Wet the wood with water and let it dry before applying the stain to raise the grain and create a rougher surface for more colorant to lodge. You could shorten the procedure to one step by using a water-based stain. It will raise the grain, and the coloring will be darker when you wipe off the excess.
Applying a darker stain over a lighter stain is super easy and works really well. You do not need to completely sand away the old stain color. All you need to do is lightly sand the surface so the new stain color can adhere well.
Enter Gel Stain.
Gel stain is a stain that can stain without having to soak into the wood. It basically sits on the top of the sealed wood, making the wood darker. But you can also still see the wood grain, just like traditionally stained wood!
It is entirely possible to darken already stained wood, and you have a variety of options to do so. Darkening stained wood is not as involved as lightening stained wood, and so this project is much less intensive.
For pieces where you have a dark finish and want to go lighter, you will need to remove the existing finish first. Then, determine what undertone your wood has and counteract it with an appropriate stain color. For pieces that are a light finish, and you want to go darker, you can simply apply a darker stain!
Traditionally, tung oil has been used on oak to maintain its colour, however, if you wish to darken the oak then hard wax oil is preferable. Danish oil is popular, historically, as a finish on oak as it brings out its rich tones, as well as preventing staining to the surface.
Beeswax for Hardwood
Beeswax furniture polish is great for any type of wood because it brings out the natural colour. Whether you are polishing mahogany, maple, walnut, cherry, or teak, keep in mind that over time, beeswax on wood will lead to a slight darkening over time.
One simple way to stain wood is to boil tea bags in two cups of water until you have a deep tea concentrate. Simply brush the hot tea water onto your wood. The tannins in the tea will react with the wood providing a range of colors. Different teas and tea quantities will give you different shades of natural wood stain.
Varnishes and oils offer a natural-looking wood finish. Varnish, shellac, and lacquer are not easy to apply, but they do offer a deep and rich look. They will also deepen and darken over time.
Pour enough white vinegar into the container that it will submerge the steel wool. Put the top on and shake it up good then let it sit for 24 hrs. You can get different levels of aging if you let is sit longer or shorter periods, but for most of my purposes 24 hrs is perfect.
Use tools and other objects to distress wood. Try hitting it with a hammer, mallet, or metal chain to create small divots. A wood gouge may be helpful to add a few nicks here and there. You can also press the side of a large screw into the wood or hammer the side of an awl to create a long scratch.
How does vinegar darken wood? Vinegar causes steel wool to oxidize, or basically rust. That rust “dyes” the vinegar. Then, that vinegar reacts with the color of the wood that you apply it to, giving it a new, deeper color.
Just like hardwood floors, vinegar can eat away at the wax finish on wood furniture, leaving it looking dull and cloudy. But, you'll frequently read that vinegar is ideal for cleaning all types of wood. If you would like to use vinegar on finished or waxed wood furniture, use it extremely infrequently and at your risk.
Using most gel stains, you can darken wood furniture, or stay the same color, without sanding off the old stain. But, I usually use General Finishes Gel Stain because the finish always looks beautiful. Don't forget to Save or Share these steps for how to stain wood without sanding.
PolyShades stain and polyurethane also allows you to easily change the color of your currently stained or varnished wood without stripping. Over old varnish you can change the color without removing the old finish or hiding the grain.
Apply a second coat of stain after the first has dried fully. This will usually produce a slightly darker coloring with the excess wiped off. Substitute a glaze or gel stain for the liquid stain. Glazes and gel stains usually contain a higher ratio of pigment to vehicle.