How to Get a Barn Wood Finish
by
Natalie
3 Materials
Easy
Have you ever tried to get that barn wood look on new wood and the color just looked fake? Or you find the most awesome tutorial of a piece with faux barn wood and find out that you have to buy an expensive product and wait for it to be shipped? Who has time for that, let alone excess decorating money sitting around?
I have tried a few products hoping to get the perfect barn wood finish, you know that weathered gray that doesn't look fake. Nothing has worked for me until I finally tried a homemade solution.
{
"id": "3601090",
"alt": "",
"title": "",
"video_link": "https://www.youtube.com/embed/uSWjCFPBpsk",
"youtube_video_id": "uSWjCFPBpsk"
}
{
"width": 634,
"height": 357,
"showRelated": true
}
Have you ever heard of homemade stain? It's a simple recipe with vinegar and steel wool that turns wood different shades, just like stain. But without the strong chemical smells, or the price tag. I mean sure, a quart of minwax stain is less than $10, but what if you could make the same amount of stain for less than $5? Plus there are no VOC's and it's eco friendly! What more could you ask for?
Simply put a pad of steel wool ( I used 0000) into a mason jar (I used a pint sized jar). Pour your distilled white vinegar into the jar, making sure to cover the steel wool completely. Grab the lid to the jar and LOOSELY screw on the lid. You don't want to screw it on tightly because of the chemical reaction taking place inside of the jar. Now the hardest part - let it sit for 15-24 hours. The longer it sits the darker the stain will get.
I did this before bed one night so I could easily be patient and almost forget about it until the baby's nap time the next day.
After waiting patiently, grab the stain, some gloves, your wood ( I used Pine common board from Home Depot) and a foam paint brush or lint free cloth. Remove the steel wool pad from the vinegar - don't throw it away until you have tested the stain and know that it is the right shade for you. If you want it darker, place the steel wool back into the vinegar and wait a few more hours. Keep repeating this process until it is just right. Once you know it is just right you can dispose of the steel wool. If it has sat for too long just add a bit of white distilled vinegar to the solution to dilute it. Just a reminder -before applying the stain to all of your wood, test it out on a scrap piece of the same wood as each wood will take the stain differently.
Apply your new stain just like you would any other stain, except you don't have to wipe this off. Simply dip your brush or cloth into the stain and wipe it on. Making sure to get it everywhere. It will look clear, like it didn't work. Don't worry! The stain has to react to the wood, this usually takes about 15 minutes to complete. Let it dry completely and then add more coats if desired.
That's all there is to it! I found it fun to see what different shades I could get by trying the stain at different stages. Once I found a shade that I liked I poured some of the stain into a new jar (without any steel wool) and kept the rest with the steel wool to see what new shade I could get in a few hours.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 42 comments
-
Thanks so much, I will definitely be trying this!
-
Awesome! Let me know how it goes!
-
-
Lo 've the look
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?