Last week, I took a bag of frozen raspberries out of the freezer to thaw. There must have been a hole in the bag, because the next morning there was bright red juice all around the bag. It had even dripped off the edge of the counter and puddled on the floor. At first glance, it looked like a homicide crime scene.
I would have taken a picture of it, but WHY WOULD I? It’s not like I was planning to blog about it.
Luckily, I’m a great writer and adequately described the mess so you have a picture in your mind. Right?
(JK about the great writer part… I’m pretty insecure actually)
As I was cleaning up the mess, I was thinking about how glad I was that the juice wasn’t oil-based. Sometimes I chuckle at myself, because only a DIYer would be comparing raspberry juice to wood stain or paint.
AND THEN IT HIT ME.
I couldn’t do anything else until I found out if I could use my trademark ‘Shading with Stain’ technique with raspberry juice. I ran out to the garage and grabbed a piece of pine, hand-sanded it real quick with 220 grit, and sat down with the girls at the breakfast table. They ate their oatmeal (with raspberries in it) and I stained with the leftover raspberry juice.
When I realized that it might really work, I started snapping a few process pics with my phone. Staining with juice was VERY similar to wood stain. It’s a little more watery, so the color isn’t as concentrated. I ended up going back and dabbing some more stain at the base of each flower petal to add more contrast.
I have to admit, I wasn’t putting a ton of effort into making it perfect. I was mostly just experimenting with a new medium. So the final flower was a little globbier than I would have liked. But in my defense, it took me about 10 minutes start to finish. Haha!
At this point, I was feeling pretty proud of myself for thinking of such a unique idea. I made a little collage on my phone and posted to our Facebook page. Then I forgot about it until I checked my computer later… and that image had 600 likes, and 280 shares. Holy crapola!
If I had known it was going to go viral, I definitely would have spent more than 10 minutes on it. But at least I know it works and I can reproduce it whenever I have a bag of frozen raspberries lying around.
I liked it enough to whip up a chunky white frame and slap it on the wall in the girls’ room.
I waited several days before I sealed to make sure it was fully dry. The wood was pretty saturated when I was ‘staining’ it. And since raspberries aren’t oil-based, the poly wouldn’t have stuck.
{Mixed media art by my mom, and photograph taken by Molly Long}
I’m not gonna lie, the girls’ room is my FAVORITE room in our house by far.
Sometimes I look at all we did, and I think ‘how did we have the time?’ …everything but the dresser was built from scratch. The fainting couch / toddler beds were by first build! Annnd my first real upholstery job!
Speaking of shared rooms, what are your thoughts on 3 little girls sharing a room? I grew up in a large family and neverrrrr had my own room. And I loved it! Sleeping alone would be so lonely! But Nick always had his own room and thinks it’s a CRAY idea to have all 3 girls in the same room (once Cypress is no longer a baby of course) when we have the space for them to have their own. I personally would like to have a guest room again… HAHA! Thoughts on this matter?
If you’re not already familiar, come browse through all the DIY projects we did in the twins’ room!
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I’m totally drawn in to this concept. But I’m curious to know if the stain color has stayed the same or if its changed at all over time.
Hey Becki! I was so proud of this idea, but alas it DID fade over the years. After about 4 years it didn’t look good anymore at all. It had turned brown instead of pink, and it was really pale and I threw it away. 🙂
Such a blessing to be inspired by your children. They bring out the best in us. Can’t wait to try this using beet juice.
You two are awesome! Keep the positivity coming. I discovered also about food juices, beet, carrot, raspberries, blueberries. Also, what about the imprints from cut veggies like celery? I cut the bottom off and thought about the purpose other than the garbage. I just might try it. Problem being, what do I use to stain with? I have a little table I found in the out back garbage where i live. I brought it in doors and my husband started scraping etc. He is good at that also. Sanding it was easy. I want to put some sort of design on the top. Hmm celery root bottom might just work. Pictures of before and after will hopefully be sent successfully. Keep the ideas coming. Loovin it.
My three kids always shared a room. They loved it until they hit the teen years. But we always lived in a two bedroom house, so they didn’t have a choice. It did make getting them to sleep a bit more difficult, though, because they always had someone to talk to in the dark.
Your twins may not ever want separate rooms. We’ve got family friends who have twin daughters and they always wanted to be together even when they reached college age.
What did you seal this with? I am going to redo a hutch and dinning table with shading with stain technique, but loved the idea of adding some color.
Katie! I sealed this with oil-based poly after letting it dry out for a couple days. Send pics when you’re done!
I am the 2nd oldest of 10, 7 girls and 3 boys. we always just had a boy room and a girl room, and I loved it! especially as teenagers, we got ready together, talked, and laughed. My sisters are my best friends, and I think it was from sharing a room. My husband on the other hand came from a family of 6, and when they were teens, they moved to a new home with a bedroom for each. He and his brothers admit that they were so close until they had their own rooms, and their relationships were never the same because in that teenage stage they would just shut themselves in their own room. I treasure the memories of sharing a room, and my hubby and I have decided that our kids for sure will share rooms.
My 3 girls (3-year-old twins and 5-year-old singleton) chose to share a room in December when my in-laws bought the twins triple bunk beds. Big sis didn’t want to be all by herself in her own room, so now we use the other bedroom as a dressing room for all the dressers. They love it and I think it’s the cutest!
First of all, I totally love the raspberry flower! Now you can experiment with all kinds of other natural stains like blueberry, spinach etc.
I had to share a tiny room with my two brothers until I was eighteen. Not an ideal situation by any means and I always longed to have my own room. But having said that I do believe that having the girls share a room, at least until they are in their teens, is not a bad idea. A friend of mine put her two girls in one bedroom and used the other bedroom as a playroom for them. When they got older they each had their own room. I think sharing a room teaches them to compromise and appreciate their own space when they get it. And it would be good practice for college dorm living!!!
It really depends on their personalities. As kids, my sister and I didn’t share a room well at all. There was more peace in separate bedrooms, but yours might be better! Just know that you’re giving them ample opportunity to conspire against you… and you’re outnumbered 😛
Love it love it love it!!!!
I shared a room with my 3 siblings. I grew up in a 2-bedroom apartment. Yes, we fought, but we had a lot of fun, too! Just buy bunk beds. 🙂
I think them all sharing a room sounds great! Siblings who shared a room always seem just a little extra bonded, with all the fighting but also all the sharing, and secrets, and fun 😀