Thursday - Crafts / How to Make Stain from Black Walnuts

Black walnut trees are a wonderful addition to ones property. Not only do black walnut tree provide nuts for cakes and muffins , but black walnuts can be turned into a warm rich stain.

Black walnut trees can be found growing wild across the U.S. in states outlined in the map. In Missouri it is a cottage industry in the Ozark Mountains with locals harvesting the nuts to sell to companies that set up locations during Black Walnut Harvest season.

I love using black walnut stain to color reed when making baskets, on hard-shell gourds and for staining furniture. To make black walnut stain, fill a five gallon bucket with boiling water half full. Let it sit for sixty days. This will make 1 1/2 gallons of stain when finished. Next gather 40 - 50 black walnuts off of the ground. The more walnuts added to the mix the darker the stain. The amount given ( 40 - 50 nuts ) will make a light to medium stain. A good pair of gloves will protect ones hands from being stained while working with the black walnuts. Next take a hammer and open up each nut ensuring the inside is visible. This will make it easier for the water to absorb the tanning from the nuts. Use the entire nut both the outside hull and the inside nut. ( My son runs over the nuts with his truck. )Add twenty pennies to the water. This will help stabilize the stain once it is complete. Add walnuts to the water and stir with a stick. Move the bucket to a remote location in the basement or garage, somewhere will it will not freeze. Cover the bucket and check the color after sixty days with a piece of wood dipped into the stain. If the color is satisfactory , bottle in glass jars until ready to use.

If a dark color is desired allow the stain to set up checking after 7 day intervals. This stain will be natural and can add primitive beauty to any wood base project around the home. Do It Yourself projects are always the best and making ones own stain will give your project even more satisfaction. That's how we make black walnut stain, ' Around Our Southern Home and Garden'.