DIY Weathered Gray Stain/Repurposed Melissa and Doug Tray
6 Materials
$5
2 Days
Easy
Do your kids love Melissa and Doug toys but you don’t always want to use the gorgeous wood trays they come in for toy storage? Repurpose them as beautiful trays to amp up your home decor game. Try this EASY DIY weathered gray stain and you will have a go to stain for all of your household projects. It’s so simple... I promise! Check out the YouTube video for easy instructions and to see how I managed to do this project with a busy toddler and a sick baby 💪🏻
Materials and the BEFORE of the tray
Fill a mason jar or any container about half full of white distilled vinegar. It’s ok the eyeball... you really can’t mess it up!
Drop one steel wool pad into the vinegar. Use more than one pad for larger batches.
Add coffee grounds to your mixture. We used three spoonfuls. Use more for a deeper color, less for a more subtle color. This mixture will need to sit for 24-48 hours. Mine sat about one day. The longer it soaks, the darker the color.
Generously apply the stain to your wood. You’ll want to use a sock, old T-shirt, or lint free cloth. You WON’T notice the color until the wood sits for a few hours, so don’t be underwhelmed that there’s not instant results. Be patient, my friend! After waiting a few hours, you’ll likely need to go back and reapply another coat of stain. You’ll now be able to get all the spots you missed. It’s tricky applying stain you can’t see! After applying the second coat, wait a few hours and viola! You’re all done!
You now have a GORGEOUS tray that no one would guess was meant to house toys. Enjoy!
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Proof that even a BUSY mom can knock out this fun project!
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