The best pink wood stains - tested!

If you are looking for the perfect pink wood stain color for your DIY furniture project, here are the 4 biggest options on the market tested on 3 types of wood each!

Wood stain has the potential to totally transform how a finished project looks. Sure, sometimes you want wood to look like neutral wood - but sometimes you want it to feel fun!

A great way to add a pop of excitement to a wood project is with a bold color stain.

Pink is my favorite color, so I couldn't resist testing some pink wood stains.

What I found? There are honestly not many pink wood stain options and the ones that there are are very, very different.

Today I am rounding up the 4 different pink stains in our arsenal so you can see how they each look on 3 species of wood!

The best pink wood stains

The 4 pink wood stains that we are sharing are:

• Varathane Rose
• Varathane Coral
• Unicorn Spit
• RIT Dye Super Pink

We are sharing these because they are all slightly different and all great in their own ways.

Honestly, I love all of these 4 options and none are "best" or better than the others. They each just have different shades of pink and slightly different properties.

I had a very hard time finding pink stains in store - so I ordered all of these on Amazon. Your local store might give you better luck, but even the employees were stumped helping me look for pink!

We tested each of these wood stains on 3 different types of woods so you can see how it might look on your project:

• Poplar
• Pine (plywood)
• Standard 2x4

Click to read about how we tested ten different wood stains on 5 species of wood each!

Varathane Rose

If you want to add just. touch of a baby pink or blush hue to your wood, I highly reccomed Varathane wood stain in the Rose color.

This is a traditional type wood stain that can easily be applied with a brush or cloth. It goes on fairly light, so plan to do 2 coats.

While the color isn't dramatic, it is definitely pink and is a great soft and neutral way to bring that color into a space.

Note: this color has a tendency to settle dramatically. If you open the can and it looks water, stir it very well. It should look milky pink in the can.

Purchase Varathane Rose here!

Varathane Coral

If you want a bit of a bolder pink that still lets the wood look like natural wood (with the grain showing prominently), this is my pick.

It is a coral - so there is a good amount of orange tones to the color. But, it is definitely pink.

I like this option less for a whole project and more for elements on a piece that you might want to give a fun pop, while still having it feel like wood and blend with surrounding wood that might be in more natural tones.

Purchase Varathane Coral here!

Unicorn Spit

If you want a dramatic hot pink wood finish, 100% without a doubt, you want Unicorn Spit in Pixie Punk Pink.

This is a gel stain that goes on thick and gives pretty full coverage - somewhere between a paint and a stain, in my opinion.

The color is absolutely stunning and the stain is even scented like jasmine.

I really love this stain. It is easy to apply without any blotchiness, gives great coverage, and is such a fun color. If you want hot pink - it's your go to!

Purchase Unicorn Spit here!

Rit Dye (Super Pink)

The final stain that I decided to try wasn't a stain at all - but a dye!

I love using dye and food coloring to stain wood.

What's great about it is that dye is highly pigmented, so it adds a lot of color to your wood tone, without any opacity covering up the wood grain.

So, if you want hot pink but still to see the wood grain entirely, consider trying this out!

You simply use a cloth or foam brush and spread the dye like you would a stain. Do not pour the dye onto the wood - dipe the brush instead and move it as evenly as possible for even results.

Definitely wear gloves when working with dye.

This is a fun and super inexpensive option for adding bold color to a wood project. Know that the dye will not protect the wood like a stain might, so you will need to plan to add a top coat to seal and protect the surface!

Purchase RIT super pink here!

Pink stain vs. Pink paint

What is the difference between pink stain and pink paint?

Pink paint is totally opaque and covers the wood underneath completely.

Pink stain will be transparent enough to let the wood grain show through. How transparent it is depends on the stain that you choose and how much stain you apply.

This is a personal preference. Do you want the wood grain to shine through? Or do you want more full coverage? It depends on the desired aesthetic.

How do you stain wood pink?

Pink wood stain is really easy to apply!

• It's important to start with clean, sanded wood. Wood straight from the store can have a slight coating on it, so be sure to lightly sand to expose the fresh wood underneath.
• You may then apply a wood conditioner if you want to help the stain absorb more evenly.
• Wood conditioner is less important with light wood stains compared to dark wood stains, which look splotchy more easily.
• Then, apply the stain. I like to use a lint-free cloth and apply in the direction of the wood grain.
• Let sit for five minutes or more and then use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess. Don't forget to check the sides for drips!
• Once fully fry, you can either use as is or apply a top coat sealant.

New to using wood stain? Grab our complete guidebook - it covers everything you need to know to get the perfect finish!