How To Age Wood for A Weathered Look

by TheHoneycombHome

How to get the look of reclaimed wood in only 2 easy steps!

I found these Crates at the Home Depot and I wanted to use them for decor in my house, but the unfinished wood look wasn't what I was going for. First I applied Rust-Oleum stain in weathered gray.

I love the look of reclaimed wood, but finding true reclaimed wood is usually difficult or expensive. I have tried a few different techniques for getting the look, DIY style, and I finally found one that gives a perfect rustic finish. The best part is it only takes 2 steps from start to finish!

In the photo below, the crate on the left shows what it looked like after applying just the stain. (Note: this stain smells pretty bad, it's definitely an outdoor project.) Once dried it has a blue-gray finish by itself.

It was better, but it didn't give the true reclaimed/weathered look I was going for. Once that was fully dry, I applied a dark wax over it. I applied it in sections, brushing it on with a wax brush and wiping off the excess with an old T-shirt. I always start with a small amount of wax, it's easy to add more if needed but impossible to remove if you apply too much. The crate on the right above shows how it looks after waxing. So far, this is my favorite way to get that aged wood look.