Eco-Friendly natural way to stain your wood
Want to know an Eco-Friendly natural way to stain your wood? Natural Milk Paints Stains and all of Fusion and Homestead Milk Paints can be used as a stain. They are completely natural, and very easy to apply compared to conventional stains. This is a truly eco-friendly way to stain your wood! and takes only minutes to dry without any harsh chemical smells or toxins.
How to Apply Milk Paint Stains
Just mix with water, stir and apply to bare porous wood. For the stain to work well, your surface must be free of any previous finish, this stain will penetrate the wood and bind with the wood fibres. You should only need 1 coat if you have mixed your stain correctly. Always test your mix on the wood surface in an inconspicuous spot to make sure you are happy. If your first coat isn’t quite dark or opaque enough for you, you can always apply a second coat.
Available Milk Paint Stain Colours
Our Milk Paint stains come in 4 wood shade colours: Pacific Redwood, Provincial Walnut, Quebec Maple and Sherwood Brown.
Many people custom blend colours together to create a custom shade variation. You can turn any milk paint colour into a stain by following the stain mixing instructions. Just mix, apply and seal!
Sealing Milk Paint Stain
Once you are satisfied with the application of your Milk Paint Stain you can gently sand with 300-grit sandpaper to smooth out any raised wood grain. Then you are ready for your topcoat. Hemp oil, Tung oil or beeswax are all excellent top coat finishes that are 100% natural and food safe. The oil helps to seal and protect the surface and to saturate the Milk Paint so it appears vibrant and not chalky.
We recommend Hemp oil and beeswax for interior applications. We recommend Tung oil for the exterior. Two coats of oil are ideal and you’re done! You may use a varnish or urethane but the true colour of the stain can be appreciated more with an oil topcoat.
Tips for using wax finishes
Food-safe Salad Bowl finish wax is a food-safe wax that gives a matte look. This wax can be buffed to a higher sheen or gloss. Fusion Salad Bowl Finish has great water resistance, however, a little more work than Hemp Oil. This is because it is a paste and you need to rub it into the surface. Hemp Oil is a natural oil that is easy to apply and really penetrates into the wood. They are both great finishes. You can combine them and use both! Hemp Oil first, then beeswax over top for extra long-lasting durability.
Please note that if you apply a wax finish, you will have to continue with wax in the future. Oil can not be put over wax as it will not be able to penetrate and soak in
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I custom mix stains? Yes, it is very easy to mix them together, you can do it in the dry powder format, or the wet liquid format. Make sure that you write down your mix in case you need to recreate it.
- Are they safe to use indoors? Our Milk Paint stains are 100% safe for use indoors. Virtually odourless and non-toxic. Dries in 10-15 minutes. The most eco-friendly way to stain your wood, with no fumes and no harmful chemicals for your indoor air quality!
- Can I use other Milk Paint colours as a stain? Absolutely! All the colours can be used as a stain or ‘wash’ just add 3 parts water to one part milk paint.