Your kitchen looks tired, worn or simply outdated, but you do not want the hassle or the cost of hiring someone else to give your kitchen a new style. Refinishing your own kitchen cabinets is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve the look of your kitchen. In just a few simple steps and one weekend, you can have a beautiful new kitchen.Remove cabinet doors and hardwareThe first step in this process is to take the doors off your cabinets. Get out your screwdriver and go to it! You may need an extra pair of hands to hold the cabinet doors while you remove the hinges. Next, remove the door hardware if your doors have pulls. Put all of your door pulls and hinges in a safe place if you plan on reusing them.Lay a strip of packaging tape out on the counter and stick the screws from the hinges and pulls to the tape so they do not get lost. Stripping and sandingChances are, your cabinets have some sort of lacquer, stain or paint already on them. Generally, you want to start with a nice, clean surface before applying new stain or paint. Choose your favorite varnish or paint stripper and find yourself a well ventilated area to work on the doors and drawers; your garage (with the door up) or your backyard is ideal. Remember to also strip the cabinets themselves. Make sure to open all your windows and turn on a fan while working with a stripping solution indoors. Once you have removed all the old varnish, sand using sandpaper with a fairly high grit of around 100. This gets rid of most minor scratches and also helps to adhere your new finish to the surface of the cabinets. Often, if your cabinets were painted and you intend to use paint, not varnish, you can skip the stripping step and simply sand the cabinets before you repaint.Apply your finishPick out your new finish from the myriad of stain and paint colors available and follow the directions on the container. If you choose paint rather than a varnish or stain, choose an oil-based paint which stands up to wear, tear and water much better than latex paint.Replace cabinets and hardwareIf you bought new door and drawer pulls, they most likely can fit into the holes that are already drilled. Otherwise, replace all the hardware that you kept careful track of, and use that extra pair of hands again to help you fit the cabinet doors back in place. Stand back, and admire your handiwork.You are now the proud owner of a beautiful new kitchen without having had strangers tromping through your house for days or spending thousands of dollars. Refinishing your own kitchen cabinets is such an easy process that you are guaranteed to want to do it again in a few years.