Refinishing furniture the easy way

My latest eHow article sprang out of one of my oldest projects. When I signed into my eHow account tonight I checked the list of requested articles and found a request for "How to paint rub furniture." The wording is a bit weird, but I thought -- hey, I've done that!
After removing a layer of dust and accumulated "life debris" I snapped a pic and wrote it up.

I remember refinishing this dresser as if it were yesterday (cue wavy memory lines). . . We were in our first apartment, about 6 months married and had a bunch of hand-me-down furniture and no money (somehow only part of that has changed). Our one dresser was this tiny piece my husband had since kindergarten -- finished an ugly orangish brown. A quick trip to Hechinger's (we lived in Northern Virginia) for furniture stripper and paint and I was on my way. I lugged the dresser to the balcony and slapped on the chemicals. Once I started with the paint I am pretty sure I was just winging it. I have always A - thought paintbrushes were too expensive and B - hated cleaning them, so I just dunked a rag in paint and rubbed it in like stain. Turned out nicely and matched the blue comforter.

The comforter is long-gone, but the dresser still sees daily use, now in the hall as a phone stand and storage for construction paper and other craft supplies. One note -- be sure to ask your new husband before you alter in any way his childhood heirlooms -- more than I did, luckily we were still in the honeymoon stage.