Here is the paper towel that I used to do the staining. I could have used a paint brush, which would have taken more stain, and made the stain on the wood a little darker, but I chose to just use the paper towel.
A nice soft cloth also works well.
This is the paper towel I used to wipe off the excess stain from one of the test boards. As you can see, it didn't pick up a huge amount.
Had I used a brush to apply the stain, the paper towel would have picked up a lot more stain.
This are just the basics of using a stain, but, somewhere between no sanding and excessive sanding, is a happy medium for most folks.
Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll have time to actually get some work done. Wahoo!!
