Welcome to Pinterest Tested! Ever wonder if that miracle cleaner is really miraculous? Or what about that homemade facial cleanser or delicious-looking recipe? This is the place to find out! I am testing Pins that catch my eye to see if they really live up to the claims made on Pinterest. It’s like the Mythbusters of Domesticity!
If you are a regular reader around these parts, then you know I’ve been working on my downstairs family room lately. I said I would post more about how I stained the desk top.
Instead of using stain like a normal person, I decided to try something I had seen on Pinterest.
THE CLAIM: You can mix steel wool and vinegar together, let it sit for 24+ hours, then brush it onto wood to stain it.
Many of the pages I read (HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE) said that this technique gives you an antique barnwood look. I thought that would be great for downstairs, so I gave it a whirl.
Here I am painting on the stinky metallic liquid:
I was sure it wasn’t going to work. At first, it looked like I was just brushing the table top with water. I did three coats and ended up with a pinkish, weird looking finish. And the three coats raised the wood grain so much in some areas that I ended up having a few slivers that came out completely. I thought the project was a bust, but I figured I would just add the polyurethane coat and see what happened before I bought a whole new piece of wood and started over.
Well, wouldn’t you know that the polyurethane worked it’s magic and I ended up with a rich, warm, shiny brown finish.
I tried filling in the gouge left from the raised woodgrain with putty, which just made it look worse. Luckily, it’s under the keyboard, so it doesn’t show.
Comments & Reviews
janel says
I love these pinterest tested posts! Keep 'em coming!
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
Thanks, Janel!
Gweny says
Do you think that maybe if yo hadn't given it so many coats it wouldn't have made the grain raise so much?
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
Yes, I think if I had only done one coat, it would have turned out better. The color would probably have been a much lighter brown though.
Stephanie Kent says
Hi Jennifer! The desk is really pretty. And I love seeing one of my methods tested. So weird that it didn't turn grey. I'm wondering….did you apply a coat of tea first? In my experience that makes a huge difference in the results of the color. You're right, it is a little unpredictable. Always good to test a small spot first if possible. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Stephanie @ The Styled Soul
Jennifer {The Craft Patch} says
Stephanie, I did NOT apply tea first. I did a test swatch on a scrap of lumber and it turned the prettiest grey color, so I didn't bother with the tea. I don't know why the desk turned out a different color. It was the same wood and I did it the same way…. weird.
Thanks for the tutorial and for stopping by my blog!
colleen says
This is my favorite way to get a distressed look. I have used it probably 3-4 times on different projects and all have turned out perfect. The only thing different I did was to add a layer of tea stain to it. I also used new lumber.