Is there a way to darken brass?

The darkening of brass only requires a few materials, such as a darkening solution, baking soda and water. There are also homemade methods, such as using bleach, but working with bleach and other chemicals can be toxic.

Brass can be darkened by following these easy steps:

1. The object should first be submerged in a bucket of water and cleaned thoroughly.
2. After it has been dried, it should be scrubbed with steel wool and water to remove any coating and left to dry for several hours.
 
3. Next, the item should be placed into the same dried bucket with enough water to cover it, along with two tablespoons of baking soda. Darkening solution such as Rockler's Darkening Solution should be added. The amount added is not exact, but should be enough to stain the water dark and cover the brass object. After the solution is added, it should begin to darken immediately.