Natural Wood stains

Natural Wood Stains

Simple Stain: There are several techniques to make natural wood stains. The simplest method is to add pure earth pigment to walnut oil and rub it onto wood with a clean rag. Start with 1 part pigment to 4 parts oil, and adjust proportions as needed.

"Shaker" Wood Stain: Here is another technique that uses water instead of oil. 

Prep time: 45 min. – 2 hours

Process:

  1. Combine 1 Tbsp. earth pigment and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Gently boil it down until you have a thick paste. Let this cool. 
  2. Rub the stain paste into wood using a cotton cloth. Rubber gloves should be worn to prevent staining of fingers.
  3. Let each coat dry. Rub in successive coats until the wood will not absorb any more. Softwoods work well with this stain, since they are very absorbent. Since there is no binder, a sealer must be applied to prevent the color from transferring.