How do I prep dark stained wood for unicorn spit on top?

Hi Sharon

Here is some info I found for you.

http://eclecticproducts.com/unicorn-spit-gel-stain-and-glaze-in-one.html

https://allthingsnewagain.net/2017/04/07/unicorn-spit-diy-tutorial-how-to-create-a-side-by-side-technique/

http://eclecticproducts.com/unicorn-spit-gel-stain-and-glaze-in-one.html

https://allthingsnewagain.net/2017/04/07/unicorn-spit-diy-tutorial-how-to-create-a-side-by-side-technique/

Thank you both!

no, you add the unicorn spit first and then seal with the polyurethane. I my experience using unicorn spit adding it on top of a dark stain does not give the best colour result. Maybe do a small test piece first to see the final colour.

Yeah always Poly or seal after any painting is done and your project is complete.

Use the polyurethane to seal it once you are done. Applying it before will infact create a negative surface for stencil work

I don't think you need to seal it before you add the unicorn spit. If you have a piece of scrap wood, you might try it out first?

I would sand the top a bit before you stencil, otherwise if its too glossy the paint from stencil wont stick

Okay, I will definitely try sanding lightly and find a test piece first. You guys are great!

I would suggest priming the area to have the best colors to be viewed.

There are some nice acrylic metallics and pearl colors out there to consider too- that I have used in my mermaid paintings.

Hi Sharon, I would definitely seal the darker stain with a water based sealer. The sparkling Unicorn SPiT colors look amazing on a dark background, but you may need to build up the layers to get the deep rich colors to pop. We shared a tutorial on how to blend US on a dark background here that might give you more information - https://acraftymix.com/blog/layering-sparkling-unicorn-spit/

There are lots of Unicorn Spit posts here also that may be able to help you.

Thank you for all the help. I have resolved my question, thanks to the suggestions on this post.