Since I never had an experience of staining wood, I sought for a ready-made stain. However, my struggle culminated into utter despair as ready-made stain is not available in my country. So strange! isn’t it? Since it’s a DIY project, it was also illogical to hire a professional to do the work for me. So, I searched the internet and found numerous ways of staining wood. Accordingly, to achieve my desired antique look I had three options: white vinegar and steel wool, tea, and coffee. Unfortunately, I could not find steel wool in my locality, so I discarded that one instantly. Then I tried tea stain on scrap woods to see whether it works. But the result was very unsatisfactory since it failed to leave an intense stain on the wood even after applying multiple coats.
As a last resort I opted to use coffee. For this I bought regular instant coffee from grocery store. The application of coffee was also hard, but after trial and error I was able to achieve the color that I was looking for. Now, let me explain in detail exactly how I achieved a professional quasi-antique look with a grocery item:
Required Materials
- Instant Coffee (Any brand)
- Hot Water
- Black Acrylic Color
- Measuring Cup (for mixing coffee)
- Hockey Stick Brush (for applying stain)
Step by Step Procedure
Step-1
Sand the wood surface very well and dust it very well with a brush or dry cloth.
Step-2
Pour 10 ml boiled water on a measuring cup, add one tea spoon of instant coffee, mix it very well and let the mixture cool down. You may add a tiny (a quarter drop!) drop of black acrylic color to achieve a darker look. Adding more acrylic color will produce a more darker stain, no doubt.
Step-3
Dip the Hockey Stick Brush into the mixture and apply the first coat on the wood surface. Make sure that the mixture soaks very well into the wood surface. Let it dry naturally for 15 minutes.
After drying you’ll see very little darkness on the wood surface, however, don’t get worried and follow next steps.
Step-4
Now add another tea spoon of instant coffee into the previous mixture and stir very well. This time you will find the mixture a bit thicker than before.
Step-5
Apply stain with hockey stick brush and let it dry for 30 minutes. After drying you will discover that the dark color of coffee has been injected into the wood surface highlighting the natural grains. However, you still need to follow the next step to get the darkest look.
Step-6
Add half tea spoon of instant coffee into the previous mixture and stir very well. This time you will find the mixture even thicker than second time. Remember, the more coffee you’ll add, the more dark tone you’ll achieve.
Step-7
Apply stain with the hockey stick brush and let it dry for 6 hours (since the mixture is thicker it will take more time to dry). You may apply another coat with Step-6 mixture if you still think that the color is lighter than your expectation.
Step-8
This step is optional but also very important. Follow this step if you find that the stain has covered most of the wood grains. The method is very simple: just dip the hockey stick brush into water and brush over the wood surface to wipe off excess stain. Continue this process until the grains are visible to a desired level. I’ve also done this with my clock since the stain was too thick.NB: The above quantity of materials is applicable for my clock project only. The amount of materials may increase or decrease depending upon the size of your project. Again, the same mixture may act differently depending upon wood types.
Sealing the Stain
Coffee stain is not as stable as hardware store stains. So, slight contact with water will wash out the stain. Therefore, the coffee coat should be sealed with clear varnish ASAP. Many types of hardware store clear varnish are available. However, to be cost effective you may make them at home. But you’ll still need to go to the hardware store to get the materials. In my case I've used a clear varnish which requires fewer materials and is very easy to prepare. You may make this at home in the following way:Required Materials
- Methylated Spirit
- Synthetic Resin
- Glass jar
Method of Preparation
Step-1
Pour 250 ml methylated spirit in the glass jar.Step-2
Add two tea spoon of resin, close the jar cap tightly and put it aside like this overnight.Method of Application
Step-1
In the following day open the jar cap and pour the varnish into a glass bowl as much as you need. Now apply the clear coat on the project surface with hockey stick brush or soft cloth. But do not brush the same spot twice since this will wipe away the coffee stain. After application wait 24 hours to let the varnish dry.
Step-2
After 24 hours, sand the project to smoothen the surface. Clean the surface with a dry brush or cloth and apply another coat of clear varnish and wait for 24 hours. Repeat Step-2, three more times to have a nice smooth finish.
Well, the above DIY wood staining technique is molded on the existing articles by numerous contributors across the globe. However, it is also a reflection of my own personal experience with a few additions and modifications. You may also find many articles on the similar topic. And it is also solely dependent upon you exactly which one to follow. However, it would give me an intense pleasure if I find that mine somehow helped you to finish your project. Thanks so much for reading.
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