How to Properly Stain Pine Furniture

Unfinished pine furniture is a cost-effective means to purchase solid pine furniture. You can purchase bed frames, chest of drawers, tables, and other solid pine furniture pieces for bedroom, dining, and living rooms. Pine, as a soft wood, will soak up stain quickly and can leave blotches when dry. To properly stain unfinished pine furniture, you need to condition it first with a pre-stain wood conditioner. Pre-stain wood conditioner and wood stain are each available in oil or water-based forms.

Things You'll Need

• Pre-stain wood conditioner
• Wood stain
• Bristle or foam brushes and rags

Instructions

1. When you get your unfinished pine furniture home and are ready to stain it, remove drawers and take off any hardware (hinges, pulls, knobs). Place the furniture and stand the drawers on newspaper or paint drop cloth. Lightly sand using a fine grade sandpaper (#220). Dust or vacuum off the furniture.

2. Gather your pre-stain wood conditioner (like Min-Wax Water-Based Pre-Stain), brushes, and rags. Follow the directions on the pre-stain wood conditioner, which should tell you to stir the contents and then apply to the furniture using a brush or clean rag. Allow the pre-stain to soak in for five minutes and then wipe off the excess. Allow to dry an additional 30 minutes.

3. Lightly sand again, dust or vacuum clean, and you are ready to apply wood stain. Follow the directions on the stain container, which should tell you to stir the contents. In the direction of the wood grain, apply the stain with a brush or rag, wait a couple of minutes, and then wipe off the excess.