I found this old beauty for only $15. Though the bones of it were great, it was in terrible condition.
First, I had to clean an excessive amount of cobwebs. My husband had the brilliant idea to use the blower on those.
I filled all the dings and dents with wood filler. After it set, I gave the whole table a light sanding.
Because I wanted just a hint of the original wood to show through after painting, I used the Vaseline trick in some areas. Apply a small amount where you want the wood to show through later.
I used my paint sprayer on this so there wouldn't be brush strokes and because it's easier than painting spindles by hand!
I applied two coats of matte black paint letting it dry in between coats.
After your paint is fully dry, go back to the areas where you applied Vaseline and lightly wipe it away. Like magic, the paint will come right off in those spots!