How to make a server or table board

When making the chalkboard server or table board for easy DIY I had a piece of pine left over. I stumbled upon another idea for a table board using a piece of pine and some gel stain to add contrasting colours to the pine.

 

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It's really simple to make either a chalkboard server or a stained table board, in fact you can buy one piece of laminated pine and make both!

I stained the wood with Woodoc gel stain in cherrywood. When you apply gel stain be sure to wear gloves and have an old sponge handy for application.

 

 

Make sure the pine is super smooth by sanding with 240-grit sandpaper until it feels like silk. Wipe clean and then apply strips of masking take where you want to place the contrasting strips. Using a sponge, apply the stain from one end to the other in a smooth swipe over the surface. You can apply a second coat if you want an even darker effect.

After applying the stain you can immediately rub over this with Woodoc antique wax. Leave for 10 minutes and then rub to a satin finish.

What's nice about using antique wax is that it doesn't make the pine turn yellow as most other sealers and varnishes tend to do. Plus, it offers just the same amount of protection with regular application. Just to show you how, I poured water onto the table board...