The hardest part about winter has to be that I can’t go outside and paint, cut wood, and all those other things you can’t do inside (especially with kids). However, I have been locking myself in the basement smelling some fumes because I am desperate! But today, I have a fun little project for you that helps with avoiding those fumes! Did you know you can make your own wood stain with just a few household products? It’s true! I remember doing this with my mom when I was a little girl. My grandfather was a painter and showed us how to do this. I haven’t done it in forever and can’t believe I waited this long!
So let’s gather up some supplies shall we?
What you need: (includes some affiliate links)
– Steel wool (I used 000-extra fine grade)
– Distilled White Vinegar
– Instant Coffee
– Quart Size Mason Jar
How to make DIY Wood Stain: (be sure and read my notes at the bottom)
UPDATE: If you are applying to actual wood for a finishing project, you will need to apply several coats until you get the desired darkness! It will not appear very dark until it soaks into the wood. I let the stain dry about 15 minutes between coats. It might not be completely dry, but it worked for me. Once, dry it will look very flat in color. (example here) You will need to seal it with something to get that “wet” look from the stain. It is really is not an exact science, so please test this out before you try it on something important!
First make sure your mason jar is clean. Then you will take out one pad of the steel wool (pictured above). I sort of broke mine up a little so it wasn’t so tight together and then just push it down in your mason jar. Now just fill it up with your vinegar. Don’t fill it up all the way because it does expand a little. You can see how full mine is above, you might even go with a tad bit less if you want. Now the fun part… add in 1 Tablespoon of Instant Coffee. I prefer instant because it dissolves where as regular coffee would leave the grinds in it. That isn’t the end of the world, but you just have to deal with them when you are staining. That’s it! Now you just have to wait!
It needs to sit at least 24 hours, but the longer it sits, the richer the color gets. Then once it sits you are ready to use it. I did let mine sit for about 5 or 6 days before I used it. The color just gets prettier (in my opinion) But totally up to you. Test it out each day, see how you like it. Keep in mind though once you apply it to the wood, you won’t see the final color until it is COMPLETELY dry! It gets a little darker as the days go on. So I have to say, if you are looking for an exact color, this probably isn’t the stain you want. If you are going for a reclaimed look, then this is PERFECT! I will be sharing with you soon how to get a great weathered look using this stain ; )
So let’s see how the color looks….
On the left is Minwax’s Dark Walnut, and the Right is the DIY Wood Stain. I wanted you to be able to see the difference. The DIY Wood Stain has a little bit of a gray tone to it from the steel wool, which is what makes is perfect for making wood look older than it is!
Just a few little side notes:
– you can omit the coffee if you are wanting more of a gray color. This is traditionally how we made it when I was a kid, but I added the coffee for a little bit of a brown color
– this is not an exact science, it is homemade and your results will MOST LIKELY be different every time you make it, so if you are doing a big project, make enough for the whole thing and be sure and apply it at the same time because the stain does change the longer it sits. You could remove the steel wool to try and keep the color the same, but you would have to test this out to see if it works
Want to see how it looks on an actual project? I used this exact stain for my DIY Coat Rack
Morgan says
This is such a great tutorial I love this idea. I’m definitely going to have to try this out!
Ashley says
Thanks! It is such a cheap and safer alternative too! : ) Good luck!
Do you use the same steel wool to apply or do you use the wool sitting in the vinegar?
You don’t want to use the steel wool in the vinegar. I just leave mine in there until it dissolves because that is what will darken the color. You can use a new piece of the steel wool, or just apply with a foam brush, whichever is easier for you : )
Do you have to use distilled vinegar? Can pure white vinegar be used instead?
Where do you find the steel wool
Hi how much coffee And vinegar ?
Why vinegar and not water ?
Because it creates an iron acetate that will later react to the tannins in the tea, coffee, etc. http://www.instructables.com/id/Steel-Wool-and-Vinegar-Wood-AgingEbonizingWeathe/
Very interesting. Generations before us knew how to improvise out of necessity.
Thank you! Yes, I am so grateful for the things my grandparents were able to teach me! Such a simpler way!
Tea bags also work
I’ve heard that too Bobby! I plan on playing with a few difference mix ups : ) I think I’ll give the tea a try next! Thanks for stopping by!
Nice work. I was wondering about the smell from the vinegar though…is not too overpowering?
The smell is over powering.
Yes, vinegar can have a strong scent, but I still prefer this to smelling traditional stain during the winter months when I’m working in my basement. Sometimes I do find wearing a mask when working with any strong fumes helps.
The smell is bad at first, but you can use vinegar to get rid of smells, especially dog pee. We put it in our carpet shampooer. Its an odor neutralizer. It works too.
I tried this exactly and left it for amost two weeks and nothing. Not to impressed.
I’m sorry you are not happy with it. It doesn’t appear dark at first and it does require multiple coats. You also have to apply a top coat sealant to get the true color to come through. Let me know if you have any questions.
I made two jars. One with some paint and a regular jar. But im not really traditional. I actually hope that the paint works but I dont want it to be solid. I would like it better if it was streaky red. My room is done in burgundy/red and gold. It’s a soft beautiful gold. It’s not metallic.
I love this technique! I do a similar one, hadn’t seen it this way. I will try it. The one I do, you make the steel wool vinegar combo and set it aside, no coffee. Then, while you wait for that to “cook” I make a strong batch of black tea or coffee, and paint my boards in it and really let it soak in. Then after it dries, I go over it with the steel wool vinegar mix, and it changes color right before your eyes. I will have to try your method and see how it goes!
Here’s one of the times I did it:
http://ninered.blogspot.com/2013/05/diy-floor-mirror.html
Oh wow… well now I will have to try yours : ) Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Ashley, I found your tutorial today and I just wanted to make sure…I am going for the grey tones in my wood for the accent wall. Did you say to not add coffee for that shade? Or just a little bit? What’s your experience with that color? Thanks a lot
If you are looking for a gray tone, definitely leave the coffee out. Also, just make sure you test it out before you get started because different wood species respond differently ; ) Let me know if you have anymore questions! Thanks!!
Just a word of caution, if using this stain on oak wood it gets really, really dark, almost a navy blue…. test first…but I love this diy stain…it looks good on cedar fence boards…I make small boxes from the fence boards and use this stain….just saying
Do you have any pictures using the more weathered look like the initial pin mentioned?
I used the weathered wood method on this clock: https://cherishedbliss.com/rustic-wooden-clock-tutorial/. It ended up a little different because I was still experimenting with stains in that project so it came out a little darker. But that should give you a better idea : )
After going to the store to get the wood stain and completely not reading about the DIY wood stain tutorial…I came home and found I had no coffee or tea, so I used Mexican vanilla. It smells good and it’s dark. Do you think it might work at all?
Hey Jen! I am not entirely sure how that would work. It seems like it would. I just kinda threw the coffee in there and hoped for the best : ) But I suppose it just depends how it reacts with the vinegar. What I’d probably do is rub it on some wood by itself… if it changes the shade at all, I’d go for it. : ) Hope that helps a little! I’d love to know how it comes out though if you do end up trying it!
Wonder how you could make a gray stain. I’d love to stain a table top light grayish, just can’t by the stain right now. This stain sounds good and love that you can make it as you need it. Don’t some people just use vinegar and steel wool to stain wood? Am I thinking of wrong idea? It’s late and I’m working on ideas to make for a craft show in mid Dec. Will be staining/painting several small pieces of wood to make holiday signs with. Want a rustic look. People here don’t like distressed. Any advice or suggestions you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
If you reply would you please direct to my email address? Thanks
Enjoy the season.
I was wondering on the diy stain is it okay to use the fine ( 0 ) grade (that is what I already have) or should I use the 000 grade of steel wool? Thank you! I really like your coat rack and I might try to make it!
Hey Michelle, I apologize for the late response, It shouldn’t really matter too much. I would think the only thing that would happen is it might take the vinegar a little longer to break it down, but it should work just fine! Good luck, and have a great weekend!
My husband built me a pallet book shelf out of pine. I love the look of this stain and I want to stain my shelf but have never worked with stain. When I paint I always wait on clear sunny weather. Since this is not painting, would I need to wait for a clear sunny day? We have had and still have a lot of rain in our forecast and I’m anxious to get this done. I’ve even considered doing it inside my house. Is this a bad idea?
Hey Melissa! The good thing about this stain is that it is just vinegar… so while it does have a strong scent, it’s not much worse than cleaning with vinegar : ) You would still want to use a drop cloth, but I use it all the time in my basement during the winter since the regular stuff has such strong fumes. Good luck and have fun! I would love to see any pictures of your finished product :)
so glad you answered this question as I was wondering the same thing myself….whether I could use it inside. I’m off to get vinegar!
I use Apple Cider instead of regular Vinegar and skip the coffee But I use Wine Tannin painted on the wood with a rag soaked with tannin and water mix then go over it with apple cider steal wool mix and the wood turns black a nice flat black just food for thought thanks for the Idea
SO impressed with your DIY wood stain! Had no idea you could make something like this at home. Thank you for sharing–pinning now. :-)
Thanks Trinity! : ) It is so fun to use. I would have never known either, my grandfather was a smart man…. and a painter ; )
Hey there, I love using this stain for all my DIY projects. I did have a question about one thing I have repeated trouble with. After the stain sits, it leaves behind a layer of rust dust, how do you completely remove that? I always seem to leave a trace behind.
Thank you!
Hmm…. I’ve never had actual dust left on the wood. It does leave a very flat and almost chalky feel and I just put shellac right over that : /. But it’s never a dust that I can actually blow off. Maybe just try running a shop vac with a brush attachment over it to remove any residue… that’s would I would do ; )
hi, is this supposed to go clear? The liquid in the jar is dark but when I put it on a brush it’s clear. Thanks!
Hi, I am researching wood stain for a project. i have seen people use boiled pot of coffee and no vinegar, no steel wool. is this good to use and do you have to put a coat of something after your done?
Thank you
Hi, I have been looking at painting a wood pallet. I have seen other diy wood stain and wondering how it would look if i didn’t use vinegar and just a boiling pot of coffee and also, do you put a coat of something on it afterwards?
Thank you
Hi Shane. I have heard of people using just coffee. I’ve never personally done it, so I’m not certain of the results. But I would just test it out on a scrap piece of wood in the same species you plan on using for your project. I would always suggest putting some kind of sealant on it unless it’s maybe a decorative piece you hang on the wall or something like that. But if it will be touched or moved on a regular basis the finish will start to fade and is likely to rub off on things you don’t want it to. Sealing also gives it a nice finish to the touch. If you are aren’t keen on the look of a finished piece, I would suggest using the zinsser satin shellac. It’s not very noticeable and leaves kind of that rough look in my opinion, plus it dries really fast! Hope that helps!
Hi Ashley, just found your blog about DIY wood stains. Loved the tutorial, we moved into an older house last fall, and have been renovating some of the rooms. Have you tried the DIY making your own stains to put on floors with real wooden floors? We have two or three rooms that we have removed the old carpeting, and want to sand the floors, and then I would like to stain them a dark espresso look. I would like to know what you would use for a sealer that would hold up to every day traffic. Can’t wait to check out other projects in your blog…I know it will inspire me!! Linda Wilson
Hey Linda, I’ve never tried it on such a big area before. I would think it would work as long as you seal it. My hesitation would be how it would react to sunlight since I know that can affect floors with a regular finish on it. However, this type of stain doesn’t really give you that deep espresso look to it. It has a bit of a red tint to it because the rust of the steel wool caused by the vinegar is what gives you the color. I’ve never sealed a floor before, but I am pretty sure there are sealers specifically for that. I would imagine you would need an oil based sealer so that it will hold up to the foot traffic. Hope that helps some ; ) Let me know if you have any other questions!
I love the vinegarfor staining but I was experiementing and used balsalmic vinegar for a darker color ondriftwood and I love the color but the vinegar smell remains very strong. Any ideas for neutralizing the smell?
Hmm, once I sealed mine I didn’t have any odor left. I’m assuming it would be because of the balsamic (which now I am totally going to try)! Maybe just try setting it outside in the shade for a bit to air it out. I hope that works!
I live in a tiny town, and I was only able to find a steel scouring pad. It’s likely going to take weeks to break down, but I’ll try to send a pic once it’s done!
I’ll be interested to know how that works out for you, and would love to see a picture! : )
I have made my own stain twice now. The first time, it was with beech wood and my tea concentration was 2 cups of boiling water and 6 tea bags. The steel wool/vinegar solution was 2 cups of vinegar and 1 pad grade 0000 of steel wool. The stain turned out incredibly dark, almost charcoal/black! The second time, I used less tea bags (and admittedly a different wood) and it turned out a walnut color. I cannot give you the exactly proportions on the tea bags because I accidentally picked up “family size” bags and I don’t know how they compare. I was trying to be careful and get a lesser concentration.
In response to the person who didn’t get much in way of a reaction, I know that there is more tannins in tea than there is in coffee. Also, each type of wood will respond differently. I definitely recommend trying on a sample piece! :)
Omg. I love your ideas, this is exactly the stuff I was looking for. I can’t wait to try the homemade stain.
Very resourceful and clever! Swl
Hi Ashley,
Loved the post, we moved into a new house last month, and have been renovating it. Have you tried the DIY making your own stains to put on floors with real wooden floors?
Thanks in advance
Hi Ashley. I enjoyed your tutorial and my plan is to repurpose wood from a fence to make an interior barn door. I plan on sending them to get a smooth surface and wondering if you could give me idea(s) on getting this look on a larger project. The wood is already dark so I’m not sure if I’d need to stain it first. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)
What kind of vinegar do you use?
Just regular white vinegar : ) You can experiment with different kinds though for different affects!
Do you leave the jar open or seal it. I’m trying to do this for the first time but so far no luck with sealing the jar
I tried your DIY wood stain. Was not impressed after the first 24 hours and the jar sat in my craft room unattended for a few days. HOWEVER….after about a week……AWESOMENESS OCCURRED!! It worked beautifully. Thank you. And yes, it does smell like vinegar. Makes me want to have a salad. Much better than the chemical fumes of store bought stains.
So glad you ended up liking it! I definitely prefer it when it sits longer as well! And some people can’t stand the vinegar smell, but I agree… waaaaay better than chemicals, but I’m also a huge vinegar fan ; )
How would this work for an outdoor piece that will get wet?
How will this work on an outdoor piece that will get wet?
hello there i really want to make this…I have 2 questions though
1 is will it smell the vinegar in the wood after it dry???
and 2 the wool in the jar why we put it???what the wool make to colour???thnx a lot
The vinegar smell definitely fades, and once I sealed mine, I’d never even know it was vinegar! Yes, the steel wool has some kind of chemical reaction with the vinegar, which is what produces the color : )
thnx a lot for your very quick answer…i hope you make and others crafts..Can i be in the contest for the 300USD ryobis tools..i am from greece and if i win i will pay for the shippings..thnx a lot
Thank you! I v love this stain and use it for almost all my projects! I’ve had some great success ????
Do you have to use distilled vinegar?
Do you seal the container or leave it open? I’ve heard different things.
Great info! I knew people stained with coffee but I have never seen this particular combination for stain. Thanks for the knowledge, I will have to try this out!
I appreciate your article. It helped me a lot. Great article.
I love the idea of the instant coffee! I make steel wool and vinegar stain and we stained a barn door for my pantry entry and is is fabulous. Next time I will add the coffee.
Thank you for the wonderful ideas and thorough details.
Excellent! very good work! saludos from Argentina!
Hey there! I was wondering if I am supposed to put the lid on the jar while it sits and “cooks” or just leave it open?
This is a great idea specially this rainy days, I can’t do anything other than checking some of the furniture in the house. I will be using this DIYs for my furniture at home. Thanks for sharing this idea.
I did this on my rolling cart, which until recently was in my kitchen receiving some light. It got darker and darker and darker over the years. I sealed it right after but have been sanding it ever since because it just continues to darken.
Be careful how you dispose of the steel wool after using it. I placed mine in my trash bin that is inside my cabinet. I should have been very careful because a few drips got on the light maple stained cabinet and ruined the finish. It ate right through it.
The pros: it does work and is inexpensive
The cons: it continues to darken and stains everything without being able to get it out.
Wow, great tips. Going to try this out on a piece of drift wood being used for a macrame piece. Thank you for the post!
Hi i just want to thank you soooo much,. im a single mom living off of $10 a day so this so exciting imm using the tea the nails and the brewed coffee and alternating the three colors. i think its going to be beautiful i have one questin though…. when can i apply the finish i have seveal cats a dog and a 7 yrs old so the sooner the better
Hi Ashley, I’m so intrigued! Can you tell me if I’m going more for the dark walnut color, is it achievable? If so, just let it sit in jar much longer? Thank you so much for this tip, can’t wait to try it♥
Barb
I’m not sure if it will get that deep brown look, but mine has been sitting for almost 2 weeks. I can test it out and send you an email with the two different pieces so you can see the type of difference there is as time passes : ) I’ll see if I can get that done tonight after the kiddos go to bed ; ) If you don’t hear from me though, please shoot me an email or message me on facebook… my mommy brains is awful these days, lol!