How to stain wood without stain?

There is a stain mixture that is made by soaking a wad of steel wool (non soap, untreated, steel wool that you get in the paint department) in white vinegar over night Then you apply the "stain" and let it sit.. overnight.

FYI... Jeff Develin on DIY's Stone House Revival... used this one time and the color came out blue-ish because of the actual wood itself.. he just grey-washed over it and it came out really nice.

I'd practice first on a throw-away piece of wood....You may get a finish you are not happy with..

Here is how to make stain using steel wool and vinegar.

https://www.diypete.com/how-to-make-steel-wool-and-vinegar-stain/

In the past, I have used strong coffee or tea as a stain on unfinished wood.

I too have seen the vinegar and steel wool. There are some with coffee, pennies..just all sorts. It does not cover as well as store bought stain but they definitely put some color in.

Here's an excellent link, it tells you about different stains that are not commercial ones, it gives the recipes, talks about different vinegars and woods, also diluting acrylic paints for stains:

https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/make-wood-stain/

Please do a practice piece first to see if you like the results.

Here’s the natural 3 ingredient one we use: https://www.frugalfamilytimes.com/2018/01/how-to-make-easy-reclaimed-wood-grey-brown-stain-finish/

sure here is info on how to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EmtYa93KEU

You can brew coffee or tea very strong and use it. We boiled and strained coffee for a staining job I did once. I've seen several projects on vinegar and steel wool but haven't tried that. Here's an article that might help you as well:

https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-wood-stain/

Hi Abby, check out this video, hope it helps you out,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EmtYa93KEU

Put pieces of steel wool in a glass jar. Cover with vinegar and let it sit for a few days. You will have 'stain' for wood.

Hello coffee staining might be considered if its a small project. Here is a link that might be helpful

https://youtu.be/upIv09mVI_w

Hi Abby, there are quite a few things you can use to stain wood:

• food coloring
• koolaid
• coffee and tea
• rusty nails mixed with vinegar
• beetroot

All of the above work best on light, soft wood like pine. Have fun experimenting and seal the wood after staining to preserve the color

I use brown craft paint diluted with water or antiquing medium. Here's how I do it: https://www.exquisitelyunremarkable.com/2017/10/how-to-age-wooden-crates.html

You can make stain for coffee, this Hometalker shows how to do that

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/how-to-make-your-very-own-wood-stain-w-household-products-3098761

Yes you can use a vinegar/steel wool solution that darkens the wood without stain. https://www.homeroad.net/2013/03/diy-aged-clothespins.html

You can use Rusty water ( leave steel wool in to rust) Tea, Coffee, Beetroot, Mustard. Basicly use anything you would not like on yout clothes - Bleach - may need more than one go to gt the colour you want. WHY NOT EXPERIMENT ON A LENGTH OF RAW TIMBER? If you write on it what you used you will have a colour chart!

You could use many things, bt one way is to let steel wool disintigrate in water until it is brown. Strain and then use that. Remember if it will stain a white cotton dress then it will stain untreated wood.