Old wood is a beautiful way to add character to your home or garden. Don't have time to wait for the rustic patina to develop naturally? Try one of these methods to create an old wood look without waiting.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Aging Wood Using Steel Coir and Vinegar
Step 1. Know what will happen when steel wool and vinegar interact
Put the steel wool in the vinegar overnight to dissolve it. This will be combined with the vinegar to create the age spots.
Step 2. Make a steel coir-vinegar mixture
Fill a glass tumbler with vinegar, and place a fist-sized piece in it. Leave it for at least a day, but at least up to five days to produce a darker mixture.
Step 3. Prepare your wood
Sand it down to remove any stains or coatings that might prevent your aging mixture from adhering properly.
Step 4. Make a tea stain
Boil black tea to rub on the wood before using your steel coir mixture. The tea contains tanic acid which will react with the vinegar stain and darken it. The tea will not add color by itself, it will only make the wood look wet.
Step 5. Use a steel coir-vinegar mixture
Use a painting brush to give the wood a thorough coat. You will immediately notice the change in color which will dry after a few hours. Only one coat is needed to give it an “old” look, but several coats can be used to darken the wood even more.
Step 6. Finish the wood
Give it time to dry, and then use a damp cloth and cold water to remove any steel coir residue. This can already be the final product, but if you prefer, you can use a glossy coat for a long lasting effect.
Method 2 of 4: Aging Wood Using Stains and Painting
Step 1. Apply a coat of sun bleach stain to your wood
Give it time to stick and remove any residue. This will remove any previous color or stain from the wood, and add natural grain and texture.
Step 2. Add a coat of early American stain
This stain gives the wood the look and color that has been left out for years. If you wish, this can be the last step.
Step 3. Give it a rustic stain
Combine your own unique combination of color glaze, unique glaze, and blended glaze. Be sure to use all three glazes from the same brand, to ensure proper color mixing.
Step 4. Use this simple stain (rustic stain)
Use a painting brush to coat the entire wood with this stain. There are several methods to do this:
- Use one coat for a lighter/younger look. It can also give the wood a slightly newer look.
- Add a few coats of stain to create a more worn look. This will also darken the wood, giving it a richer color.
- Create “spots” on your wood by staining them with a painting brush or toothbrush. This will give the wood small, irregular dots a dark color.
Method 3 of 4: Creating Cracks in Your Wood
Step 1. Paint your wood
Use any color of your choice, but it should be acrylic paint.
Step 2. Use white school glue
Use a lot to really coat the wood. You have to apply enough glue so it looks opaque. Allow to dry partially, until sticky.
Step 3. Add a second layer of painting. Brush the painting over the glue stick, and allow it to dry
Step 4. Wait for the crack effect to appear
It may take a few hours to appear, once the glue and painting is completely dry.
Method 4 of 4: Making Wood Visible In Suffering
Step 1. Make the wood look miserable with the nails in the socks
Pour nails or screws in the sock, and beat the wood until the wood reaches your desired level of suffering.
Step 2. Hit the wood with a hammer or mallet
Light strikes with a hammer will create small divots in the wood, while mallets will create wider prints.
Step 3. Rub the wood with sandpaper
This will remove the stain area and give the wood a rough texture, as it may happen in nature from time to time.
Step 4. Make a "wormhole" with drywall screws hammered into a 2x4 size
If you want to give your wood the appearance of being eaten by caterpillars for decades, you can try feeding the caterpillar holes yourself. Hammer or screw the drywall nails into the 2x4 completely so that their ends stick through the bottom of your makeshift hammer. Next, strike the piece of wood with your wormhole hammer repeatedly, creating small puncture marks.
To create a more interesting caterpillar hole pattern, be sure to hammer your drywall screws into 2x4 in an irregular pattern. Turn the wormhole hammer around and strike your wood at different angles to create a more natural looking effect
Tips
- Distinguish different types of age and wood stains. For example, pine wood turns a grayish-brown color when redwood turns to a darker shade of sienna brown when using a vinegar-steel coir mixture.
- Before aging your own wood, ask for real old wood from an old barn or house. Many people have old, unused wood left on their property that you can buy or use with much less work.
- Wood supply and art supply companies often offer “old” or “pre-suffered” wood for sale.
Equipment
- Wood
- Sandpaper
- steel belt
- Vinegar
- Glass bottle
- Painting brush(ice)
- Black tea
- Glossy coating (optional)
- Sun-bleach stains
- Early American Stains
- Colored glaze
- Unique glaze
- Mixing glaze
- Toothbrush (optional)
- Acrylic paint
- White school glue
- Nails or screws
- Old socks
- Hammer or mallet
- Sandpaper
