This koolaid stain post was written for HomeRight. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love experimenting with different ways to get a fun effect on wood that goes beyond regular paint. In the past, I’ve shared my color wash technique and today I want to show you how you can use koolaid as a stain! Crazy, right? I first used liquid koolaid as a stain years ago but I want to show you how easy {and cheap!} it is to use packets of powdered koolaid to color wood!
I love paint but I also love the look of a good stain, especially when it incorporates some color. I like being able to see the grain of the wood through the color and I love the subtle finish that stain can bring to a project.
Using powdered koolaid packets is a really fun way to experiment with colored stains without spending much money! Head to your local grocery store and select your favorite colors but be warned: some are deceiving. I was hoping tropical punch would be the same color as its packet but it turned out to be red instead.
For this project, I cut small pieces of wood and drilled a hole in the top of each one.
I decided to use my new HomeRight Finish Max paint sprayer for this project!
I’m super excited about adding this paint sprayer to my tool closet.
I prefer the ease of spray painting over brush painting but I hate being limited to the colors and styles available in spray paint lines … and buying enough spray paint for a large project isn’t cheap! The HomeRight Finish Max sprayer can be used with regular paint, craft paint, chalk paint, clear sealer, polyurethane, primer, stain, varnish – or even koolaid {wink}! I’ve been eyeing all the furniture around my house, imagining it painted in new, bright colors!
To make the koolaid stain, I added water to the container and stirred a packet of koolaid right in, dissolving it completely {don’t add the sugar suggested on the packet}. The amount of water you add will obviously affect the depth of the color. I used a little over a cup with this first color but used about 1/4 cup of water with the other packets.
Because of the nature of this project and the small size, I didn’t need a lot of power and width behind the spray. The HomeRight Finish Max sprayer allows you to adjust the trigger control knob to increase or decrease the spray pattern …
… and also the position of the spray. It can be adjusted to a vertical or horizontal spray, depending on whether you’re spraying up and down or side to side, and can be adjusted to a 45 degree angle for irregular surfaces.
I sprayed the wood pieces with three different koolaid stains {orange, red, and pink} …
… then let them dry while I quickly and easily cleaned the paint sprayer. One more simple step and these pieces were turned into adorable DIY koolaid stained wood gift tags {click on the link to see that tutorial}.
I’m so excited about experimenting with other fun finishes and painting projects with my HomeRight Finish Max paint sprayer … and I love that all my future painting projects will be simplified by this awesome tool!
This is one of the cutest ideas I’ve seen. I love using these as gift tags – or maybe even ornaments, if you have the talent to paint on them! Thanks for sharing!
Am thinking about using this method to make a set of wooden blocks for my youngest grandson. What would be a good sealant so the color doesn’t come off in his fingers?
I don’t think you’ll need a sealant at all. The stain soaks right in and I’ve never had it come off on my fingers.
How cool is this? I had no idea that Kool Aid could be used as a stain, but you can bet that I’ll be trying it now 🙂
That is such a cool idea! I don’t know why I never thought of that before. I mean, we all know what happens when you spill Koolaid on something!
Well that is a very interesting idea. I know that Koolaid steens stuff but I never really thought about using it as a stain. That would be fun to do because you could have so many different colors.
How clever and cheap! I think my girls would love to try this. We’ll get some wooden boxes from the craft store to try it on!
That is just BRILLIANT! I never would have thought I could use Kool-Aid like that! I have some shutters for a project I’m doing, and think Kool-Aid might be the way to go!
This is, by far, the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! I cannot wait to try this!
That is a fantastic idea, because it gives color like paint and keeps the grain like stain. My husband used to stain and paint but his workbench has been idle, but this might spur him on.
This is a fantastic idea. I have heard of coloring your hair with Kool Aid before. This would be a fun finish on some bird houses I am making.
We totally did this when I was a kid and used Koolaid as a wood stain for our arts and crafts projects. A timeless idea!
I knew you could use Koolaid to dye hair, but I didn’t know you could use it on wood. I love the richness of the colors you were able to achieve!
No way! That is awesome. I actually just bought an unfinished piece of wood to use as a photo backdrop. I should try Kool aid to stain it!
I need a sprayer like that! I have so many projects to tackle. For the last 6 months I’ve been saying “When we get to Arizona, I’m going to refinish this or that” Now that we’re here, it’s time to start redoing furniture!!!
Ok, I know Kool-Aid can stain fingers! I had no idea it could be used as a wood stain too! Very cool!
What a super cool idea. I love it! I am going to have to give this a try sometime.
I can’t wait to give this a try.pretty smart idea.very cheap