How to Match Minwax Puritan Pine Stain

Find a scrap piece of wood that is identical (same species, color and grain pattern) to the piece already stained with Puritan Pine.

Purchase several small cans of stain. Ensure that they are all either water- or oil-based -- you cannot mix the two. If you're staining a different species of wood but prefer to use oil-based, purchase a small can of Puritan Pine. Since Puritan Pine is a yellowish hue, stains you might need are a yellowish pine or oak color, clear stain, a lighter red (red oak, perhaps) and a brown.

Start with the closest stain you have to the Puritan Pine and pour it into a separate container. Again, if you're matching a different species but still want to use oil-based, start with the Puritan Pine. If you're using water-based, start with the yellowish pine color you have chosen.

Wipe a small amount of this stain, the size of a quarter or half-dollar, onto the scrap wood, and see if the stain is lacking red or brown

Add small amounts of the color, red or brown, most needed with plastic measuring spoons, and start wiping with every addition. Take care to use small amounts. It is easier to go darker than lighter -- adding large amounts can quickly and greatly darken your stain. Keep track of every time you add a colorant and how much you've added.

Keep wiping and adding small amounts until you get a match. Each time you wipe, look to see which colorant you feel is lacking. Add clear stain to lighten or thin a stain to get a better match.