DIY wood stain; steel wool and vinegar solution

This wood stain took several attempts before I got it right. I first tried a tea stain but that did not work out well. 

This is the tea stain that I attempted three times (fail!)

This is the second  attempt at the steel wool. The first time I used a steel Brillo pad; it was not wool so it didn't work out (fail!) In this jar is a Brillo steel wool that already had the soap in it. I figured if I just washed out all of the soap it would work (fail!)

I found this one at Hobby Lobby and thought for sure that this one would work out because it says steel wool. WRONG! Epic fail, again. 

I did not want to go all the way to Lowes for this but had no choice. This is the one that many people use when I did my research. So I went out and got it. And it worked! FINALLY!  I only used one steel wool (the package comes with 12) and 8 oz. of white distilled vinegar. You need at least 24 hours before you can use it but I waited a week. 

When I was ready to stain my buffet table made from pallet boards, I added 8 oz. of water to the mixture. I simply used a rag to apply the stain. 

I used the same solution for several projects but found that after a couple of weeks the color is not as rich any more so I will be making another batch.

Wood stain, super cheap and easy!

Thanks for checking out my blog and please check back every Friday for a new post.

-And remember, anyone can DIY. You just have to be willing to give it a try!