Do you want to stain natural wood, but without chemicals? Find out how to make your own wood stain from household materials.

What you need for your homemade wood stain

About 250ml clear vinegar

One tablespoon of ground coffee

Fine steel wool

Glass container with lid

 

This is how the wood stain is made

Pour the vinegar into the jar. The jar should hold about 500ml.

Put a few pieces of steel wool in the vinegar. 

Now add the coffee powder.

Close the jar and shake it thoroughly.

Now you need a little patience, as the mixture should infuse for 3 to 7 days, shaking once a day.

The longer the stain sits, the darker it becomes.

How to apply your wood stain to the wood

The colour of the wood stain varies depending on the type of wood and the density of the fibres. Apply the stain evenly to the wood with a brush. Let it dry and apply a second coat. At first the wood stain will appear quite light in colour, it will darken as it dries. 

After drying, you should wipe the coloured wood with a damp cloth to remove any stain that has not been absorbed.

 

How the homemade wood stain works

Steel wool, vinegar and coffee oxidise the wood. The longer the stain remains, the darker the colour becomes. The intensity of the colour depends on the type of wood and the natural colour of the wood. Vinegar has preservative properties, which means that the homemade stain offers a certain degree of protection for the wood, even outdoors.