How to Stain Wood (the easy way)

This post was sponsored by my friends over at General Finishes.  They sent me some gel stain to try for this project and I LOVED using it.

Hi Friends!  Well, this is the last DIY I have to share from our guest room makeover.  I’ve so enjoyed showing the step by step for this room.  This one involves the wood trim in the guest room and today I’m going to share how to stain wood (the easy way).  You all know I love the dark woodwork in our home.  It is in most rooms and was milled in Maine in the 1920s. We’ve found out that the original owner of this house was a builder and he built our home.  You may remember that story!

So as we thought about doing the guest room over I also thought about the wood trim in here. In most of the house the trim is dark, but in the guest room it was light.  Here is a before of the whole room:

I think you can see just how light it was and I wanted a it took look rich and dark. So I talked to my friends at General Finishes because I thought their Oil Based Gel Stains might be a good way to get the look I wanted without having to strip the wood completely!

Here’s a look at the closet door before:

And after:

That deep color looks so rich against the pale blue / gray walls. Don’t you think?  Do you want to know how we did it?

Materials:

– Gel Stain in your color choice (I custom mixed mine)

– Denatured Alcohol

– Water

– Scotch Brite Pad

– Rags

-Sanding Block, 220 sandpaper

– Paint Brush (cheap ones)

– Rubber Gloves

 

Method:

Step 1.  Clean your surface.  I followed the instructions from General Finishes.  I first took off the hardware and blinds and removed the chunks of paint that were on some of the trim. Then I prepared the cleaning solution. They recommend 1/2 denatured alcohol to 1/2 water.

 

Step 2. Dip the scotch brite pad into the solution and scrub the wood. Dry off the wood with paper towels and wait two hours.

 

Step 3. Sand with 3M super fine sanding sponge.  Wipe all with damp rag and wait to dry.

 

Step 4. Tape off your woodwork to protect walls.  I didn’t do this at first but it can be a little messy.  Also put drop cloths on the floor to protect your flooring.

 

Step 5. Get your gel stain ready.  Stir thoroughly. You can use it straight out of the can, but I wanted our trim color to match (well, nearly match that in the rest of the house).  I used Java Gel Stain mixed with Georgian Cherry.

 

Step 6. Apply gel stain to the wood with a cloth or brush.  I used a brush I got at Ikea.  You will want to throw the brush away after.  Once you apply it, you want to wipe away the excess with a cotton cloth or clean rag.  (I went through many rags).  Refold material to keep a dry area for wiping so that the gel doesn’t smear.  Also, don’t wipe off all the gel or it won’t change the wood color.  For the doors I did the top first and then the sides and bottom.

 

 

Step 7.  I dry brushed  the wood on the window panes. 

 

 

Step 8. Allow your gel stain to dry.  Dry time can take from 24 hours to 48 depending on conditions.

 

Step 9. Use a top coat if you want more durability. Since this was the trim and doors I didn’t top coat.

 

Step 10. Dispose of all rags according to instructions due to flammability.

 

Oh, one last tip! Wear gloves.  I know they are harder to work with but my gloves got so dirty from the stain.

 

I am so thrilled with the results of the gel stain.  It gives the perfect effect that I wanted and it dried beautifully.  I waited for it to completely dry and the we painted and stenciled the wall.

Here’s how it is looking now:

 

What do you think?  Do you guys have any questions?!?

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