How to make Aged Wood

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There is something warm and welcoming about having aged wood in your space. Instead of having new furniture in your space, why not find ways of creating aged wood?

This is because aged wood emanates a positive feeling, one that is warm and welcoming. It brings out a casual and rustic feeling in any room that you choose to place it in. It creates a homey and more hospitable environment for its occupants.

Distressed wood works like magic as it has a unique way of softening any room. Whether your furniture is still straight out of the store or it’s a few months old; it is still possible to distress it and create something beautiful from it.

Procedure on how to Make Aged Wood

There are numerous ways you can use to achieve aged wood. In this article, I will take you through one method but you can learn about the rest with time.

This will help you have more than one choice that you can use to your convenience.

One thing to bear in mind is that neither of these methods will have you waiting for years to get a beautiful worn outlook on your furniture.

Once you master this art, it will be easier to transform wooden items with character.

I grew up in a family that had an obsession with DIYs and any form of art and crafting that would improve the home’s appearance.

My father, in particular, would engage in DIYs whenever he was off duty and that was every evening and on weekends.

He had me at his beck and call each time he had a new project because my brothers were away in boarding schools and again, I am the only one who had an interest in what he did.

I would watch him do his magic and create beautiful carvings from clay, wood, and plastic.

However, what exactly caught my attention was how he was able to make a new piece of furniture age without having to interfere with its structure.

It was like he was stealing from time to create pristine pieces with character.

From there, I had to learn how to do the same and to date, I still practice it at home with my husband and children.

This practice never gets old and boring and you can hardly find any furniture at our home that has that new glow they usually possess.

Therefore, let us take a look at how you can cheat time and create beautiful masterpieces from your home or office furniture.

Age Wood using Vinegar/ Tea Solution

Ingredients

  • Jars
  • White vinegar
  • Steel wool
  • Paint brush
  • Sand paper
  • Black tea
  • Plastic gloves
  • Paste wax or polyutherane
  • Rags

Vinegar/ Tea Solution

Aging wood suing vinegar should be the easiest thing for you since you will be what you already have in your kitchen.

1. Step 1: Prepare the Vinegar Solution

Pour vinegar into a glass jar and fill it halfway. Take the steel wool, shred it and add it into the jar. Give the steel wool and vinegar 24 hours and do not cover it.

Be keen not to allow rust to form on the steel wool or the orange stain from forming. After 24 hours, you will notice that the steel wool will dissolve in the vinegar.

2. Step 2: Mix the Tea

Mix hot water and tea in a glass jar once your solution is ready. The contents in the tea will react with the vinegar and steel wool solution to produce a darker finish.

3. Step 3: Sand the Wood

If your furniture has paint or finish, you will need to sand it first before applying the stain. Failure to which the stain will not stick on the furniture.

4. Step 4: Paint on the Tea

.Using a paintbrush, you will apply the tea on the piece and give it time to dry off completely. Later, apply the solution to the wood.

You will notice that the aging process will commence as soon as it starts drying. Therefore, it would be better to wait before applying the second coat of the solution.

5. Step 5 Protect the Finish

Your aged wood is now ready. If the results impress you then it is time to protect the finish. Use paste wax or polyurethane to protect the finish.

The vinegar/ tea method is the easiest method since most of the ingredients are readily available at home. However, they are other alternatives that may work for the same purpose.

There is the commercial stain method and the use of mechanical techniques. The use of the mechanical techniques will give a chance to incorporate a few tricks like creating dents and dings. However, the tricks are only applicable before using the staining method.

It will as require you to use more technical tools like the harmer, metal chains, nails, awl, and wire brush attachment.

All this equipment will be hard to find at home unless you purchase them in a hardware store near you.

All the same, whichever method entices you, go ahead and use it. Whether it is the vinegar/tea method, commercial stain method or mechanical techniques methods. The end goal is to create an aged wood.