Restoring Furniture

Step 2 (for staining only): 

Seal the wood. Apply to the furniture using a brush or clean rag. Allow the pre-stain to soak in for five minutes and then wipe off the excess. Allow to dry an additional 30 minutes.

Step 2 (for painting only):

 Prime the wood. Find a primer whose tint is close to the final color desired for the piece of furniture you intend to paint. Paint all surfaces of the piece. Wait at least four hours for the primer to dry before painting the piece of furniture with the paint.

Step 3: 

Stain and/or paint the the wood. 

And there you have it! A beautiful new piece of furniture!