Easy DIY: Wood Stain

So I've seen a lot of tutorials about DIY wood stain, and I knew I wanted to give it a try. I just found two natural baskets for a steal and figured now is the time. {I apologize in advance, as all photos are from my iphone - my camera was missing. Brother-in-laws, what are you gonna do?}

Here are the supplies I used:

• Apple cider vinegar
• empty jar
• steel wool

A note about the supplies - I had the vinegar on hand. I read that apple cider vinegar creates a grey stain, and that's the result I was wanting. The steel wool came in a pack of 15 at the dollar store. It didn't say what grade it was {0000 was recommended in my reading}, but the dollar store isn't too specific in their packaging. :)

I placed the steel wool in the empty jar and covered with vinegar. I sealed the jar and left overnight. I have read that the steel wool will dissolve. Mine did not seem to at all, which is probably because it wasn't the recommended grade. It wasn't necessary, however, as the stain was still very effective.

Here is my natural woven basket. I used a cheapy foam brush to apply. I had read that it smells pretty bad, worse than just vinegar. So I set up outside on my deck table. I would highly recommend a well-ventilated area {aka - outside} to do this. And if you don't have a glass table that will rinse off, put down a dropcloth of some sort.

The reaction of the solution on the wood is very quick. This was after a quick layer. The right side has the stain applied, while the middle was just added. The time between starting and taking this photo was probably one minute total. It is VERY quick! And the longer I worked, the darker the stain got with only one coat.

The two baskets side by side. The left basket has only one layer of stain! The right basket is untreated.

You can sand down the wood after it is dry to reach the desired color. I just gave it a light sanding. I did not seal it with anything yet. And I think I will try the other basket adding water to the solution to see if it creates a lighter driftwood effect.

There you have it! A quick {and did I mention EASY} DIY wood stain with vinegar and steel wool.

All completed during naptime!

~All photos are my own.~

And, why yes, that is my new Dash & Albert rug under the baskets! I got it for 50% off! Woohoo!!

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