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:
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?!?
Sharing with:
Wow, I need to try this on my stair rails some day. I want them darker.
BEAUTIFUL !!! I have used general finishes milk paint and I love it. I am finding that I really like their products more and more. I am going to try the gel stain for sure. thank you for the post.
Really rich looking. Great job!
It’s very pretty…so much better than before! I was trying to decide about a stain color for a table top that I’m getting ready to do, and was worried that I was going too dark…You helped me decide! Thanks for sharing.
judypimperl.blogspot.com
It turned out great. I think the darker color has a rich look. A definite improvement!
What an awesome product! That is amazing that you can change the color without having to strip the whole thing. Especially on millwork on a wall or window. Perfect for your place, where you are so focused on keeping the historical charm. But I can think of many painter who would live this for the tops of their projects, to save them the sanding time.
The Other Marian
You nailed it girl! Love the darker richer look!\
Wow! Looks great! How much sanding did you have to dobefore applying the gel stain?
Hi! I just came across this post and so glad I did, your colors turned out so beautiful. I wanted to ask, how did you literally mix the 2 stains together to get that amazing finish? I have a light/orangish outdated trim that is very similar to yours and I love how you transformed it. Did you mix half and half, or did you layer those 2 colors? Thank you!
Hi Mary, I’m so glad you like how this came out and it was easy to do. I mixed together the two stains in a separate container. I think I did one to one but I can’t remember – it was so LONG ago, but I’m happy to share the stain has held up over the last 7 years and we’re still really happy with it. Hope that helps.