How to Make a Checkered Board with Steel Wool

I got my craft skills and my maniac need to finish what I start as quickly as possible from my mama.   Typically, my mom does big crafts like building a glass block wall in her shower and stenciling entire rooms. A few weekends ago, she bought a new wood coffee table, and decided it needed a little spunk. She made that table over in a night’s time.

She was inspired my desk makeover that we did together a few years ago. If you’ve been reading for awhile, you might remember this sucker. We used stain to create the diamond effect. It happened because we bought the table for super cheap partly because of a ring stain in the lower left hand corner of the table… you can still see it a little:

My mom achieved a similar look with a way different process. Here is what she started with:

And  here is the end product. Pretty awesome, huh? You might remember the minute by minute updates on C.R.A.F.T. facebook. My mom was loving the comments and likes 🙂 I finally got her on facebook! (The Smith family got caller ID 2 years ago, and my parents don’t do cell phones!) Anyhow, I asked my mom to put together a tutorial, and here we are!

Here’s what you need to  create this look:

• Fine or medium sandpaper
• Steel wool
• Mouse sander
• Cloths
• Vacuum
• Tungsten oil finish
• Blue painters tape
• Ruler
• Yard stick
• Pencil
• Pickled oak stain

My mom says, “The table needs to have a rough finish with not much sheen. My table was made of pine with a dark finish and lots of distressing. Measure your table and create a diamond that exactly fits. (I goofed up on this.) I thought I had it configured correctly, but I should have laid it all out first. I did this project in my house, but it would have been better to take the mess outside. Not only is TX 100 degrees outside, but I don’t think my neighbors would appreciate power tool rucks in the middle  of the night!”

Here are the steps my mom used to give her coffee table the checkerboard look:

1. Create diamond pattern out of thin, stiff cardboard.
2. Use pattern, to lay out your design on the table
3. If you are confident the design will fit, begin in a corner marking lightly with a pencil where the first diamond should go. I marked about 4 diamonds at a time.

4. Then using the blue painters tape to carefully place the tape on the outside edge of the diamond, overlapping the tape.
5. Now, using the steel wool begin roughing up the finish. Next, use the vacuum to pick up the sanding dust.

6. Use the mouse sander and be careful to stay within the blue tape marks. Use the vacuum to get rid of dust so you can see what your doing. Once you begin to see raw wood you can quit and move to next diamond. I constantly wiped with a clean cloth and used my vacuum.
7. Continue this until all diamonds are made.
8. Once your pattern is completed, thoroughly clean the top of the table with a damp cloth. Let it dry completely. This could be the end of the process for you. Just add tung oil and admire! This is the table before any stain or oil…

9. I wanted my diamonds to be a little more subdued so I put pickled oak stain on top of the whole table. I applied this with a clean cloth. I first used some old English and totally screwed up a few diamonds. It was way to dark. I had to go back and re- sand a few diamonds. The pickled oak stain worked great. Next, I used the tung oil.

She loves it, and I do too! What do you think, better after?

Have you ever used steel wool to take paint off in a pattern? It’s certainly less expensive than staining and way less smelly!