redecorating a desk

[enemygiraffe.livejournal.com]

I have a horrifyingly ugly desk in my possession. I have had it since I was about seven, and when I was nine my parents redecorated my room white and pink, so all of my furniture was painted white to match my new decor.

I painted gold stars, a sun and a moon on the desk when I was fifteen, but I didn't finish the desk properly when doing it, so it just looks dirty and tacky.

This year I was disgusted with the look of my desk and assumed I couldn't make it look any worse than it already does, so I took a black sharpie marker and wrote song lyrics from the Mad Caddies and the Heatskores all over the top of the desk.

Over all, the desk, after all my "alterations", looks like pure and utter crap. I plan on redecorating it this summer before I head off to university, but I'm not entirely sure how I want to do it. I know I'll have to strip the paint off of the desk, but I'm not sure how I'm going to do that.

Basically, I would love to know the following:
- how does one go about stripping white paint off of a desk without ruining it?
- I want a dark brown stain on the desk when I'm finished stripping the paint off of it. How will I go about staining it? Will I have to sand it down or something? I'm completely oblivious.
- I also want to add some pictures from National Geographic magazines to the desk. I'm familiar with decoupaging, but I am not sure what is the most durable sealant to put on the pictures. I have used Mod Podge on other crafts, and I haven't been impressed. I need something that's not sticky. What's a non-sticky, durable sealant?
- I want to change the little knobs on my dresser, too. How would one go about making them?

Thanks in advance for all of your help, guys. When I'm finished, I'll be sure to post pictures.