How to Stain Unfinished Maple

Dip a cloth into a prestain wood conditioner and rub it all over the wood until it is completely covered. Let the conditioner sit on the wood for 15 minutes and then buff off any excess residue. Apply the stain within 2 hours of the prestain.

Apply stain to the wood by dipping a cloth into the stain and rubbing it against the wood's grain. Use a lot of stain to ensure the wood has plenty of stain to absorb. Work quickly and cover all areas of the wood, even the bottom sides of tables. Leave the stain on for the recommended amount of time. The longer the stain is left, the darker it will get.

Buff off extra stain using a clean rag. Work in the direction of the wood's grain. Rub the wood quickly to ensure the excess stain is removed evenly and stain on one section doesn't sit for 20 minutes longer than stain on another section. This is particularly important with maple, which gets blotchy.

Wet a sponge brush in a polyurethane finish and paint the finish onto the wood in the direction of the wood's grain. Let it dry for 6 hours. Sand with fine sand paper, wipe away the dust and apply a second coat. Let dry for 24 hours before putting the wood into use.