Did you recently stain a piece of furniture that didn’t turn out the way you envisioned? If so, your first thought was likely, “can I add a second layer of stain in a different color?”

Before you open that next can of stain, slap it on, and make the situation worse, I’m here to help you through it. Beyond that, I’m going to provide you with a few simple tips to make sure you never go through this again!

Let’s get to it!

Can A Second Coat Of Stain Be A Different Color?

Yes, you can apply 2 different colors of stain. However, this method is only effective when applying a dark stain over a light-colored stain before the first layer has fully cured. In most other cases, it’s best to remove the first coat, pre-mix your colors, and apply your custom stain in 1 layer.

All that said, it doesn’t really hurt to throw on a new layer of stain and give it a shot.

Since the first layer of stain will prevent your second coat from penetrating as deep into the wood, it won’t make your stain removal process that much harder.

I realize that might not be the answer you were hoping for.

And trust me, I’ve been right where you are.

After you spent hours of hard work sanding and applying your stain, the idea of doing it all over again can make you want to smash your project into little tiny bits, fall to your knees and cry, or just give up altogether.

But no matter how much you want to throw in the towel, I would encourage you to do the opposite.

Nearly every furniture project you take on will come with some sort of difficulty. But the more mistakes you make and conquer, the fewer and further between they will occur.

So, break out that sander and get back to work.

Tips For Achieving The Right Color Stain (The First Time)

As a professional woodworker, and having stained countless projects over the years, I’ve made all manner of mistakes when it comes to staining furniture.

In an effort to prevent more furniture-staining struggles for you, here are a few of my hard-earned tips to help you get the best possible results on your future projects.

While I can’t promise that these tips will give you perfect results every time, I can confidently say that they will improve your chances.

Choose The Right Type Of Stain

When selecting a stain, you have 3 primary choices: water-based, oil-based, and gel.

Each has its own set of pros and cons, so it’s important to select the right type for your project.

If you’re unsure which to choose, here are a few key things to keep in mind:

Oil-Based Stains

Oil-based stains penetrate wood very deeply, so it’s important to be careful when using them.

A little goes a long way with oil-based stains, and it can be difficult to achieve lighter colors.

Oil-based stains also take longer to dry, which makes them the perfect option for larger woodworking projects like tables and doors. As a good rule of thumb, it’s also best to use a pre-stain with oil-based stains in order to achieve the best possible results.

Water-Based Stains

Water-based stains do not penetrate wood as deeply as oil-based stains. They also dry much faster, which is why we only recommend using water-based stains on small woodworking projects.

On larger projects, the fast dry-time makes it much more difficult to achieve a streak-free, even coat.

On the other hand, you can apply multiple layers of water-based stains in order to achieve darker results. So, if you used water-based stain for the first layer of stain on your current project, and it isn’t quite as dark as you’d like it to be, go ahead and slap on another coat!

Additionally, water-based stains are typically safe to use indoors and have little to no odor.

Gel Stains

If you’re looking for an easy-to-apply stain that gives you the best chance of getting a clean, even coat, then a gel stain is probably your best bet.

In fact, I almost always recommend gel stains for beginners because they’re so easy to work with.

Gel stains are also perfect for staining vertical surfaces like cabinets and doors, as they don’t drip or run the way other types of stains can.

Also, gel stains will not penetrate wood as deeply as oil-based or water-based stains. So, if you’re worried about having to sand back a mistake, this will be your best bet.

The downside to gel stains is that they tend to hide some of the character in the wood grain. So, if you want a deep, character-enhancing stain that highlights the grain of your woodworking project, I recommend an oil-based stain over a gel stain.

Pre-Mix Your Colors

If you can’t find the stain color you’re looking for, you should always pre-mix your stain colors and apply them in one coat.

Not only will this give you a much wider range of color choices, but it will also help you avoid any blotching or streaks that can occur when using multiple coats of stain.

When pre-mixing your own stains, always mix them in batches big enough to cover your entire project–and then some.

Trust me; there’s nothing worse than running out of a custom stain color before you finish a project. I can tell you from personal experience that even if you carefully measure your custom stain mix, it’s nearly impossible to get the exact same color twice.

Apply A Pre-Stain For Better Results

A pre-stain is a conditioner that helps to prep the wood for staining.

It’s especially important to use a pre-stain on woods that are known to be difficult to stain evenly, such as pine.

Pre-stains help to promote even absorption of the stain, which results in a more even application and better results.

The best part of pre-stain is that it gives you a little bit of additional staining control. For instance, if you want to make sure your stain doesn’t get too dark, you can apply 2 or 3 layers of pre-stain.

That brings me to my next tip:

Use 2 Coats Of Pre-Stain On End Grain

I realize this could have gone in the previous section, but I really think it’s important enough to call out on its own.

Test, Perfect, Apply

As with any kind of finish, the more testing you do before applying it to your final project, the better results you will get. With that in mind, whenever you’re using stain, I recommend practicing on a scrap piece of wood before you put a drop of stain on your project.

Important, your practice piece of wood should be the same species of wood as your final project. In other words, if you’re staining a piece of furniture that’s made out of maple, it doesn’t make sense to test the look you’re going for on a piece of birch.

Additionally, you should prepare your test piece of wood the exact same way you plan to prepare your final piece.

In other words, if you’re going to sand your project up to 220 grit, you should sand your test piece to 220 grit as well. If you’re going to use pre-stain, you should do the same on your test piece.

Every species of wood takes stain differently. In fact, every piece of wood takes stain a little differently, so if at all possible, you should test your stain on a cutoff from your project.

This will provide you with the most accurate representation of how the stain will look on your final piece.

Bottom Line

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when deciding whether or not to use a second coat of stain in a different color.

Whether you’re trying to achieve a certain color, or simply fix a mistake, I hope these tips have been helpful.

The most important thing to remember is that practice makes perfect. So, don’t be afraid to experiment until you get the results you’re looking for. And in just about every case, practice staining on a few scrap pieces of wood until you get everything just right.

While this might add a little extra time to your project, it will save you the agony of a hasty mistake.

Now get out there and get your DIY on!