On a Budget? Learn How to Stain Wood Using Vinegar

If money’s tight and you’re unsure how to redefine your wooden furniture, there’s always white distilled vinegar! Hometalker Cheryl had never previously considered combining white vinegar with steel wool to make a wood stain. By ripping bits of steel wool into vinegar and leaving it overnight, Cheryl then took an old brush and painted the vinegar onto this table, carefully following the grain of the wood. The wood got darker as it dried, creating a dark, indulgent finish. Get tutorial here

Dilute a Chalk-Acrylic Paint to Create Wood Stain Colors of Your Choice

Diluting Shabby Paints’ pure acrylic paint can create a hugely effective wood stain. You can choose wood stain colors of any shade by picking your favorite Shabby Paints Chalky-Acrylic color and diluting it with 50% water and 50% paint. Using a damp applicator sponge, this project used a single coat of grey wood stain that helped to amplify the beauty of the wood grain and knots. You could add additional coats to create a weathered barn wood look. Get tutorial here

DIY Shimmering Stained Wood Starburst Mirror

Hometalker Beckie made this stunning wood shim mirror for her hallway using 315 stained wood shims! After falling in love with the classic look of these starburst mirrors, Beckie wanted to create one of her own to transform her hallway. After sanding all 315 wood shims, Beckie then stained each one using four different shades to stain wood. She only used the stain on the edge, the tip and the sides of each shim to save on stain. Get tutorial here

Yes, It is Possible to Stain Laminate!

Hometalker Lisa found that her orange laminate office furniture just wasn’t to her style or taste anymore. So, after plucking up the courage, she eventually opted to stain her laminate furniture using a gel stain. The cabinets have been transformed with a plush, powerful black color. Lisa applied the gel wood stain like paint, but with a slightly lighter touch. Soft, easy strokes worked best, with the ability to create faux wood grain by brushing all strokes in the same direction. Get tutorial here

How to Mix Your Own Wood Stain to Get the Color You Need

Did you know? It’s possible to mix your own colors to stain wood exactly how you want it. Hometalker Jen Burns had spent many years staining and refinishing wood furniture and has rarely managed to find a stain that matches an existing furniture color perfectly. More recently, Jen has been using Unicorn Spit, a gel wood stain, to create custom color mixes that are non-toxic and VOC free, ideal for use in family homes. Get tutorial here

Stain Wooden Furniture to Complement Other Living Room Accessories

Hometalker, Emily recently bought some couches with woodwork that was lighter than the rest of her furniture. She eventually decided to do something about the color of the wood and opted to stain the wood. After using stripping gel to speed up the sanding time, and vacuuming all of the wood’s detailing and lacquer, Emily applied a dark brown wood stain. After allowing it to dry for two-to-three minutes, she then applied three coats of lacquer for a glossy, protected finish. Get tutorial here

Turning Pine Board Into Wood Stain Wall Art

Stephanie’s father had a south-western style home office and opted to design him some wood stain wall art. Using two pine boards cut in half at the DIY store, Stephanie then glued the two pieces together at the seams using Gorilla Glue, with 1x2’s fitted along the width. She used chevron and one-inch frog tap to create the outline for her design, before staining the pine in two different rounds. A wood burning pen was used to sketch the inner design. (Stephanie Get tutorial here

How to Stain Wood Floors to Modernize a Kitchen

Hometalker Building Moxie was at a loss with how to modernize her old wooden kitchen flooring. She eventually discovered that the flooring was Fabulon, which had similar characteristics to lacquer. Building Moxie went off-piste a little and opted for a wiping stain for her wood floor. A black wood stain was wiped on, after applying some much-needed pre-stain. The results are mightily impressive, adding definition to the kitchen worktops and appliances. Get tutorial here

Using Multi-Colored Wood Stains to Transform This Fireplace Surround

Take a look at this spectacular fireplace surround makeover using six different wood stains. Hometalker, Frank was fed up with his brickwork fireplace surround and wanted to create a design statement that was way more contemporary. Using pieces of pine ranging from two feet to eight feet, Frank used six different wood stain colors to create a complementary color palette of greys and browns. He installed each piece completely at random and here are the spectacular results. Get tutorial here

DIY Faux Beams Using Natural Stains to Look Like Reclaimed Wood

These faux wood beams were built using regular pine wood and refinished with natural wood stains. Hometalker Southern Blenders built these stunning faux wood beams for their living room and dining area. Using a range of colors, including white wood stain at the end, they applied stain directly to the wood using fast brush strokes. Once dry, they applied Unicorn Spit White Ning with a dry brush to achieve the weathered look, before applying a fast dry sealer for a satin finish.  Get tutorial here

This Stained Decking Blends Brilliantly With a Ranch-Style Home

This decking was somewhat garish when it was unstained as it didn’t blend into this ranch-style home. After cleaning the deck, this Hometalker sprayed on the new darker decking stain on the deck rails before using a roller for the decking floor. They carefully taped off the property when spraying the rails to guard against overspraying. After a single coat, the decking now has definition and is the perfect backdrop for outdoor accessories, furniture and plants. Get tutorial here

How to Age Wood With Paint and Stain

Hometalker Stephanie managed to age this pallet wood using paint and stain to create a reclaimed wood look. Stephanie used wood stain to treat her raw pallet wood in three different wood stain colors – Mission Oak, Jacobin and Red Mahogany. She added matte white paint on top of each strip using a dry brush, before adding another layer of stain. After a grey wash and one final dry brush stain, the pallet wood was used to create this striking moose wall art. Get tutorial here

Unicorn Spit Into Bare Wood Grain Creates This Rainbow-Stained Stool

How about this for an architectural statement piece? All from a dried-out tree stump! Hometalker Mia spotted this huge tree stump and thought that it would make a wonderful feature in her home. She sanded the stump entirely before taking some considerable time staining it with multiple wood stain colors of Unicorn Spit, creating this vibrant rainbow effect. The seat was put together using an old tablecloth and foam-topped using decorative nails for a comfy finish. Get tutorial here

Wood Stain Adds a Layer of Luxury to These Butcher Block Counter Tops

It’s amazing how you can turn budget Ikea butcher block countertops into a custom high-end design. Hometalker, Stephanie had great success transforming some butcher block countertops in her last home and wanted to do the same with their new kitchen. After choosing Ikea butcher block tops, they routed the edges and stained the wood using Minwax Dark Walnut. After four coats of Original Waterlox sealant, it was ready to go within a week of starting the project. Get tutorial here

Stain Shading Transforms This Vintage Dresser

This vintage solid wood dresser was given a makeover, removing all of the marker and fingernail polish. A staining technique called stain shading was used by Hometalker, Misty, which is a process of painting a design onto wood using only stain. With a combination of brushes and her fingers, Misty created this beautiful sunflower and hummingbird combination – without the use of stencils. She used Miniwax Ebony to get a dark stain wood effect before sealing with glossy wipe-on poly. Get tutorial here

Wood Toning Can Restore Wooden Furniture Without the Need for Stripping

If you have comfortable wooden chairs that are simply the wrong color, consider wood toning. This is not the same as re-staining your wooden furniture. Hometalker Jenni Ingram recently toned her wooden chairs without the need for stripping or sanding down to raw wood. After sanding using 220 grit paper, Jenni cleaned the chairs using a 50/50 ratio of denatured alcohol and water, before applying two coats of 90/10 wood stain and topcoat, creating a high-end glaze. Get tutorial here

Adding the Weathered Look to Your Dining Room Table

Monica wanted to decorate her own dining room table using grey wood stain to complement her chairs. After applying steel wool and vinegar to the table top, Monica layered a coat of Benjamin Moor Texas Leather paint, mixed with water. She then used Behr White stain to layer random strokes over the top of the grey using only a rag. Another layer of Texas Leather paint was applied before the final Revere Pewter shade was added to paint faux table ‘cracks’. Get tutorial here

Creating a Patriotic Design Statement Using Blue Wood Stain

Check out the stars and stripes transformation on this vintage dresser using blue and red wood stain! Although Hometalker, Cathie loved the size and shape of her vintage dresser, the original brown color was getting her down. So, she opted to turn it into a patriotic design statement. Using an orbital sander and Molly Red Pepper, White Ning and Blue Thunder Unicorn Spit, these wood stain colors combined to create a stars and stripe distressed show-stopper, while keeping the original trim color. Get tutorial here