Give your wooden furniture a new look
Enhance the natural grain of unfinished furniture with stain. Staining adds color while letting the grain of the wood show through. It’s an easy way to give new, unfinished furniture a professional finished look.
When preparing new wood, wear gloves while unwrapping furniture to avoid transferring oil from your skin to unprotected raw wood. Remove grease stains with a little mineral spirits. Lightly dampen the raw wood to raise the grain. Sand to a smooth finish. If this process is not done first, the moisture in the stain will cause an uneven surface. Color spots come in a limited range of shades. Test the stain on an inconspicuous part of the furniture first. Let dry and check the effect. The color will be affected by the type of wood. The more coats that are applied, the stronger the color will be. The stain soaks into the wood rather than coating it like paint, quickly wipes up spills or drips before they are absorbed, and creates unappealing stains of color. If necessary, disguise them with another coat of dye.
After wetting the wood, rub with fine quality sandpaper to obtain a smooth finish. Always work in the direction of the grain; crossing it will leave scratches. Sand again between each coat of stain. Apply a small amount of stain to a soft cotton cloth and rub along the grain. Working through it will create uneven areas of color. If you use a brush, have a cloth handy to remove loose bristles and droplets. Be careful not to overlap the stain, which will darken the color. Work in sections, masking areas where overlaps can occur. Let the first section dry, then mask that before staining the adjacent area. Stained wood is porous and can absorb water or show spill marks or sticky fingers. Finish the furniture with two coats of clear varnish to seal and protect it. The matte varnish suits a country look, while the high gloss is more compatible with formal or modern settings.
Instead of using natural wood stains, experiment with colors to personalize your furniture and give it an individual look. Use different colors on shelves or drawer fronts for bright furniture for children. This is also a good way to use up various stains left over from other projects. Stain ready-to-assemble parts and allow them to dry before assembling. For ready-made items, mask the areas next to those where the first color will go. Apply the first color. Let it dry and then remove the tape. Mask the first color and apply the second. Repeat for each consecutive color. Turn a simple headboard into a work of folk art. With a muted color, apply one or two coats of stain depending on the desired color depth. When dry, rub with white wax to enhance the grain of the wood.