How to Stain Cabinets With Dovetails

Lay a plastic tarp on a flat spot on the ground. Remove the cabinet doors from the cabinets by unscrewing the hinges and place the doors on the tarp. Remove the rest of the hardware, including the handles.

Sand the cabinet box and doors with 220-grit sandpaper to remove any rough spots. Pay special attention to the dovetailing because the jigsawed piece may be a raw wood edge that will need more sanding than the rest of the cabinetry. Wipe the wood with a tack cloth to remove the dust.

Select a color of stain that is dark enough to cover the dovetailing, as well as the rest of the cabinet surface. Open the wood stain and stir it with a paint stirrer.

Cut a carpet scrap into a 4-by-3-inch square. Dip the carpet into the stain and rub it into the wood surface, following the grain. Cover the cabinet doors first, then the cabinet box.

Wipe up any excess stain with an old rag. Apply another coat of stain if you want a darker finish, and wipe up the excess. Use a second clean rag to wipe down the cabinets following the wood grain. Let the wood dry according directions on the stain package.

Reinstall the hardware and replace the cabinets.