What Happens When You Mix Wood Glue and Stain on a Thrift Store Find?

Discover how to transform a simple thrift store apple basket into a charming fall decor piece using an easy wood glue stain technique. This budget-friendly DIY project is perfect for adding rustic charm to your home during apple orchard season.

I’ve got a cute Stained Apple Bucket to share with you as part of this month’s Thrift Store makeover! I found this basic apple basket for $1 at our local thrift store during the summer. I scooped it up knowing I’d want to use it during the fall. We love going up to our local apple orchards during this time of year.

Thrift store apple basket transformed with stain and a cool technique. Get all the detail on how to do this easy stain technique yourself to create fun stain projects.

Here’s what I started with.

Cute and basic. Here’s what you need to create this Stained Apple Basket.

What You’ll Need for Your Stained Apple Basket

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Step-by-Step Guide to the Wood Glue Stain Technique

Step 1: Apply Wood Glue as a Resist

This first step has the coolest technique to it. Did you know you can use wood glue to create a kind of barrier to wood stain? I used this technique on my Pine Wood Laundry Countertop. It’s so fun!

With a small paintbrush write on the apple basket with wood glue. Let it dry a couple of hours until it’s completely dry and not sticky at all.

Step 2: Apply the Wood Stain

It’s time to stain. For the apple basket, I used a brush to apply the stain. It was easier to get into all those nooks and crannies. I used my favorite stain, Kona; but you could use whatever stain color you like!

Step 3: Wipe Away Excess Stain

Follow the directions on your stain, but I let mine sit about 5 minutes (it was warm outside) and then wiped away the excess stain. When you wipe it away you will see your glue painted areas are much lighter. It will absorb a little of the stain, but it’s definitely clear and readable.