6 Essential Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes

Today I have my 6 favorite Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes for you guys! It’s my DIY Wood Cleaner, Wood Stain, Whitewash, Chalk Paint, Furniture Wax, & Chalk Board Paint.

Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes

Hi Guys! Today, I’m excited to share 6 of my favorite Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes with you all. You can make most of these with items from your kitchen and local hardware store.

Grab the FREE printable PDF at the end of this post for your garage.

And, I’ve included some space for notes or adjustments on each recipe and empty spots for your own recipes. Yea!

The 6 homemade wood finishing recipes on this list are: Homemade Wood Cleaner and Restorer Recipe, Chalk Paint Recipe with Plaster of Paris, Chalk Board Paint Recipe, Homemade Wood Stains, Homemade Whitewash Recipe, and a Recipe for Beeswax Furniture Polish.

Print this reference guide and hang it in your garage or work space, so you’ll never have to search for that recipe again.

Check out my tips for perfect furniture distressing while your here.

Why Do I Use Homemade Wood Finishes

Some of you might be wondering why you’d use homemade versions of paints, polishes, or cleaners. There are plenty of great and safe store bough brands out there.

But sometimes it’s just easier and cheaper to make your own Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes.

Or you might want to be sure about the ingredients being used. Or maybe you just want an exact shade of chalk paint or stain that you can’t find in the stores. Well, these mixes are easy to use and now I’ve made them very handy too. 🙂

Homemade Wood Cleaner and Restorer Recipe

Cleans and nourishes that wood, without the waxy build up. Store in an plastic or glass container. Works on leather and stainless steel too.

Shake up before each use. Apply with a clean rag. I used this homemade wood cleaner on this trash to treasure Office Chair Makeover.

• 3/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Distilled White Vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice

Note: Vinegar is environmentally safe and very cheap, but doesn’t work for all floors, stones or woods. Waxed floors and stones can be damaged by the acid in vinegar.

And frequent vinegar use may cloud or soften the finish on some engineered and hardwood floors. Follow the manufacturers directions or research your materials before applying vinegar.

Homemade Recipe for Beeswax Furniture Polish

Grate or chop beeswax. Then melt in a double-boiler. Once melted, remove from heat and add oil. Mix completely and store in a glass container. Use a wax brush or clean rag to apply and buff to a smooth finish.

• 1/4 cup Beeswax
• 3/4 cup Olive Oil

Homemade Wood Stains with Coffee or Tea and Steel Wool Recipe

Put steel wool into a large mason jar. Cover that steel wool with the vinegar and coffee grounds or steeped tea. Let it sit for 3 days, shaking well every day.

Leaving it for longer will darken the stain. You can strain out the steel wool and coffee grounds with cheesecloth once desired color is reached.

Always shake well before using this Homemade Wood Finishing Recipe. Use a foam brush to apply. Brush away any grounds as you apply.

Experiment with different levels of tea and coffee for different shades of grays and browns. Tea seems to lean more gray and coffee more brown.

• 2 pieces of Fine Steel Wool
• 1 Tablespoon Coffee Grounds or Steeped Tea
• 2 cups White Vinegar

Homemade Whitewash Recipe

Whitewash really refers to the technique and effect, any color of latex can be used. Mix water and paint in a glass jar or plastic container.

This is runny so use a brush, roller, or even a rag to apply in light layers. Be sure to wipe away all drips.

• 1 part Water
• 1 part Latex Paint (flat or matte works best) or Chalk Paint

You can see how I used homemade whitewash for a rustic look on my DIY Scrap Wood Table Top or these Easy DIY Drawer Boxes.

Chalk Paint Recipe with Plaster of Paris

Chalk Paint is definitely my most uses Homemade Wood Finishing Recipe. I use it on everything, like this DIY Gray Chalk Paint Furniture Makeover or this Easy DIY Long Wooden Table Tray.

Add Plaster of Paris to warm water in a large Mason Jar. Stir and let the mixture dissolve and cool.

After the mixture dissolves and returns to room temperature, add Latex Paint and mix thoroughly. Mix again before each use. Apply with foam brush, roller, or chalk paint brush.

This will be runnier than regular latex and needs extra coats. Sand lightly with fine grit sandpaper between coats. Protect and seal with polyurethane or wax.

You can see also how I used this DIY chalk paint on my Laundry Room Cabinets (it’s the cream colored upper cabinets).

• 1/4 cup of Warm Water
• 1/2 cup Plaster of Paris
• 2  cups Latex Paint (flat, matte, or eggshell work best)

DIY Chalk Paint is actually hard to mess up. Some paints need more water, some need less. It depends on how thick the latex paint is.

Watch this video to see everything you need to make your own DIY chalk paint at home. And, check out my guide for how to get a smooth finish with chalk paint too.

Homemade Chalkboard Paint Recipe

Put grout in a clean container, use a plastic spoon or other hard object to break up lumps and make the grout as fine as possible. Add Latex Paint, mix thoroughly, break up all lumps again. If it’s too thick add a bit more latex.

Apply with a good brush. Sand lightly with fine grit sandpaper between coats. Rub chalk all over surface to prep for use. You can see how I used this chalk board paint on my chalk board painted garage cabinets.

• 1 tbsp Non-Sanded Grout
• 1 cup Latex Paint (flat, matte, or eggshell work best)

You can find these recipes in the printable Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes PDF: Homemade Wood Cleaner and Restorer Recipe, Chalk Paint Recipe with Plaster of Paris, Chalk Board Paint Recipe, Homemade Wood Stains, Homemade Whitewash Recipe, and a Recipe for Beeswax Furniture Polish. 

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Download the FREE Printable DIY Wood and Furniture Finishing Recipes.

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Here’s a BONUS Homemade Wood Finishing Recipe. It’s not in the printable, but it’s super easy to make. Here’s my video steps and tips to make your own Wood Filler with Sawdust and Wood Glue.

AND, this isn’t a DIY product. But, I really love this UV wax I found last year. I apply it to my sun damaged, dry wood door 2 or 3 times a year to protect it from the harsh Texas sun and it’s absolutely keeping the door finish shiny and as pretty as it was NEW!

Check out these handy steps for How to Clean Marble Shower Tile and safely Kill Mildew without etching the marble.

Get that professional store bought furniture look with this tutorial for how to stain a table top.

Here’s my favorite DIY way to make ugly grout look white and new again.

Here’s How to Stain Wood Furniture without Stripping the Old Stain.

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Feeling inspired? Want to try one of these: Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes? Have fun and let me know if you have questions. Or post pictures of your work and tag Abbotts At Home on FB, I’d love to see it!