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I am a bargain hunter (in most cases). It is what I do. I love yard sales and garage sales. I have been starting to collect decor for our new house. It takes time and I want to make sure I love the pieces. When I found this little wood tool box, I knew instantly how I wanted to transform this piece. I have to tell you how I came across this little gem. I downloaded this awesome buy and sell app for Android called Close5 (check out their Instagram for awesome inspiration). It is right up my alley and don’t worry the buy and sell app for iPhone is available too. The app is free and you can buy and sell items within a radius in your area (or any area). It is so easy to use. All of the communication with buyers and sellers are private through the selling app . I love that the alerts just pop up on my phone, about the items I have shown interest in. You have to give it a try!

When this beauty came available, I quickly snatched it up. I know it looks basic but I had a vision for what it could be. My husband was extremely underwhelmed when I showed him. I assured him that it would look good when I was done. I brought it home and decided to get rid of the middle rod. It did not jive with the look I was going for.

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Next, was the refinishing. This box is made of pine. My first step was a light sanding using 150 grit sandpaper. Then I used wood conditioner. I like to use wood conditioner because it allows the stain to not penetrate as deep. I let the conditioner dry for 45 minutes. Then it was time to apply the stain. I just cut up an old shirt and wiped on the stain in the direction of the grain. Minwax “Early American” is still my favorite stain color. I let the stain dry for a couple hours in the sun.

Once it was dry, I applied my shellac. Since I was going to use liming wax, the shellac was a must. The shellac allows the liming wax to grip to the wood better. After the shellac dried for an hour or two, I went over the box with 150 grit sand paper. I also went over the box with a brass bristle brush (in the direction of the grain). This helps open the pores of the wood. That allows the liming wax to show up better. I wiped all the dust off and applied my liming wax. I used a putty knife to scrape it over the wood surface. I did one side at a time and let it sit for a minute or two. I then took my rag and wiped off the excess liming wax. I sanded a few areas more to lighten the white wax. Now the box was complete…NOT! I had to hit up IKEA and grab some of my favorite bottles. I found these cute striped hand towels while I was there too. I may, or may not, have brought this to the new house (just to snap a pic against my newly installed backsplash).

Let’s recap this dreamy finshish:

*Wood conditioner

*Early American Minwax Stain

*Shellac

*Brass bristle brush sanding

*Liming Wax

* Sanding to liking

I love how it turned out and I can’t wait to find more goodies on Close5 for our house.