any dust or dirt, I wiped everything down with a damp clean cloth.   Now came the scary part for me.  It was time to stain them!

 Now normally when you stain, you pretty much slop it on and wipe it off.  That's not the case with PolyShades.  It doesn't wipe off.  (  I learned THAT the hard way.)  So I had to make sure to get the stain on with even and long strokes, and to do really thin coats instead of one thick heavy coat.  Here it is with the first coat on...

YIKES! At this point I wanted to either cry, throw up, or just haul these things to the curb.  I wasn't sure which one I wanted to do.  But despite the regret and thinking I made a huge mistake and this was not going as planned, I let them dry over night and started on the next coat.  

In order for the next coat of stain to stick, I wiped down the drawers and nightstands with steel wool just to smooth everything out and rough up the surface a little bit.  

 It took three thin coats to cover everything completely.

Now it was time to work on the hardware.  Trying to get away with spending as little money as possible on this project, I decided to use the same hardware it came with.  ( I'll replace them eventually.)

I removed the silver middle piece from the knob, leaving only this ugly wood "shell".

 Now, a normal person probably would have sanded and hand stained this knob.  But lucky for you, I'm not considered "normal" so I did things a little different.  I inserted a long screw driver into the bottom and actually dipped the knobs into the stain.  I dipped them about half way, leaving the bottom unfinished.  I let the excess drip off and then I placed them on some wax paper to dry ( on the unfinished side).  When they were dry I turned them over and dipped the unfinished part into the stain and placed it back on some wax paper to let that side dry.  This process could mean one of two things.  I'm either pretty smart or pretty lazy.  Not sure.

 I think this worked perfectly because there was no brush marks, and it was perfectly smooth.

I let everything dry completely, had my handy hubby drill some new holes for the hardware, and it was finally done!  For around $40 I had "new" furniture.  The nightstand made me uber happy.  (And the price made the hubby happy!)

Now to get some new decor for these fabulous little nightstands and phase one of *bedroom re-model* will be finished!

Keep checking back for my dresser makeover.  I 'm hoping it won't be that long of a post, but I can't make any promises.

A Classic Favorite…Spaghetti & Mini Meatballs

Pasta night.  A night I actually dreaded when I was little because we had TWO, count them, TWO pasta nights a week in our house.  We attended church so much and my mother needed something quick for those nights.  So there I was, with my small face and large hair, staring into a bowl of spaghetti.  I just stared thinking, good Lord NOT again.  As I grew up, those pasta nights only came down to once a week. Sundays.  That was the day.  And I hated them.  When I got married I swore off pasta.  I would NOT make it.  I didn't care it was the "Italian thing to do".  I just wanted macaroni gone from my life.  And it was. (for a while).

Then my kids came.  And they grew.  And my family got bigger.  And so did our food bill.  Now here I was thinking, "what can I make that isn't too expensive and it's quick and fairly easy to make?"  Yup.  You guessed it.  Pasta!  I made a pasta night once a week.  Okay, so you're probably thinking "Tina, if you hated pasta night so much as a kid, why would you do it with your kids?"  And the answer is simple.  My kids aren't big annoying pains like I was.  They actually LOVE it.  So Tuesday became THE night.  And honestly, I guess because I didn't make it for so long, I am enjoying it!  See?  It's always good to try new things or retry old things.  *cue Mr. Rogers music*

What more classic dish can you get than spaghetti and meatballs?  It's inexpensive, easy, and fun for the kiddos to eat.  So here's my recipe for it.  Hope you all enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of spaghetti
• Marinara Sauce { For a recipe click HERE }

Meatballs:

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork, beef, and veal mix ( most grocery stores sell it as a "meatloaf mixture") *can also use regular ground beef*
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup romano or parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• oil for frying

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat enough oil to go half way up your meatballs.

For meatballs, mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand.  Using your hands and depending on the size meatball you would like to make, take the amount of meat mixture and roll between your hands to form a ball.

Place meatballs in the oil and fry on all sides until brown.  The sides and middle will not be cooked.  When they're brown on all sides, place on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.

In the meantime, bring your marinara sauce to a slow slimmer, on medium heat.  When your meatballs are finished browning, add them into the sauce.  Place a wooden spoon on the top of the pot and rest the cover halfway on the pot.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes, being careful when you stir  so you won't break the meatballs.  

Keep warm until ready to serve.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add I Tbsp. of salt to the water.  Cook spaghetti according to the package.  Drain.  

Toss spaghetti with sauce and serve with meatballs.  Garnish with parmesan cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Serves: 4-5

Makes: 25 large meatballs or 40 small meatballs

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Well I guess it's safe to say that you must be getting a little worried that all I know how to do is cook, based on all the food posts I've been doing lately.  But I am happy to announce that I have many projects currently in the works and WILL post about them when they're completed.  So for now, you'll just have to stare at delicious food and patiently wait.  So sorry!  :)

Anywhoo, I thought that this sauce needed it's own post.  It couldn't be worked into the spaghetti post I'll be doing that actually uses this sauce.  It's a slightly different recipe than my Grandma used to make.   Because frankly, I never have the exact stuff on hand that she always used.  So I had to improvise.  And I'm glad I did.  This sauce is so easy to make but completely full of flavor.  Just like Grandma's.  Well, nothing will ever be as good as Grandma's cooking, but a girl can dream!

Ingredients:

• 2 -29 oz cans of tomato sauce (any brand will work )
• 1 -15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 fresh basil leaves, whole
• 2 Tbsp. dried chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, add in your oil and heat on medium high.  Add in garlic and stir.  Cook until garlic is tender, about 1 minute.  

Add in sauce.  Stir.

Add in all remaining ingredients and let simmer on low for 1-2 hours.  

*NOTE: For best flavor of sauce, cook meatballs in the sauce for half an hour.

You can find a recipe for meatballs HERE

Enjoy!

Creamy Cucumber Salad

This creamy and refreshing cucumber salad is the perfect side dish at any BBQ or goes great with any summer time meal.  And the best part is….it's 125 calories per serving and only 1 gram of fat.  Any dish that's low calorie, low fat, and low carb is a triple win in my book!

Ingredients:

• 1 whole cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 of a red onion, sliced thin
• 1 Tbsp. lite sour cream
• 1/4 cup vanilla non fat greek yogurt 
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl add sour cream, greek yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

Add in cucumbers and red onion.  Mix.

Let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to combine well. 

Serve cold.

Serves: 4

Enjoy!

Simple Three Cheese Pasta Bake

It's pasta night in our house once a week.  And I don't know about anyone else, but when you have a specific day set aside for a certain food, the pressure is on to find something different than the previous week.  And if I had to see tomato sauce one more time, I was going to lose the slightest bit of sanity I have left. So I knew I needed some type of different sauce.  And this was the perfect dish to make on our pasta night.  It's creamy, warm, and super delicious!  And the best part is, you only need to dirty two pans to make it.  Less clean up means more time to sit and chat with my family.  Plus, I'm pretty sure my dishwasher was full and couldn't fit anymore in it.  Yeah, that sounds about right...

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) box pasta of choice ( penne or bowties work best)
• 2 (10 oz) jars of Alfredo sauce
• 1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta according to directions on the box.  Drain and return to pot.

Add all ingredients to the pot except for mozzarella cheese.

Stir to combine.  Place in greased 13x9 pan.  Top with Mozzarella cheese.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

He Has Risen { Free Easter Printable }

With all the hype about all those cute little bunnies, Easter egg hunts, and spring crafts, I think the real reason behind Easter gets left in the shadows.  So I wanted to make this printable to share with you and also as a little reminder of what Easter is all about. You can download the printable { HERE }.  Hope everyone has a safe and joyful weekend with those you love.

*Note: If you right click and save the above printable it won't be sized correctly when you print it, so make sure you download, then print :)

If you'd like, you can also check out all my FREE PRINTABLES HERE.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bird's Nests Cookies

With Easter right around the corner I thought these would be a cute little snack the kids can make themselves and get them into the Spring time mood.  I remember making these in school when I was a kid and I was happy to pass down the recipe to my kiddos.  They had a great time making them but probably an even better time eating them when they were done!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups chocolate chips ( can use milk chocolate or semi sweet )
• 2 + 3/4 cup chow mein noodles
• 1/2 bag jelly bean eggs, cadbury eggs, or jelly beans

Directions:

In a large bowl, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute or until smooth.  Stirring after 30 seconds.

Add in chow mein noodles and stir to incorporate, making sure all the noodles are covered in the peanut butter/chocolate mixture.

Place round tablespoons of the chow mein mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Press down slightly in the middle.  Place 2-3 eggs on each nest.

Place in the refrigerator for about an hour to harden.

Enjoy!


*Happy Spring*