Tried to make my own wood stain with coffee and it turned out so bad lol

I saw a video online about using super strong coffee to stain a pine shelf a nice walnut color. I brewed a whole pot, let it cool, and did three coats over two days. It didn't get dark, it just made the wood look dirty and blotchy, like a bad spray tan. I spent maybe 15 bucks on the coffee and wasted a weekend. Learned that natural stains are way less predictable than the stuff from the store. Has anyone actually gotten a coffee stain to look decent, or was that video just a lie?

3 comments

3 Comments

tessap983mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst. I tried the tea bag method on a small box and got the same gross, uneven look. It seems like it only works on certain types of wood, and even then it fades super fast. Total letdown.

the_sean18d ago

@tessap98 yeah, I found using a strong black tea with multiple coats helps but it still fades weirdly.

the_skyler3mo ago

The tea bag method is basically the wood stain version of a bad filter. It looks okay for a second online, then reality hits and it's just a splotchy mess. Save yourself the trouble and skip it.