I’ve rounded up my little slips of paper full of wood finishing recipes to make this awesome Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes printable for you…and me.
Hi Guys! Today, I’m excited to share 6 of my favorite Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes with you all. Grab the 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 youโll never have to search for that recipe again. Check out my tips for perfect furniture distressing while your here.
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 itโs 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 canโt find in the stores. Well, these mixes are easy to use and now Iโve made them very handy too. ๐
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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 Chalk Board 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. Sign up for my email list here to grab this printable for your garage or workshop.
Email Subscribers can download the 6 DIY Wood and Furniture Finishing Recipes Here.
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.
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!
Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes
Materials
- Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Latex Paint
- Plaster of Paris
- Non-Sanded Grout
- Beeswax
Instructions
6 Homemade Wood Finishing Recipes
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. Sign up for my email list above to grab this printable for your garage or workshop.
- Homemade Wood Cleaner - 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.
- 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.
- Homemade Wood Stain 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.
- Homemade Whitewash - 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.
- Chalk Paint Recipe - 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.
- Chalk Board 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.
Notes
Some of you might be wondering why youโd use homemade versions of paints, polishes, or cleaners. There are plenty of great and safe store bough brands out there. But sometimes itโs 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 canโt find in the stores. Well, these mixes are easy to use and now Iโve made them very handy too.
Great post, I’ll definitely be trying a few of these recipes! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us at the Creative Muster. Looking forward to seeing what youโll be sharing next week. Pinned!
Robin ๐
Thanks so much, Robin!
Fantastic post. This is going to be a continuous resource. Pinning in a couple of boards.
Thanks so much, Leanna. So glad you liked it. ๐
What great homemade recipes I must try some of these
They are handy to have around. ๐
Your chalk paint recipe is fantastic. I have not seen this before…
Thanks for sharing at Waste Not Wednesday.
Thanks, Kimm! Have a great week!
What a fantastic resource this post is! I love that so many of your finishing recipes contain natural ingredients too. I’d love it if you’d share this post with us at The Hearth and Soul Link Party, which is live on my blog now! Pinned!
I’ll check it out, April. Thanks!!
OMG!!! I did not know anything about these. Thank you so much for sharing with us these homemade wood finishing recipes ๐
Thanks so much, Christina. I hope you get to try them soon.
This is so handy Steph! I’ve used the wood cleaner, stain and whitewash and they’re all great. I especially love the stain – it darkens without any red/orange that a lot of ready-made stains have. xx
Thanks, Kate. The whole blog post was an excuse to finally print these all out for my garage. ๐