How To Match Wood Stain

Okay, let’s get things straight from the very start: if you’re looking for a shortcut cheat sheet which will help you learn how to match wood stain, you’d better change your strategy. Matching wood stain is a form of art, or at least this is the best way I dare to call this process.
You’d better get prepared for some trials and errors. But there’s so much fun involved while experimenting!
What we can do to make your mission much easier is to share the tiny but essential tips and tricks we have learned so far which will decrease the number of possible errors you may face (and increase the joy of the entire gig!). So, are you ready to dive in? It’s time to get this party started.
What You Will Need To Follow This Tutorial
- Finisher’s color wheel
- Stain palette
- Containers (plastic cups work great for mixing the stains)
- Oral syringe (or an eyedropper)
- Sample board
- Paintbrush
- Wood spoons (you will need a separate spoon for each stain and a separate one solely for stirring)
- Notebook and a pencil
- Topcoat
A Quick Pro Tip
Always let your stain dry fully. What looks like a perfect color match right after the application may end in a completely different shade than what you are looking for once the stain has dried completely.
Step by Step Instructions For Matching Wood Stain
Step 1 – Pick a matching color with the help of a finisher’s color wheel and a stain palette

Image Credit: woodmagazine.com
Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 1]
A finisher’s wheel will help you understand what the final color of the stain will look like without much of a fuss. However, the windows on the finisher’s color wheel often suggest a few different blends which are closest to your target. In such cases, it’s best to go for the lighter blends.
Read More: How To's on Staining Your Wood Projects
- How To Stain Unfinished Wood
- How to Fix Blotchy Wood Stain
- How to Lighten Dark Stained Wood
- How To Stain Pallet Wood
- How to Darken Wood without Stain
- How To Stain Pine Wood
- How To Match Wood Stain
- How To Apply Gel Stain To Finished Wood
- How To Antique Wood With Stain
- How to Clean Wood Before Staining
- How to Prep Wood for Stain
- How To Restain A Wood Table
- How To Stain Wood With Coffee
Read More: How To's, Techniques and Tips [List 1]
- How To Stop Sap Coming Out Of Wood
- How To Seal Wood Without Changing Color
- How to Make Cardboard Hard Like Wood
- How To Round Wood Edges Without Router
- How to Bend Wood Without Steam
- How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors
- How To Make Wood Drawers Slide Easier
- How To Stencil On Wood Without Bleeding
- How to Flatten a Workbench
- How To Make a Wood Table Top Smooth
- How To Age Wood With Baking Soda
- How to Whitewash Dark Wood Furniture
- How To Make Slime With Wood Glue
- How to Burn Wood with Electricity
- How To Apply Water Based Polyurethane To Wood Floors
That’s because it is much easier to darken a stain if needed then to end up with a darker shade which will be hard to lighten. Once you have come up with a suitable color blend through the finisher’s wheel, test the blends against a stain palette which is available in the store as you are picking the stains.
Step 2 – Mix and test the stains

Image Credit: blog.minwax.com
You have to forget about hitting the target color right away. Instead, it’s all about mixing, testing, and adjusting the stains until you get to the perfect match. Start by adding only a single spoon of stain at a time in a 1:1 ratio.
Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 2]
Once you have mixed a small amount of the stains in a suitable container, stirring it well, proceed with testing it on a piece of scrap wood. For this purpose, it’s best to opt for an oral syringe or an eyedropper to make sure you only test a small and consistent amount.

MUST SEE: Make 16,000 Projects With Step By Step Plans
Ted's Woodworking Plans contains complete instructions from start to finish, leaving absolutely no guesswork. Here is what you get:
- Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cutting & Materials List
- Detailed Schematics
- Views From All Angles
- Suitable For Beginners & Professionals
Read More: How To's, Techniques and Tips [List 2]
- How to Remove Nails From Wood
- How to Resharpen a Japanese Ryoba’s Rip Teeth
- How to Sharpen Woodworking Tools
- How to Whitewash Pine Wood
- How To Modge Podge Pictures To Wood
- How To Apply Shellac To Wood
- How To Take Apart A Wood Pallet
- How To Install A Wood Accent Wall
- How to Do String Art on Wood
- How to Remove a Stripped Screw from Wood
- How To Upgrade Wood Frame
- How to Get Nails Out of Wood
- How to Refinish a Wood Table
- How To Make Vinyl Letters Stick To Wood
- How To Measure A Cord Of Wood
Write up the exact amount of each stain which you have mixed and number the test board where you have applied the stain. This will help you adjust the colors easier but is also useful when you need to duplicate a particular batch.
Step 3 – Repeat

Image Credit: Pinterest
For a reference, paint-store professionals claim that it takes an average of 12-15 trials before you get a matching stain. So keep repeating the process of mixing, testing, and labeling the stains without fretting about the numerous possible trials.
Use the finisher’s color wheel by placing it against the test scrap board to get an idea what the color might be lacking and how to proceed when mixing the next batch.
Step 4 – Apply the matching stain and seal it with a topcoat

Image Credit: yukonstruct.com
Read More: How To's, Techniques and Tips [List 3]
- How To Start A Fire With Wet Wood
- How To Stencil On Wood
- How to Finish Wood With Polyurethane
- How to Refinish Wood Dresser
- How To Age Wood Grey
- How To Apply Gold Leaf To Wood
- How To Apply Polyurethane To Wood
- How To Bend Wood With Water
- How to Burn Designs Into Wood
- How to Carve a Face In Wood
- How to Carve Wood By Hand
- How To Replace Wood Siding
- How To Split Wood With A Wedge
- How To Transfer Pictures To Wood
- How To Treat Pallet Wood For Indoor Use
Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 3]
- How To Sand Wood
- How To Season Wood
- How To Spray Paint Wood
- How To Stack Wood
- How To Stain And Seal Wood
- How To Stain Wood
- How to Carve Wood
- How to Hand Plane Wood
- How to Paint Wood
- How to Cure Wood
- How to Petrify Wood
- How to Pickle Wood
- How to Preserve Wood
- How To Screw Into Wood
- How To Split Wood
- How to Find Wood Studs
Finally, once you get a matching stain you can proceed with applying it. If you want to darken the color of the stain, you may need to apply 2 coats instead of a single one.
When choosing a topcoat such as oil-based polyurethane or water-based polyurethane, keep in mind that it will also alter the final color of the stain. Thus, it’s best to test the way the topcoat affects the final results on your scarp board before sealing the stain at the very end.
Matching wood stain can be a delightful experience. As long as you are prepared to spend some time mixing and testing the stains until you get a wonderful match, nothing can ruin your good mood. I used to feel lost and confused during my first trials of learning how to match the wood stain.
However, I quickly figured out that this is more of an art process than a common task you can do mechanically. And what about you? Do you have valuable tips to share about matching wood stain? Join us in the comment section! Like and share this article to help us spread the positive vibes.