How to make gorgeous aged wood stain with natural ingredients from your pantry and without the pricetag and hassle of classic wood stain.
There was one particular type of day in high school that was always the best.
It wasn’t pizza day at lunch or free day in gym or even movie day in English class. (Why in the world did the Demi Moore version of The Scarlet Letter have to have so many bathing scenes in it?)
Nope. The best day of all was science lab day. We built bridges and made a hovercraft and even constructed potato guns…ahem…I mean vegetable accelerators, as my physics teacher had to clarify. (Apparently making potato guns was already a regular pasttime for a lot of boys in the backwoods of our small town.)
Ten years later, I still have my own science lab days, except without the use of tuber artillery. Yesterday, I conducted a little experiment of my own on our upcoming bathroom plank wall project.
And I discovered that I am never going back to staining wood as long as I can help it. This method rocked my world, y’all!
I’d heard about several variations of wood oxidation before, so I put them to the test to find that perfect barnwood finish.
It took all of 30 minutes of “labor”, was really easy clean-up, didn’t require the use of any harsh synthetic chemicals, and only cost me $2 since most of what I needed was already hanging out in my pantry. Boom, baby! That’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Going into this little experiment, I knew I was looking for a rich wood tone with a little hint of gray.
On a scrap piece of wood, I tried all kinds of combinations of mixing steel wool grades and types of vinegar, and discovered that 0000 grade steel wool is the best for the impatient DIYer who doesn’t want to wait an entire week to do this.
Apple cider vinegar gives a more gray tint than the white distilled kind. Brushing wood with coffee brings out more of the brown tones of wood while black tea brings out the gray.
In the end, this was the winning method for me.
On my 13 1×6 pine boards, I used: (Affiliate links are provided below. For more information, see my full disclosure.)
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 4 family size tea bags (I used these Luzianne tea bags if you want to be really specific.)
- 1 steel wool pad of 0000 grade (I use these.)
- 16 ounces of apple cider vinegar (White House brand to be exact.)
- 2 cheap chip brushes
To prep it, I let the 4 tea bags steep in the 2 cups of boiling water for 24 hours to make it really strong (I left the tea bags in the entire time). For the oxidizing stain, I combined the steel wool pad and vinegar in a bowl and let it sit for 24 hours too.
Then the fun began!
To pull the tanins out of the wood, I brushed it all down with the tea and let it sit for an hour.
(Below) The left 3 planks are plain and the right 3 planks are brushed with the tea.
After the hour mark, I brushed the wood with the steel wool / apple cider vinegar mixture, and it instantly turned gray. I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. (I get excited over things that many “normal” people would probably think is crazy.)
5 minutes later, the color deepened and I knew it was going to be gorgeous!
After 15 minutes…
…and 30 minutes…
…and 1 hour, I had my perfectly aged wood. Insert fan girl squeel!
There were a few spots I had to go back over and apply a little more of the oxidizing stain that left a few blotches, but I’ll sand them down a bit to even it out. And I think the imperfections give it a more realistic barnwood look anyway.
It almost reminds me of that glorious wood from my in-laws’ “magic barn” that I’m a bit infatuated with. I’m so ready to get this plank wall up in our bathroom now! I might have to celebrate with something crazy like a science lab rocket launch. 😉
You can see other projects I’ve used this stain on here: (Just click the links to find the posts.)
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Looks great, Lauren! What size tea bags did you use? Family size or single serving size?
I KNEW I would forget to put that in. Haha I’ll add it. They’re family size.
I am brewing my stain mix today!
Woohoo!!! Can’t wait to see it! What are you staining?
Hi! I am in the middle of your tutorial and just realized that we only used 4 single serving tea bags (instead of family size) with 2 cups of water and 1 steel wool pad with 16oz apple cider vinegar… after The tea coat- I noticed a slight change in color but once it dried, it basically looked the same as when I started. I just finished applying the ACV/steel wool mixture to the wood and it is starting to turn gray but it doesn’t have that nice rich reddish color your tutorial shows. I really liked the appearance of your wood and I was wondering if it would be okay to apply another tea coat (with a more concentrated tea mixture) or is it too late at this point? I appreciate your help and expertise!
Hi, Mallory! I’m so sorry for my delay. Yes! You can certainly apply another tea coat. It should darken your wood. I’m not sure if you’ll end up with the reddish tone or not. That really depends on how your wood naturally reacts and what species of wood you’re working with.
Hi there, did you finish it with anything else? The shot of the finished product looks a little glossy. New to all this..thanks!
Hi, Michele! I did. I sealed the wood once it was dry 24 hours using marine grade polyurethane since we ended up putting the wood on a wall in our bathroom.
Thanks for the idea Lauren….We are wanting to do some plank wood projects around here this year, so this may come in handy!
Glad it could help, Dawna! It was so much easier than store bought stain.
Love it Lauren! I did this method to the frame for my DIY map…loved it! Have a huge tub of it still sitting in my garage for the next project that I can use this with. Looking forward to seeing the plank wall in your bathroom!
Deb
I loved your map, Deb! I definitely plan on stock piling this stuff too.
Now this is what I was looking for, just didn’t know it. I stained some wood in kitchen at holidays, phewy, what a smell and mess. Not good for me as I have asthma. Sure glad I found your post on”Hit me with your best shot”. Like idea of wood looking more gray. Would love to add some wood planks in bathroom around tub (we rarely use) and around toilet area. You did great tutorial also. Happy New Year
If you care to reply please do so to email address, thanks
Thank you!
I have never heard of this! Wow that is really cool thanks for sharing this!
So glad it helped!
Visiting from Grace at home…this is AMAZING! It looks just like old barn planks! Thanks for sharing this great idea!
So glad you like it, Debby! Thanks for the love 🙂
I have never tried it this way before. I will have to give it a try for sure.
Emily- Our house now a home
You’ll be hooked 🙂 It’s so much fun
You are a genius! I love how this turned out, and can’t wait to see your bathroom makeover! ~Amy
I have to admit, I didn’t come up with the whole concept on my own. There are multiple tutorials out there that do it a bunch of different ways. This was just my method. 🙂 Thanks, Amy! I’m excited to show it off.
Wow, I’m definitely going to try this idea! The wood looks beautiful and is going to look amazing in your bathroom!
Thanks, Katie! It was fun doing it. 🙂
Thank you!!! This is SO helpful! It’s exactly the color I’m looking for and you explained it so clearly and simply!
So glad it could help, Julia!
I have been wanting to try this way of staining but been afraid that the vinegar might leave a smell in the wood. I would hate to spend all that time on a project to have it leave a terrible smell, especially if I am giving them as a gift. Can you tell me if here is any after smell, even months after the finished project?
Thank you so much
I was a bit worried about that too, but after a day there was really no smell at all. And I am always using this method now on everything.
Love your way of staining better than any other I’ve seen. Can’t wait
to give it a try as I was looking for more of the gray’s also. I only have
the single serving size tea bags as I have never heard that there were family
size tea bags. How many of the single serving size would I use if you used
4 of the family size. Hate to go out and buy the bigger size if I don’t need too,.
Thank you in advance.
Thanks, Christine! I use this method ALL the time and absolutely love it on everything. We live in South Carolina, so it’s common for us here to drink sweet tea by the pitcher and make it with big tea bags. They might be harder to find elsewhere. I used the Luzianne brand if that helps. Maybe try 3-4 of the single serve for 1 family size?
Lipton make cold tea bags that are large.
Great tutorial Lauren! How critical is the tea step? Have you experimented with just the vinegar/steel wool mixture? We’re building a house with timbers, and I’ve been looking for an inexpensive method to “age” the wood. One step (skipping the tea) would save a huge amount of time. Thanks – love your blog!
Thanks Terri! The tea step is a must-do for me because it brings the tannins out of the wood to make that dark color. Coffee works too with a slightly less gray tone in it than the tea. There’s a new stain out now called Weatherwood Stains that is a similar concept with a one-step application. It would cost more than the DIY kind I use, but the finishes are beautiful for that weathered look.
I love it. I was thinking of this for a replacement top fo a coffee table but I don’t want to worry about stains. Are you able to wax this or put a protective coat on top of it?
Thank you! It’s getting a coat of varnish since it will protect the piece more from people setting their drinks on top of it. Wax is great for dressers and pieces with less wear and tear, but I like to stick to varnish for table tops.
I want to do it for my breakfast table. What kind of varnish should I use after ? And how long should I wait after the vinegar process?
Love your tutorial, thanks
After the vinegar process, it usually takes about 30 mins to an hour to turn to the final color. I’d wait until the wood is completely dry, possibly until the next day just to be sure. Then, I’d use a marine grade matte polyurethane since it will seal out any moisture in case there are spills or dishes with condensation or anything like that. It should protect the finish. Hope that helps. I’d love to see a photo when it’s finished!
You have just made my day… this is the best thing/stain/idea ever! I’ve been wondering how to get that weathered look for barn doors I will make for between our dining room and lounge. Thanks so much for helping. Blessings
Yay! So glad it helped, Leah! I hardly ever use regular store-bought stain anymore unless I’m wanting a different color than this. The clean up on this one is so much easier. And even though the outcome of this is rather unpredictable, I kind of love the surprise factor of it. 🙂
Love this Lauren! I have a coffee table I’ve been meaning to redo, and your technique will be perfect for the top. Thanks so much for sharing!
Yay! Hope yours works out! It’s really so simple.
Love this look and am so excited to try it on a couple of projects! I tried mixing up the vinegar and steel wool in a sealed mason jar but it doesn’t seem to disintegrate like yours did. Does it need open air to make that happen?
It’s SO great! I have to wait 24 hours before it will work, but the steel wool doesn’t usually disintegrate for a week. The solution will get darker the longer it sits. But I sort of like the lighter look so I can still see the wood grain. You can add a second coat if you want to darken it more.
Lauren-
I’m having the same issue making the vinegar-steel wool solution. What does it look like after, say, a day or so, then a week or so? I put mine in a mason jar and nothing happened. I’m putting it in an open bowl tonight to see if it changes at all. Can you give us anymore information on the vinegar-steel wool portion of the mix?
Thank you for your help!!!
Hi Tess! I’m so sorry you’re having problems. I have to let mine sit for a full 24 hours minimum. I use about 8 ounces of apple cider vinegar with 1 0000 steel wool pad. It will only work with the very fine 0000 grade steel wool, so maybe you have a coarser type? I brew mine in a mason jar too with the lid off. At the 24-48 hour mark, the solution won’t be as dark but it should still work and you have more control over how dark you want it. So if you want it darker, you can do a second coat after it sits for an hour. If the solution sits for a week, the steel wool should be mostly dissolved and will be darker. You have to brush your wood with tea or coffee an hour before the steel wool/vinegar solution too so the tannins will be pulled out of the wood. Otherwise, nothing will happen when you brush on the solution. I almost always use pine for the wood, so the species of wood you have could react differently. I hope that helps. If you’re still having problems, please let me know!
hi Lauren
I have two questions. first I tried just the apple cider and it turned out great! I also tried regular vinegar and that turned out great too.. gave it a hint of red.. the only difference I found by doing the tea preocess first, was that it came out a lot darker.. almost too dark:(
secondly, these planks of wood are for outdoors, think this “stain” will run or fade away too much with the rain/sun? awesome tutorial by the way:)
thx
Hi, Kelly! So sorry it came out so dark! That is the downside of this method, you never really know how it’s going to turn out since it’s a natural oxidization process. You might be able to lightly sand it to lighten up the wood some. Are you using it on a hardwood like oak? That generally has more tannins in it that will react more to the tea. For using the planks outdoors, you can just seal them with an exterior polyurethane 24 hours after staining when the wood has dried.
Pine has almost no tannins..it’s the black tea that gives tannins to the wood so that the vinegar solution works. If you have a hardwood you are using it has tannins and will not need the black tea unless you want it very dark.
Thanks for sharing that tip, Terra!
Beware that there are #0000 Super Fine Synthetic Steel Wood Pads ..the synthetic will not work..they have to be real steel wool.
Good point! Thanks, Terra!
Some absolutely amazing ideas!! I was thinking of all the additional things you could add to change the tones slightly too.. like a few drops of pickled beet juice to the vinegar or some carrot juice, blueberry juice, grape or even cranberry! I haven’t tried these things, but I think it’s worth a try!?! I usually use a latex paint in a tone I like and add water, apply and wipe off after a few minutes to get my desired results on pine at least… and it dries super fast. But love your suggestions and can’t wait to try! Going to attempt a slat wall with various tones of antique and aged wood, barnboard looks.. so SUPER STOKED!! Thanks!!! ❤️😍
Hi Lauren – I absolutely love it! I have a couple of questions for you –
1) Did you strain the vinegar/steel wool mixture before brushing it on?
2) Did you brush on the straight vinegar/steel wool solution or mix it with water?
Thank you!
Hi Erin! I didn’t strain the vinegar/steel wool, but you certainly could if you wanted to. I brushed on the straight solution, so no need to dilute it. Hope it works out for you!
Do you seal the wood with anything afterwards or do you not need too?
I sealed the wood with marine grade polyurethane for this particular project, but that’s because the wood was going into a bathroom.
I like to seal everything with a coat of matte poly to be on the safe side usually.
I am wanting to do my trim like this to match my barn wood tiles. Will I need to seal them afterwards?
Hi Tasha! Yes, I would seal them. If they’re going in a bathroom or anywhere with humidity/moisture, then I would use a marine grade polyurethane. The stain will react differently to different species of wood though.
Sorry if I wasn’t supposed to I put your link for new wood to Barnwood on Facebook. Took me all night to get what I wanted but results AMAZING! thank you so much!!!!
Not at all! Share away! 🙂 So glad it worked out.
Hi Lauren!! I just found your site and I am loving everything!! Quick question about the tea bags. What type of tea is it? I am from Canada and I’m pretty sure the kind you used isn’t available here. I could get it on Amazon, however, the price for one box is $67.00 + shipping!! I just need to know what kind of tea to substitute it with? Is it a black tea? Thanks for your help! I am really looking forward to getting started on the plank wall in my guest bathroom! -Melissa
Wow! That’s crazy for a box of tea! It’s just black tea, so I’m sure any brand you have in Canada will work. Hope your plank wall turns out well! 🙂
Go to the dollar store. Tea is cheap.. have done this several times and tea is tea is tea.thewood don’t care. You can use tea under any store bought stain also. It will give you a much better job and even out the botching you get with pine especially.
Did you poly the wood before hanging?
Yes, I used a marine grade polyurethane after the stain was dry.
Would this still work if I just used regular family size decaf tea bags instead of black tea? Also, do you think minwax spar polyurethane spray satin would work for after it is stained?
I think so! I can’t imagine that decaf would make a big difference really. Coffee can work too, but I think it gives a bit more of a brown tint and not so much gray. I’ve used the spray satin poly before on it and it works great. 🙂
I’m planning to try this out on a coffee table we made, but I was wondering what you suggest to make it a deeper brown, still with slight grey undertones? I was thinking more tea? Would you suggest a stronger brew, or perhaps more coats of the tea?
Hi Aelix! I would try a stronger brew of tea because that will make the tanins come out of the wood even more. Sometimes, after I’ve done both steps and I decide it’s not dark enough, I just brush on another coat of the tea and it will react on top of the vinegar/steel wool mixture to darken it immediately on contact. Try a tester to make sure first. Hope that helps!
Thanks Lauren! I’m starting to stain it this weekend, so I will try that out!! 🙂
Hi Lauren, I found your site when looking at Nancy (artsy chicks rule) and Christy (confessions of a serial diyer) – trash to treasure tuesday. I’ve spent hours looking through and love a lot of the products you guys use but it is near impossible to get them in Australia, except your stain haha cause I can make it myself. The question I have before I go hell for leather is can this be used on curved furniture (chair legs etc) and a timber bed frame or is it mainly for use on flat timber like the planks and coffee table top?
Thanks for any advice, I shall enjoy my reading.
Hi, DeDe! Thank you so much for all the love! I’m glad you’re enjoying my little corner over here! I haven’t really tried the stain on anything other than flat lumber so far, but I think it’s completely doable on any bare wood surface, even if it’s curved. I say go for it. 😉
Thanks Lauren. I’ve made notes on all the tips given, soon as the weather has cleared here in Australia I’ll give it a crack and let you know how it goes. Sorry I can’t send you a pic when I’ve finished due to personal reasons I don’t have social media other than email. If it works happy dance all round and watch out furniture.
Awesome! And I totally understand about the social media thing. Honestly, life would be much simpler without it. I’m a teensy bit jealous of your life unplugged. 🙂
This is exactly the color I was looking for! I know I’m kind of late in finding this but I hope you can still answer my question. I bought all the materials to make the stain and I started it last night it’s been sitting 10 hrs, for the oxidation, did you just use one steal wool pad? I know the package comes with 12, I used one but I see no reaction. Like I said it’s only been 10 hours so maybe I’m being impatient! Lol
So sorry for my delay in answering your question, Adriana! I would just wait longer than 10 hours. Give it a full 24 hours and you should be good. I’m right there with you though on being impatient. That’s the one downside. It takes a bit of planning ahead of time to brew the stain beforehand. I just keep a plastic coffee container filled with some DIY stain in our garage, so it’s always there when I need to do a project on a whim.
Love this!!! I used this on my brand new crates that I wanted to age, they’re turning out perfect!!!! Thank you for this post! What would be best to seal them?
Awesome! I’m so glad it helped, Tiffany! I typically use matte polyurethane to seal it.
Oh my gosh I love this idea. So I’ve sanded down a piece of my furniture & I’ve been letting my oxidation mixture sit for almost 24 hours now. BUT it’s not black like yours 🙁 should I mix it up or something before I use it?? I used steel wool & apple cider vinegar & everything. Help!
Hi Rexie! Did you apply the black tea first and let it set in? Without the tea, it won’t work. But if you have done the tea and the vinegar/steel wool step still isn’t working you might just have to let the solution dissolve for another day or two. The wood species can play a factor as well. My wood was pine if that helps. 🙂
I’m letting it sit now, & I Was wondering if I needed to stir it up or something because the vinegar isn’t black like yours was in the picture. I haven’t applied anything yet!
Hmm… Did you use #0000 grade steel wool? Sounds like you might have the wrong grade type.
Yes, I used the 0000 grade, maybe I just need to let it sit longer.
Darn! Okay, yeah I would stir it and just let it sit for another day or two. Make sure it’s sitting at room temperature too. That might play a factor as well. Hope it works out for you! Let me know if it still doesn’t work. So sorry you’re having issues with it.
Lauren, it worked!! I guess I was worried for no reason. It turned out beautifully, thank you for your help & thank you for sharing 🙂
In regard to some steel wool not working as quickly, I wonder if some brands have a slight amount of oil in the pads compared to others. Perhaps a soap and water wash of the pad before soaking in vinegar would make a difference?
That’s a good suggestion, Clint! Thank you!
Oh my goodness, I just love how those planks turned out! I wanted to refinish our wood coffee table in those same gray tones and so I tried this out, and it was an epic fail.? My coffee table turned so dark, it was nearly black. Any ideas on what went wrong? I just spent the last few hours sanding it down again and am seriously considering this approach again because I simply love those tones. I am a bit nervous after my last try. I noticed my steel wool never really dissolved? Maybe that was the culprit? I so appreciate any suggestions you may have!
Oh no! Not sure how I missed this comment, Tamra! So sorry for my delay! Did you use it on new wood or wood that had been stripped? I typically only use it on pine or whitewood lumber to make it look aged, so it might even be the species of the wood you’re working with. The steel wool doesn’t necessarily have to be dissolved for it to work, and actually if it didn’t soak long enough, it usually has the opposite effect and is still too light. Let me know how it goes!
I love the way your wall turned out! Quick question – we are trying this on some sample pieces of wood. It is pine that we’re using for a plank wall in our son’s room. I’m finding that it looks more grey than brown. In your final, finished product photo, the wood looks brown to me. Mine looks grey. Is the picture deceiving me? Does it end up brown or grey? Thanks!
Hi Morgan! So sorry for the delay! Some of my boards actually had some gray grain as well as brown. The wood will naturally react differently to the stain as it naturally oxidizes it. After I applied the polyurethane on top, it took on a bit more of a brown tone. So maybe test some poly on a piece to see if that will change the color a little bit?
No need to answer my last post, I was reading some other post and found my answer…matte polyurethane
Yes! Matte polyurethane. Glad you found it. 🙂 Hope it goes well for you!
Hey Lauren, I was wondering if you kept on brushing the wood with the apple cider and steel wool throughout the 30 minutes or did you just brush it once and wait. Thanks!
Oh, sorry that wasn’t clear. You just brush it on and wait. You don’t have to keep brushing. 🙂
did you soak the tea bags and the steel wool in the same 24 hours or did you soak he tea bags for a 24 hours and then put the steal wool in the tea mix for the next 24 hours?
Oh, no I soaked the steel wool in the apple cider vinegar for at least 24 hours first. Later, after a day or two of letting the steel wool and vinegar soak, I steeped the tea bags in a separate bowl of hot water for about 10 minutes and wiped the tea on the wood. Let the tea sit on the wood for 1 hour. Then, brush on the steel wool / apple cider vinegar solution. The color of the wood should change within a few minutes. (0000 grade steel wool is a must though.)
My tea solution, and vinegar/steel wool solution sat for about 40 hours. I tested it on a chunk of my pine that had been cut off my piece for the project. It was beautiful….very gray with some brown tones. The next day I applied them to the project piece and it came out very red with no gray at all. Same piece of wood, same stain, but a day later. Do you know what might have happened. I’m really looking for the gray effect.
Oh no! It was the same wood species and everything? Sometimes the variation in wood grain can take on a reddish tone. The wood I’ve done has some brown tones, red tones, and gray tones all throughout the grain, and it really is one of those unexpected outcome sort of DIYs. But if it’s very red, I just learned a trick that you can put a few drops of blue dye in the stain to give it more of a gray tone. Keep me posted on how it turns out. Do you mind sending a photo via e-mail? Maybe I can help a little better by seeing it.
I’d be glad to send a picture….but I’m not exactly sure how to do that. I saw how to contact you, but don’t see where I can attach a picture. Help! Also, I looked at my piece of wood, and down the center there is a reddish streak, but that doesn’t explain why the whole piece looks red. Must be something in this piece that this technique is pulling out the red. I’ll need to be more choosy when I buy my wood.
Oh I’m so sorry, Debbie! You can send it through a message on my Facebook page if you’d like: https://www.facebook.com/blesserhouse/
How do I make the stain colour come out darker I have some very old wood that I am trying to match thanks
Hi Gail! The downside of this stain is it might be challenging to match. It’s always a bit of a surprise every time I use this stain because the wood naturally oxidizes. But if I want the stain darker after doing the process of the tea followed by the vinegar/steel wool, I can usually just repeat it with another coat of tea and vineger/steel wool and it makes it darker.
What would you suggest for oak? I didn’t know how different it would be from pine. Thanks in advance! Loving your tutorials!
I haven’t really tried it out on oak, so I can’t say from experience, but oak has a high level of tannins in it, which will darken easily with this stain. I would try it out on a spot of scrap piece of oak if possible first.
I have just tried this on a scrap piece and it turned out darker than I prefer. Have you ever diluted the vinegar solution with more vinegar?
Hi, Anita! What species of wood did you use? If it’s a hardwood like oak or walnut, it will turn out darker because of the natural tannins in the wood. You could try diluting the tea with water and diluting the vinegar solution with more vinegar to see if that helps. The downside of this stain is it is hard to predict, unfortunately.
Wow that is awesome!! Just learninglearning about lots of ways to work with wood, so fun! Can you tell me what type ofwood you have that is pictured in the diy wood beam doorway picture? I am teying to get a table that looks like that, nice and light. Working with pine and trying to sand it down from an existing table and it’s a lot of sanding! Any ideas for a good top coat on pine to preserve the natural light color? Thanks!!!!
Thank you, Terri! We used pine on our beam and we’re so happy how it turned out. For the top coat, I would use a matte polyurethane since it will protect the wood but won’t have a sheen to it so it looks more natural. Hope that helps!
We tried this yesterday and love the color, but there is a powdery residue. What should we do? We are make an entrainment center, should we seal it with something?
I’ve had that happen sometimes too. You should be able to brush it off. I’ve even used just a hand broom before. Afterwards, I seal it with a couple of coats of polyurethane. We used this particular wood in our bathroom behind our tub, so I used a marine grade poly to block out moisture.
Do you actually boil water for 24 hours or boil the water turn it off and let sit for 24 hours.
For the tea, I just heat the water until it gets to a boiling point, drop the tea bags in, and turn off the burner and let it sit for 24 hours. Sorry if I didn’t explain that well. Hope that helps! 🙂
Can you varnish it afterwards oh put Thompson’s sealer on it its for my swing outside
Yes! Definitely! I would add a marine grade polyurethane to completely seal out moisture. Just make sure the stain has had at least 24 hours to fully dry before you poly.
This is amazing!!! I’ve heard of this method before but you made it look so easy. I am making a set of barn doors out of pallet wood. I love this grey color. Looks like it would be perfect to use on the doors. Should I cover it with a coat of poly for some protection? Thanks so much. Just found your blog and I am already loving it. Thanks again.
Omg!!! Just read the post above me!!! Question answered. Thanks!!!!
I plan to try this on some wine crates I have. Wish me luck.
Yay! Hope it turns out well!
Hi, I have a oak coffee table that I sanded down, and followed all the step for this project. Thank god I only did a side strip, because the color is very dark, almost black. Any suggestions for the barn board look for oak. Thank you, Pam
Hi Pam! I used pine, which is a very light wood, so the tea helped darken it. But if you have oak, you can try brushing on just the vinegar/steel wool solution without any tea at all to see how that does since oak is already a darker wood. Or you can take a sander to the dark wood if you already tried it with the tea to lighten it up and give it more of that reclaimed look. Hope that helps!
So happy you included all those pictures to show what happened to the pine boards after the stain application! I currently have my own stain prepping (aka some nails sitting in a jar of apple cider vinegar) and it smells TERRIBLE, so I quickly turned to Google to double check that that would work. Luckily I found your tutorial! 🙂
Oh yeah it’s not the best smelling stuff in the world. Haha! It does the job though.
Hi Lauren, big fan from southamerica here 🙂 I’m having this issue too with the smell. Maybe I put too many steel pads inside the jar? every time i open it the whole aparment smells terrible.
Im afraid the smell will impregnate the wood and i’ll end up with a stinky table 🙁 does it fade away when it dries? Thank you so much!
Oh no! Yes, the smell does fade away just like any stain you use, which normally takes 2-3 days. Sorry yours ended up so smelly, but yes, it will go away and the wood won’t smell like that for long.
I love this idea. I am looking at it to put on a tongue and groove ceiling that is already put up but hasn’t had any finish on it yet. How long has it been since you did this? Has it help up well. I am not concerned about it getting messed up since it is on the ceiling, I just want to be sure it lasts and does not fade.
Hi Kim! We’ve had this stain up in our bathroom for 2 years now, and it still looks as good as it did the day we did it. We sealed it with a marine grade polyurethane to protect it from moisture, so I’d definitely seal it. We have it on our wood beam in our living room as well and love it. 🙂
Thank you very much. Our ceiling is already up. It’s gonna be hard to do , but I am going to try!. Since it’s only in our living space, what would you recommend to seal it with?
I would seal with a polyurethane as well. It’d probably be okay without sealing for a year or two, but to protect it over time, I’d seal. Here are two YouTube videos I found that might help for two different ways you could seal. You could use a roller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ8QEm1ozR8 Or a sprayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=120lH5BAoPA I’d spray since it would be less likely to drip and it’s faster, but you would have to take the time to put up tarps.
What is the paint color in your living room?
It’s Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige.
Thank you for sharing your project. I will definitely try on samples for my future projects!!!
Is your tea green or black?
I just read that you used black tea!!! Thank you!! 🙂
Thanks for the great article. I’d like to try this with the kids I work with in the local Waldorf school. We love playing with and making wooden toys.
Would we be able to polish over this with our homemade beeswax polish?
And did the vinegar/steel wool give off much fumes when it was reacting while you soaked it? Would we be able to do it indoors?
Hi there! There aren’t really any chemical fumes since it’s all natural, but it does give off a very vinegar-y smell, so it’s not exactly pleasant. Still, it’s much better than store bought stain, in my opinion. I’ve only used polycrylic and polyurethane on it to seal before, but I would imagine you could seal it with beeswax polish just the same.
Hi! I just tried this and my very first plank was perfect! But all the others turned a reddish/brown colour. Do you know why this might’ve happened? Any suggestions on a fix?
That’s the tricky part, unfortunately. You never really know what color it’s going to turn. When I’ve run into that problem, I’ve been able to apply more tea and it will darken and be more brown. You can also sand the wood to have more of the light wood showing through.
Could I paint the tea on ahead of time? And does the length of time the tea sits before applying matter? Say if I brewed it one, two or three days before applying to the pine?
I’m going for a couple different grey shades (light, medium and dark) for a headboard project. I want to stay away from the reds, browns and yellows. Do you have a recommendation on time for the steel wool/vinegar to sit before applying for these shades of grey?
Usually letting the steel wool/vinegar sit for a week is the best because you get the deepest color. I usually just brew the tea a couple of hours before. Using more tea bags would darken the wood too. The only thing is the color you get really depends on the reaction to the wood, so you won’t really know exactly the shade to expect, unfortunately.
What would i use as a seal for this colour if i want to make planter boxes for outdoors ? Thanks ! I am using SPRUCE wood – has anyone tried it on that type of wood too?
Hi Paula! You can use an exterior polyurethane. Minwax Spar Urethane is the brand I often use.
After reading tons of “recipies” and how-to’s, I landed on this one and I love it! I’m finishing up the wood for our dining table and I’m so excited! I was completely terrified when I started, as this is my first wood project, but I went for it and I am thrilled. Thank you so much!
Amazing. Does it need to be #0000 Steel Wool? Reason I ask is because I have some #00 leftover and don’t really want to buy another bag.
Also, it seems like the wood in the bathroom looks glossy. Did you use a finish?
Yes, I’m afraid the #0000 steel wool is key. I attempted it first with #0 grade and it was a giant fail. Since we put the wood in a bathroom with a shower/tub, we had to seal the wood with marine grade poly, so it gave it a glossy finish.
Thanks Lauren!
I am SO excited to try this! I bought pine wood crates for decor on the dessert table for my wedding and I’ve been looking for a rustic stain. I am new to this–What type of finish would you recommend?
Thanks!
Lauren,
I have some old boards I found, that were part of boat docks… very cool look , rough with grooves and knots…I am going to make a headboard…I want to achieve some sightly different tones on the individual boards… from reddish, to mahogany, and ambers… should I try this approach or just use stain..?? Idonot want a grey finish…. why about coffee???
Hi Roxanne! That sounds very cool! The tricky thing about this stain is you really don’t know how it will turn out, grey, brown, or red. This method naturally oxidizes the wood, so it’s just darkening the natural undertones that are already there. If you want more control over your color, I would use store-bought stain.
New to your site — love it all.
Where did you buy the planks?
Did you put a matte dealer on top after you stained it? It looks like the boards on the bathroom wall have a slight gloss to them. Thanks
Hi Ashley! No, I put a satin marine grade polyurethane on the boards in our bathroom to seal out any moisture. But for other areas not in a bathroom, I typically like to use matte poly.
My husband just made me a Farmhouse Table. I just put my steel wool mixture and dvinegar in a jar. Glad I re-read your comments. You didn’t close the lid to the jar! I didn’t catch that the first time around.
I am hoping for this grey/Brown result. Wish me luck!
Denise
never achieved the brown and gray look.
its almost entirely gray.
i think something is bogus in your tutorial, and you chose to only show wood with extreme grain patterns
Hi, Roy. Nope, the color of your wood will turn out depending on what species you’re working with. What I photographed is the color my wood turned. I’m sorry to hear yours didn’t turn out the way you hoped. This stain method oxidizes the wood using the wood’s existing tannins, like a real aging process would over the years, so it’s not as consistent as a store-bought stain would be. If you want more control of your color, I would suggest choosing a store-bought stain. This is just the natural method.
I have a small end table that will have a piece done with this! I have 2 questions….
1. Do I need to use wood conditioner first?
2. Can I use polycrylic over it? I have other parts to the table that will be painted then a top coat of polycrylic on that. Essentially, will it seal the diy stain? Or will it damage it?
Thank you! Excellent ruler!
Hi, Heidi! Yes to both. I didn’t use wood conditioner, but I imagine you could. And yes, I highly suggest you seal it with polycrylic. Just make sure you wait at least 24 hours so the stain is fully dry.
Wow! Speedy response! Thank you! I saw polyurethane mentioned so I just wanted that clarification. I have the wood conditioner. I might as well try it. Thank you so very much!
I tried this. It’s amazing! One question though. Does the cider vinegar smell disappear eventually?
Awesome! Yes, the cider vinegar smell should go away in a couple of days, just like store-bought stain would.
Lauren….It worked as advertised. We just finished a patio project and the contractors had to use new cedar boards to repair a fence they damaged during construction. The new wood just stuck out like a sore thumb. So I used your recipe on a couple of spare wood pieces they left and found the perfect match to the fence. (I diluted both the tea and the vinegar mixture just a little bit to get the right shade of gray).
I applied it and hours later nobody but me and the contractor know where the new wood is.
Thanks!
Dave
Great! So glad to hear it worked for you. It will be our secret. 😉
Works great! One warning: iron plus vinegar yields hydrogen gas plus iron acetate. The hydrogen gas is what the tiny bubbles are. So be sure to prepare the vinegar plus steel wool in a well ventilated space or outside, and do not do it in a closed container.
Yes! Thanks for the tip/warning! A well-ventilated space is a MUST.
Hi Lauren,
I know I’m really late to the game, but I’m using your stain technique and have a question. I feel like my vinegar steel wool mixture isn’t changing color or really doing much of anything. It should be right? I still had a few more hours of soaking left, but I just wasn’t sure.
Thank you
Katie
Hi Katie! Are you sure you’re using 0000 grade steel wool? Using a coarser grade would prevent it from dissolving and changing the color of the mixture.
Thanks for the post. I am re-siding my old barn and was going to use an ECO product, sounds similar to this, but states that it also preserves. Do you know if your recipe would be good for Exterior preservation?
Thanks Lauren! beautiful bathroom wall.
I don’t know for sure if you could use it for outdoors. It would at least need a few coats of exterior grade polyurethane. But I would test it out first on a scrap piece.
I used the stain on a trial piece of wood, it stained darker than I would like. Do you think less time soaking the steel wool/vinegar mixture would lighten it?
Can I use this stain over an already light stained table. It’s very light gray but lacks the “old” look.
It should work, as long as there isn’t a sealer on top. If there is sealer on top of the existing stain though, you might need to give it a light sanding to remove that clear layer. I would test in a small inconspicuous area first though.
How long did your chemical stain continue to change color?
It stopped changing color completely I’d say around 10 minutes. It might lighten some once it dries though since wet wood would be darker.
Does the length of time the tea is “brewed” affect the outcome? Can I use week old tea mixture and expect same result as 24 hour tea mixture?
As long as it has fully steeped, it really shouldn’t matter. Week old tea would be super potent and should still work. 🙂
Hi Lauren,
I’m just about to get keys to my first home (yay!)….the budget is tight and the place needs a complete re-do with decoration (the last lady was in her 90’s with a lot of cats – think complete carpeted and stuck in the 70’s).
Anyways, it’s by the beach and my plan was to go rustic/cottage/airy. I know there’s wood floors under the carpet upstairs and I think I’ll refinish them and make the most of them!
This technique is so pretty and unique – I love it!
So my question is – do you think it’s do-able on an entire floor (or several rooms and a hall)….without having lines where you stop and start….do you think making the solutions in small batches would be best (measuring out everything for consistency etc…..I’m worried the solutions will create different results if they’re different batches and stuff…..
Any advice greatly appreciated x
Hi Laura! Congrats on the new house! For floors, I really would go with a store-bought stain since it’s really impossible to control the color of the natural stain. It just oxidizes the wood to naturally weather, but there’s no telling what colors are in the wood already.
Great post ! Just read the post above me!!! Question answered. Thanks Lauren!!
“Any idea how this would look on a maple counter top? I am trying to achieve a dark gray color.
Thanks
Cindy! I cannot say for certain what this would look like on maple as we used pine. However, I recommend to get a small sample piece of wood from a lumbar yard. Test the sample to see if this will get what you are looking for. If this does not get you the color you are looking for you can try using a mineral wax.
If I did a wall with plywood instead of pine do you think it would stain the same?
I’d imagine so! We used this technique with plywood for a faux beam and it turned out fine: https://www.blesserhouse.com/diy-wood-beam-doorway/
Hi! I’m wondering what brush I should pick to stain my dresser using water-based stain. I’m trying to find out using the article https://woodimprove.com/best-brushes-for-staining-wood/ but it’s still diffucult for me. Hope you will help, thanks!
Hi, Alexandra! You will want to stay away from natural bristle brushes when using water based media. The natural bristles will soak up the water and go limp, according to thisoldhouse.com. I hope that helps. There are so many things to think about when going to paint and stain furniture. Let me know how it works for you. 🙂
Love this idea! If you use the apple cider vinegar will the smell stay? Don’t want the table I want to make to smell like apple cider..?
Oh, for sure! The smell will eventually fade like any stain. However, I always recommend testing a piece of wood or smaller piece of furniture to find your personal preference and experience. I do not find that the table smells like apple cider.
We loved the colour while wet but then it dried lighter. Is there a trick to achieve the ‘wet’ look?
Hi Sharon! You can seal it with a gloss polyurethane to get the “wet” look.