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Staining Furniture 101

You all said you wanted part 2, well, today, we’re going to discuss staining furniture.  If you missed part one on stripping furniture you may want to check it out – click here.

So we’re starting with bare wood.  Either you’ve stripped your furniture as discussed above or you’ve used a palm sander to remove the finish or perhaps you are starting with bare wood, like our headboard.

Many of you have questions and concerns about the staining process.  I hope to address all of these in this post.  My very first staining project was our DIY “Reclaimed” Wood Headboard.  For this project, we used pine wood from the hardware store and once assembled I slapped the stain on and then wiped away the excess and voila!  A new headboard in a beautiful “special walnut” shade.

Here is what I do when staining furniture (I know there are many products out there, but I’m sharing the products I use – please feel free to share others you like in the comments – I think it is so important to learn from each other and share the knowledge).

Materials You’ll Need:
– Stain of your choice (I’ll share a few favorite shades later in the post)
Tack Cloth
– Brush or clean rags to apply stain
– Extra Rags for Removing Stain
– Water / Container for safe disposal
– Top Coat  (I LOVE Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil)

Materials I Use

Staining Process
1. Make sure the surface is completely clean (and if you used a stripper wait 24 hours for the wood grain to lay down).  To make sure the surface is clean you can wipe with a tack cloth.

2. Stir your stain with a stirrer (do not shake as this will add bubbles).  You may need to stir a bit during application. Minwax recommends using a pre-stain conditioner on their site, but I’ve never used this on my furniture and have been very happy with my stained pieces.

3. Apply stain with either a clean rag or brush (I like using chip brushes) in the direction of the wood grain.  Allow stain to penetrate between 5-15 minutes.  Do this in a well-ventilated area.

4. Remove stain that hasn’t penetrate the wood with a clean cloth.  To darken, apply additional coat after 4-6 hours.

Applying Dark Walnut to our dining room table

5. Clean up – This is very important when dealing with stains because they are combustable and flammable.  You want to make sure you dispose of your rags and paint brushes properly.  Use mineral spirits to clean brushes and soak rags in water and then seal them in ziplock bag making sure to press the air out or put them in a sealed metal can (per instructions from Minwax label and hardware store).

A sweet reader in California (Hi, Josette!) told me about a friend who was staining her fence and left the cans and rags out and they spontaneously combusted causing a horrible fire.  So let’s be careful when handling these materials and always read all the manufacturer’s safety instructions.

6. Add a protective layer to your stained finish.  Wait at least eight hours to apply your protective top coat.  Many of you already love polyurethane.  I absolutely love Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil and use it on all my stained furniture.

It is very easy to use.  Simply, wipe on clean surface with a clean cloth, rub gently until it is absorbed into the wood.  I apply with the grain.  According to the label, “For additional sheen and protection, add 2-4 coats…allow two hours between coats and wipe away excess after 12 hours.  Finished piece may take several days to cure.  To maintain, apply a light coat every other year as needed.  To remove scratches, lightly sand blemish, then reapply the oil.”  Clean up with soap and water.

I love this product because it is so easy to use, is natural and I don’t have to re-sand the whole surface (as I did with my original dining table due to some blemishes).  I buy mine from Nancy at the Sea Rose Cottage but you can also get it from Miss Mustard Seed or any of her retailers.  I think you’ll love it and that is my honest opinion.

Now, your piece of furniture is stained!!!  Hooray!  Now you can move onto painting the rest of it if that is what your planning on doing.

I thought you might also like to see some of the stains I use.  I love Minwax.  I’ve always used them for my projects and had such beautiful results.  They have some great staining tips on their site too. Here are my favorite colors:

Minwax Jacobean:

I used this on Isla and wanted a dark contrast to the chippy MMS Milk Paint in Ironstone.  It is perfect together.  I fell in love with her and ended up keeping this one.  The surface looks as good as the day I took these photos.

Minwax Special Walnut:

This is my “go to” stain.  I love it with most colors.

This warm and light walnut pairs beautifully with both milk paint and Chalk Paint®.  It can feel both beachy and country and rustic as in our “reclaimed” wood headboard.
This one is richer and deeper than special walnut.  It is Special Walnut’s sophisticated older sister.  I’m using it on several upcoming projects and our dining table.  You’ll have to wait a bit longer to see that as the room is still in progress.  Here are two projects using it –
The rich hues of these stains and seeing the grain of wood adds so much to painted furniture, kind of blending the best of both worlds.  I hope these tips were helpful for your upcoming projects.
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*Disclosure: their are affiliate links in this post for certain Minwax stains.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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14 Comments
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Cassie @ Primitive & Proper

i love the same stains you love! and i LOVE those wood twin beds! gorgeous!

RPK Interiors
10 years ago

This was really great information…and great visuals, too!
Robin

Danielle
10 years ago
Reply to  RPK Interiors

So glad it was helpful, Robin x

Robyn
10 years ago

I love drooling over your finished pieces, Danielle. Could you come to my house and do some? lol. I love the information and will be bookmarking this. Thanks so much.

Bruce Johnson
10 years ago

Nice use of both milk paint and Minwax stain to achieve that antiqued finish. These projects look fantastic, Danielle. Keep up the good work. -Bruce

Danielle
10 years ago
Reply to  Bruce Johnson

Thank you, Bruce, your kind words truly mean so much. Love Minwax – such a great product! Always get fantastic results.

nelson decor
10 years ago

This comment has been removed by the author.

nelson decor
10 years ago

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fiona anderson
10 years ago

Great tips Danielle, I would love to try some of that hemp oil sometime, and your examples at the end, look like a masterclass in furniture painting.

Donna Wilkes
10 years ago

As someone who has stained and painted and waxed for three decades, I applaud your clear, concise tutorial. I have always used Minwax products with a few others thrown in. Your furniture transformations are beautiful. Check with your city about disposal. Ours requires the items be sealed in a can with kitty litter.

Christine Freeman
10 years ago

Very interesting. It’s always great to read a successful procedure so I can stay on track. I love Jacobean as well. So rich! Now, I find I also like Provincal. It’s a softer color, but still very rich. I think it’d be beautiful as a glaze.
I really enjoy your work. Thanks for sharing.

Danielle
10 years ago

Thank you, Christine! I’ll have to check Provincal out. It sounds lovely.

The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥

This is so fabulous and I am bookmarking it and recommending the same for my readers!!! hugs…

Elyse
10 years ago

wow! fabulous job on all of your furnishings! having fun hopping around your blog.

xo
elyse