Diy Wood Stain Colors . The difference is in how you apply it. I like to use a foam paint brush on most of our wood. Remodelaholic How to Make Homemade DIY Wood Stain from www.remodelaholic.com With painting or staining any type of wood, you want to go in the direction of the grain, that is, to align your strokes with the darker lines on the wood. Now, it’s time to stain it. There are a couple of concepts to keep in mind when mixing your own stains.