Staining Wood Floors and Molding
Before staining, lay out a drop cloth. We use Gotcha Covered because it has a non-slip back, and the front absorbs spills. Scott’s 4x10 foot cloth is great for small projects. Sand the wood with very fine paper. Then use either a dry paintbrush or tack cloth to remove dust and dirt.
Use a gel stain such as Minwax instead of liquid stain, which is drippy, messy and harder to control. Applying gel stain with a rag or brush allows you to control both the darkness of the color as well as how much of the grain you want to see. Having more control is also helpful if you are trying to match the shade to your furniture. Apply two coats, allowing the stain to thoroughly dry between coats. We like to use Painters Swipes, also called "oops" cloths, to clean our hands of stain.
After staining apply acrylic top coat such as Minwax's water based polycrylic protective finish. Choose either a shiny finish or Minwax's clear stain if you prefer a matte o soft finish. This finish is fast drying and requires only water cleanup. Apply two coats, again allowing enough time for each coat to dry thoroughly. Once your wood is dry, attach it to the dollhouse. We prefer strong carpet tape such as Handi, but if you would like to permanently affix it, use Quick Grab. Don’t use tacky glue; it can make the wood buckle.
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