It depends on what kind of wood you used. If you used a hardwood such as Mahogany, Walnut, Cherry or even oak, An oil finish such as Danish oil or the 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits would be my recommendation followed by a topcoat of spray lacquer. If you used Baltic birch plywood or pine, Either paint or just a topcoat. I'm with you, I hate to paint, so I always use hardwoods.