The best purple wood stains

If you are looking for the perfect purple wood stain color for your DIY furniture project, here are the 6 biggest options on the market tested on 2 types of wood each!

I love testing different wood stain colors on projects. That’s because wood stain can totally transform the look of a piece.

Whether you are building from scratch or refinishing an existing piece – you definitely want to get the stain color right.

Purple is a bold color choice, for sure. Our 3 year old is OBSESSED with anything purple, so I have been having fun playing with shades of purple lately.

Today I am rounding up the 6 different purple stains in our arsenal so you can see how they each look on 2 species of wood!

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

Plus, they are easy to find. Varathane is carried at Home Depot and Minwax is at Lowes. The Saman brand I order on Amazon!

Note: I totally spaced but should have included our purple Unicorn Spit in this test. It’s a beautiful option for a bright purple finish!

We tested each of these wood stains on 2 different types of woods so you can see how it might look on your project:

• Pine (plywood)
• Standard 2×4

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

Saman Eggplant

This stain is a gorgeous, deep purple shade. It can almost read black in certain wood grains.

I love how easy Saman stains are to apply and their beautiful coverage!

Saman Mauve

Mauve is a pinkier purple shade. It’s a bit bright, without being electric.
I once again love how Saman stains go on, its so easy to work with!

Minwax Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom is a bright mauve color. It can read pink or read purple, depending on the lighting and surroundings.

I have a bit of trouble working with these solid color wood finishes – they tend to go blotchy- but I do love the color!

Minwax Wisteria

Wisteria is a gorgeous light lilac color. This is a baby nursery’s dream!

I had a lot of trouble getting a good finish with this product – one shade felt too light and 2 coats got a bit thick – so be prepared to practice and work with it a bit, first!

Varathane Black Cherry

Black Cherry is not really a purple but a brown with purple undertones. It’s a great option if you want a piece to feel a bit purple without being overly so.

Minwax Violet

This shade of Violet is similar to Eggplant, but a bit less dark. It’s a bright, bold, deep purple color. It gives good coverage and is a great option if you want a bold purple finish!

Unicorn Spit

So, I forgot to include unicorn spit in my test swatch but wanted to share it here. It’s a super highly pigmented stain that can be watered down for more of a water color effect. The purple shade is GORGEOUS if you want bold purple color!

Purple stain vs. purple paint

What is the difference between purple stain and purple paint?

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

Purple 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.

How do you stain wood Purple?

Purple 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.

Then, apply the stain. I like to use a lint-free cloth and apply in the direction of the woodgrain.

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!

Video Demonstration

Click here or on the video below to watch me test these wood stains on video – with tons of commentary!