"What Do I Need to Paint Furniture?" 10 Essentials to Get You Started

MY TOP 10 LIST OF SUPPLIES AND TOOLS FOR

BEGINNER REFINISHERS

In this post, you'll find a list of inexpensive supplies every beginner refinisher will want on hand before painting a piece of furniture. We're talking bare-bone essentials. So, if you're just starting out, this list is perfect for you - no fancy equipment needed!

This post contains affiliate links, where I will receive commissions from your purchases.

Thank you for supporting my blog and read more about my disclosures here.

When I started this refinishing side hustle of mine two years ago, I remember watching lots of other refinishers on Instagram with lots of tools and gadgets thinking, "oh my gosh, I need ALL of that!". I quickly came to realize that's not the case. To get started, you need just a handful of essential items, adding to your arsenal along the way. I've included my top 10 most-used items for refinishing in this post - all a great [small] investment for when you are just starting out!

#1 Respirator & Ear Protection

Unfortunately, I learned the importance of these two things AFTER I inhaled a ton of sanding dust into my lungs and was blowing my nose and coughing, along with some ear-ringing from running my power sander without using noise-canceling headphones. DON'T make the same mistake I did! Protection is so important. You do NOT want to be inhaling all those small particles of dust, finish, or chemicals into your lungs while working on your piece of furniture.

My go-to respirator mask has helped alleviate these after-effects of sanding so much and I'm conscious of wearing mine (and replacing the cartridges every few months) any time I'm sanding or stripping a piece of furniture.

And please, please, please protect your ears. It's surprising how loud it can get while you are sanding with a dust collection system running simultaneously.

These WorkTunes not only protect my ears while I'm working, but are also blue-tooth enabled, which allows me to listen to my favorite tunes or Podcasts at the same time! Since I'm typically on my own in my shop, being able to hook up to Spotify while protecting my ears at the same time makes the empty garage space a little less lonely during my workday too!

#2 - Sandpaper and/or a Power Sander

If you asked me what I spend most of my budget on when refinishing furniture, hands down, I'd reply, "sandpaper". More than any other refinishing supply item, I grab for and a bunch of sandpaper grits most often when I'm refinishing a piece. From hand-sanding sheets to power sanding hook and loop sanding discs, I've got them on hand!

You'll want to have a variety of sandpaper grits in your supply (and this packet is a good start), as you'll use different grits of sandpaper for different parts of the refinishing process.

Check out my YouTube video, which breaks down sandpaper grit and explains which grits you'll want on hand for each refinishing step.

Click this PHOTO to learn more!

As for power sanders, I believe that you really don't need to make a huge investment in one when you are just starting out. Although, if you're looking to take on multiple projects, having a power sander on hand for removing finishes (especially on flat surfaces) will definitely save you a lot of time --- and your fingertips!

At the start of my refinishing side hustle, I purchased this inexpensive (around $40 or so) Black & Decker 5" Orbital Sander and still use it often, especially when I'm removing finishes from furniture tops or sides. It's easy to use and you can purchase these adapters to hook it up to your shop vac to limit the amount of dust you produce while sanding.

#3 - Tack Cloths

You'll probably clean down your piece of furniture at least a half dozen times prior to completely refinishing it. Tack cloths, also known as a tack rag, is a lint-free gauze (think cheese- cloth material), filled with a tacky or sticky substance used to remove dust and dirt particles. Removing all these tiny particles is essential for achieving a smooth finish on your refinished piece of furniture! You'd be surprised at how much dust can get in all the small nooks and crannies of your piece while sanding it down during the prep phase. While vacuuming and removing this dust with a damp rag is helpful, tiny particles can still get kicked into the air during the process and land on the piece you've just cleaned.

That's why these tack cloths are essential to the preparation process. Costing about $1 per cloth, they are an inexpensive, yet worthwhile investment to make!

#4 - Wood Filler & Bondo

Hopefully, the piece of furniture you've selected to refinish isn't in need of a lot of repair. I always recommend selecting an "easy" piece if you're just starting out. Smaller pieces like end tables, nightstands, or coffee tables are great starter pieces. Regardless, most vintage pieces will typically need some type of fixing, like filling small dents or gauges. For these smaller

repairs, I love using DAP products. The Plastic Wood in Natural dries quickly with an easy water clean-up. The filled areas mimic wood, are shrink- and crack-resistant, and can be sanded down for both staining and painting. The Premium Wood Filler is also a great product to have in your stash. It is a wood filler, grain filler, and sealer in one, dries quickly, and can be tinted to match stains or paints well.

Using the Plastic Wood to fill a crack on this small end table (below), is an important step in the refinishing process. I'll sand it down flush with the table top, then it will be ready for priming and painting. You can find both of these wood-filling products for around $10. For both, be sure to follow all the application instructions listed on the package for best results.

*Pro Tip: I recommend keeping these wood filler products sealed in a plastic bag to prevent the any drying out if exposed to air for longer periods of time.

So wood filler is great for smaller fixes, but for larger repairs, specifically those involving any sort of structural damage, a stronger product may be necessary. My go-to for these types of repairs? Bondo.

Yup, the same product used for auto-body repairs. I couldn't believe it myself when I was just beginning my refinishing journey. It's amazing what this product can do, though. It cures quickly (within 15 minutes) and can easily be sanded down for a seamless look on your furniture pieces. Bondo is a 2-part polyester resin that dries rock-solid. It's also fully paintable and stainable. There IS a strong chemical odor associated with it, so be sure to apply it to your piece in a well-ventilated area, following all of the safety precautions listed on the package as always.

You can see that the bottom of this drawer front was in total disrepair. It needed a permanent bonding solution prior to refinishing. I'm still pretty amazed at the results.

See how the Bondo completely helped re-shape the bottom of this drawer front? Now, I'll be able to shellac and then apply paint for a seamless result.

#5 - Wood Glue & Clamps

Along with wood filling, there may be areas you'll need to also repair using wood glue. I probably use wood glue most often when securing lifting veneer back down to it's substrate . Additionally, you'll often be using clamps to secure the area you are gluing in place.

For less than $10, you'll find a host of wood glue options on the market. My go-to favorites include Titebond and Weldbond. Both products repair areas on your furniture pieces quickly and securely with an easy clean up. To ensure a tight and thorough repair, I'll affix these clamps after applying my wood glue to make certain that the glued area remains securely in place. While not necessary when you are just starting out, but a good-to-have gadget, I also love using these wood glue syringes to apply the glue in hard-to-reach areas, especially underneath lifting wood veneer. Cleaning up any excess is a breeze with a damp rag or, my favorite, baby wipes.

#6 - Set of Screwdrivers

A set of screwdrivers is something that you probably already have on hand, but if not, you can find them easily in any hardware store (I think I actually got mine at a local dollar store) and they'll prove to be super helpful when removing hardware, furniture bases or legs, or even securing drawer slides and glides. Most sets come with several flat head and Phillips-head options, varying in sizes and handle lengths like these pictured below.

#7 - Painter's Tape

Aside from sandpaper and paint, I would have to say that the other supply I spend the most money on is painter's tape. There are a few different brands out there, but my favorite go-to tape for all of my needs is the ScotchBlue Sharp Lines Painter's Tape by 3M. I buy it in bulk since I use it so much.

I use this tape for a variety of needs when I'm refinishing pieces. Of course, I'll place it on any areas where I want to avoid getting paint or primer. But, I also use painter's tape during my Bondo application, to cover up hardware holes on a drawer's interior to prevent paint from seeping through, and even to make a lip for opening and closing drawers once the hardware has been removed from a piece.

The SharpLines specifically among the 3M Scotch Blue lines products is great for achieving exactly that, a sharp line finish. So, I also use it whenever I'm incorporating geometric designs, stripes, or a dipped look on my pieces as well.

#8 - Mister Bottle

One of the least expensive, though no-brainer, supply items to have on-hand when you are painting a piece of furniture is this mister bottle (which is under $10 on Amazon).

It's different from a spray bottle as it releases a fine spray of water from it's nozzle, more like an aerosol spray can might do. This fine spray is perfect for misting a furniture piece with water prior to painting it's surface in order to extend the open-time of your furniture paint a paint. Often, I'll spray both my paintbrush and furniture piece prior to painting. I absolutely attribute my mister bottle in helping me achieve minimal brushstrokes whenever hand-painting my furniture piece. You can see my own spray-bottle is very well-loved, as I keep it by my side throughout the painting process!

#9 - Quality Paintbrushes and Rollers

Once you've gotten the "refinishing bug" you may choose to invest in a paint sprayer, but to start you can absolutely refinish beautiful pieces by hand. You will definitely want to invest in a quality paintbrush and/or paint rollers. I have found that there are two brands of paintbrushes that are my absolute favorite for painting furniture. The Country Chic 1.5" Oval Brush is my all-time favorite and the brush I tend to grab for most often, along with Zibra paintbrushes, such as their round brush and Palm Pro.

And, for different parts of my furniture piece, I prefer to use different brushes depending on the shape of the bristle or handles. I always prefer to use synthetic-bristle brushes when painting furniture to cut down on brushstrokes. I also prefer to use a brush whose bristles hold a decent amount of paint.

I typically tend to hand-paint my pieces, at least for the first couple of coats, and then finish with a final coat by rolling the flat surfaces (sides, drawer fronts, and tops). My preference for rollers is a high-density 4" foam roller, with a rounded edge that often doubles as a bit of a paint-brush for sides and edges. Rolling paint saves quite a bit of time, but be aware that both spraying and rolling use up more paint than hand-painting alone.

#10 - Quality Furniture Paint

Last, but certainly not least, you will want to invest in a quality furniture paint if you are painting your refinished pieces. I have come to discover that there are a handful of amazing high-quality furniture paint brands on the market these days. You'll want to try some out and find which brands you prefer to work with most. My go-to favorite, which also happens to be the brand I started using from the very beginning of my refinishing journey, is Farmhouse Paint Company. This paint is a water-based, low VOC, all-in-one furniture paint, which means it has both a built-in primer and topcoat, making it extremely durable.

***AND You can save 10% on your purchase with Code: GRAINANDPAINT

for all your furniture paint needs.***

You Don't Need to Spend a Fortune to Get Started!

With this handful of relatively inexpensive, though essential, supplies in your "refinishing arsenal", you'll be well on your way to taking on your first refinishing project. Whether it be a hobby, a side hustle, or simply a way to update your space, getting started is easier than you might think! I'd love to hear what project you're taking on...be sure to leave a comment below!