How To Stain Pine To Look Like Oak? (Answered)
The price of oak, which is often considered a premium form of wood, can be much more than that of pinewood.
What if, on the other hand, you could get that high-end appearance without paying the high-end money?
If you adore the light beige to red and brown tones of oak wood, you may be relieved to learn that you can replicate that look even when you do not want to spend a significant amount of money on the wood itself.
If you know how to stain pine wood to make it look like oak, you may construct your personalized oak wood right in your home.
This essay will take you step-by-step through the process of staining pine to make it look like oak, and it will also provide some helpful advice on the finest products you can use to create this effect.


VIDEO: How To Stain Wood Like A Pro
How to Give Pine the Appearance of Oak When Stained
First, prepare the wood using a pre-stain wood conditioner, allowing it to dry for at least half an hour.
After that, using an old cloth dipped in the stain, gently paint a light coat of golden oak over the wood. Make sure there is no overflow of the stain. Let it dry for some time.
Remember that pine tends to be knotty throughout its structure, whereas oak tends to have wide pores and an even grain.
Consequently, you will need to get things started by selecting a board with a substantially higher percentage of grain and as few knots as humanly possible.
After completing this first step, the remaining steps should be simpler and easier to carry out.
Staining Pine to Look Like Oak in Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions
Choosing the right products to apply to your pine and giving it the appearance of oak is the primary step in achieving the desired effect when coloring the wood.
Although others begin their process with a dye, our experience has shown us that this step is only sometimes required.
Instead, we frequently merely use a variety of wood treatments to obtain the perfect look for our projects.
You should have no trouble duplicating these outcomes if you stick to the same processes and use the tools and supplies we will provide.
The Items That You Will Require To Have
- Wet cloth
- Sandpaper
- Sandcastle block
- Wood preservative
- tack cloth
- clean rags that are devoid of lint
- Between two and three distinct types of wood stain (more than one stain is essential to achieve the look)
The Process of Applying a Stain on Pine to Make It Look Like Oak


Following these instructions will allow you to complete the task once you have gathered all the necessary materials.
Step 1: Getting the Project Area Ready
To begin, clear some room for your project by moving anything that can be removed from its current location.
Because the activity will require using a wood stain, which could spill on the items around the area, you should protect the surfaces in the immediate vicinity by laying down a drop cloth, plastic sheeting, or a few newspapers.
Because you do not want the white stain or primer to get on the floor or ground underneath your project, you will need to cover it with a tarp or newspaper.
These surfaces are more protected from unsightly stains as a result of this.
Step 2: Get the pinewood ready.
Check to see if any of the knots in the wood species are loose, especially if the bare wood is teloow pine because pine frequently has knots.
Applying some epoxy into the spaces around the knots will help ensure that they remain in their intended positions once they have been tied.
When you finish this process, you should use a putty knife to ensure that the paste is flush with the wood surface, and then you should let it dry.
After that, sand the entire surface of the wood furniture until it is entirely smooth to the touch. If the undertaking is significant, consider utilizing a power sander.
A sanding block that can be held in one’s palm should be sufficient to finish a simple project.
When you are sanding, you should move in the same direction as the grain of the wood. This will allow any marks left behind from the sanding process to blend smoothly with the grain.
Sandpaper with 180 to 220 grit is a decent place to begin before deciding whether to go onto finer grits or leave the surface as it is.
A tack cloth or a clean rag soaked with water should be used when wiping away the sanding dust. If you want to use a damp rag instead of a tack cloth, you will need to ensure that it has had adequate time to dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: Get some practice with scrap pieces of wood.
The color of oak can range from a reddish-brown to a beige tone, in addition to many other shades. Because of this, you will find that oak-colored wood stains can refer to at least five different hues of wood stain altogether.
Experimenting with different combinations of stains is the only way to determine which style is most congruent with your aesthetic.
Therefore, we strongly advise you to get at least two different colors of wood stain; however, you are free to purchase as many as you like to experiment.
Even if you are only working with two different hues, you need to do tests using a variety of coatings and stain color intensities on several pieces of scrap wood. After they have dried completely, evaluate them to determine which color you prefer the most.
When you have determined the color you like best; you can use it as a model for your project.
Step 4: Prime the pinewood.
A pre stain wood conditioner is necessary to get a smooth and even finish with the dark stain.
Yellow Pine is one of the varieties of wood that does not readily receive dyes when applied.
Therefore, priming is vital to guarantee that it stains uniformly and does not include blotches.
The product will have the required drying time and will be applied in a specified manner. It is highly recommended that you adhere to these directions to the letter at all times.
In an ideal situation, apply the primer exactly as the wood stain. After thoroughly soaking a rag free of lint in the product, massage it onto the surface of the raw wood. After ample time to thoroughly dry, apply a second coat and let that air dry.
Always ensure that you are wiping the wood conditioner onto the wood fibers in the same direction as the grain.
Because of this, the pine will be better able to absorb the wood stain evenly across the surface.
Step 5: Applying the First Stain to the Wood
There are several variations of oak-colored wood stains to choose from.
On pinewood, for instance, both the Weathered Oak oil based stain and the Golden Oak Wood Finish oil-based wood stain do a fantastic job of protecting and enhancing the wood’s natural beauty.
Following several successful tests, we decided to go with the Golden Oak wood treatment for this particular project.
To apply this wood stain to your pine boards, first, soak a clean cotton cloth free of lint and then use the cloth to wipe the wood in the direction of the grain.
When applying the stain to the wood, you could wipe it in any motion and direction. However, when wiping away the extra wood stain, it is crucial to follow the directions provided on the wood stain.
Typically, this should be done after 5 to 10 minutes have passed.
If you want to produce a deeper color with this oil based wood stain, let it sit on the surface for up to 15 minutes before wiping it off to give it more time to absorb into the wood.
On the other hand, if you want the stain to be lighter in color, you should wipe it off as soon as possible after rubbing it on.
In any of these scenarios, the most important thing is to apply an even coat of wood stain to the whole surface of the wood, covering every square inch of it.
To accomplish this, you must first apply copious amounts of the darker stain to cover the entire surface and then wipe away the excess so that it is distributed evenly along the grain.
Step 6: Check the Condition of the Surface, and Apply a Second Coat if Required
After the stain has entirely dried by the instructions provided on the product label, you should examine it to determine whether or not you like the color.
Before moving on to the second wood stain, it is highly recommended that a second and even a third coat be applied to ensure that the color is as deep as possible.
Step 7: Applying the Second Wood Stain
You will achieve a relatively dark color if you apply multiple colors, allow them to stay on the surface for at least five minutes, and then wipe off the excess after they have been applied.
Now is the time to make that color a little lighter to give it the magic of a beige oak.
We accomplished this by utilizing the White Wash layering color manufactured by Minwax. Because it is a water-based formula, you should immediately remove the excess before applying it.
Less than a minute ought to be sufficient. Then, you can apply it with a rag or a foam brush, but make sure to remove any excess with a clean cotton cloth by rubbing it in the direction of the grain.
After an hour, this pickling stain should be dry, at which point you may apply a clear-colored topcoat to seal in color and keep it from fading.
You will also need to exercise caution with the pickling stain to prevent it from pooling in any particular surface area. WipingAgain, wiping the device down before a minute has passed is the most effective technique to avoid an issue of this nature.
Step 8: Apply a topcoat.
After you have finished all the stages outlined above, apply a transparent film-forming topcoat to your newly produced wood to protect it.
Keep in mind that any topcoat with an amber hue may alter the overall appearance; therefore, for this component, it is recommended that you purchase a product that does not yellow, such as Minwax’s Polycrylic.
You also have the option of using polyurethane, which is water-based. The fact that the water-based formulation goes on clear and maintains its transparency over time makes it a great topcoat.
To get the desired look and feel, the layers of polyurethane should be kept thin, and the areas between the coatings should be sanded with fine sandpaper with a grit of 240.
FAQ on How To Stain Pine To Look Like Oak
Is it possible to tint pine to seem like oak?
After that, the pine is stained in the exact same way that any other kind of wood would be treated using Wood Stain. It’s as easy as applying it with a foam brush or a lint-free cloth, then waiting for it to dry. In this example, we show you how our Dark Oak Wood Stain appears when applied to pine, and we hope that you find it helpful.
How may pine be stained so that it does not take on a yellow appearance?
After being exposed to sunshine, pine takes on a color that is somewhere between a light yellow and a light orange. The majority of finishes make the situation worse by leaving the wood with a tone that can be described as “cigarette yellow” as it ages. After sanding, the most effective method for producing a light, bleached appearance is to treat the surface with a thin coat of diluted White Wood Dye.
What color stain looks the best when applied to pine?
On the color wheel, orange and blue are complementary hues that sit on opposite sides. Because of this, the orange in the wood is diminished by the presence of the blue in the classic gray. This is, without a doubt, the most suitable stain color for pine, as is evident in our home. This combo has served me well over the years and has come in handy for a wide variety of do-it-yourself endeavors.
What stain makes pine seem like white oak?
Pine can be given a stain that makes it look like white oak, which is a terrific and economical approach to obtain the beauty of white oak without spending an excessive amount of money. This two-step procedure of utilizing Varathane Golden Oak stain and Minwax White Wash Pickling Stain is rather straightforward, and virtually anyone is capable of carrying it out.
Can pine be made to look like oak?
1. To begin, I prepared the wood by applying a pre-stain wood conditioner and allowing it to dry for a quarter of an hour. 2. After that, I gave the wood a light application of golden oak by dipping my cloth (which was an old t-shirt) into the stain and rubbing it into the wood as I went along. I was careful not to allow the stain “puddle” in any one spot.