This homemade driftwood finish is a simple way to achieve the whitewashed look of real driftwood. It makes a lovely backdrop for my beachy, weathered sign on the summer mantel.
I'm eager to share my newest project! I'd had my eye on the rope pillow at Kirkland’s for about a year. I spotted it in the store recently, and although it's very affordable, I decided to try making a rope sign with the same appearance!
First, though, I needed a suitable piece of weathered wood with a driftwood finish. Since I don't live near the ocean, and you'd never find a large, flat piece of driftwood in nature anyway, I had to build the look using materials I already owned.
I went out to the garage to look through my pile of scrap wood for something that might work. An old piece of barn wood caught my eye right away. I'd been saving it for a few years, waiting for the right project, and I was glad to finally use it. Free materials are hard to beat!
For this sign, I wanted a weathered driftwood look rather than a plain barn wood one, so I added a special treatment that gives it the beachy, worn appearance that's so popular right now.
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Supplies for a Driftwood Finish
- Wood with visible grain
- white or pale paint
- finishing wax (similar to this one)
- lint-free cloth
- wire brush (if desired)
- stain (if desired)
Steps to Create a Driftwood Finish
This finish works best on a board that has visible grain, whether it's real or manufactured. Mine had plenty of both, along with some roughness. I sanded it lightly to remove dirt and some of the bumps, taking care not to sand away the attractive grain.
If you don’t have an old piece of barn wood with lots of grain, you can use a new piece of wood and add grain to it. Using a spray bottle of water, spray the wood until soaked. Then take a wire brush and run it along the wood going with the grain to create grooves. Wait for the wood to dry before completing the next step.
I liked the color of my barn wood as it was, so I skipped staining it. If you'd prefer a stain, I'm a fan of Minwax’s weathered oak for a gray, weathered tone!
(Forgive the very yellow, dim photos from my evening progress. Mom has to get work done while the little ones sleep.)
Next, mix a small amount of white or light paint into your finishing wax to make a white wax. Yes, “smidge” is an official unit of measurement. You can buy ready-made white wax, and I'd expect it to give similar results, though I haven't tried it myself.
I used Annie Sloan’s finishing wax, though other brands work too. Just make sure it's soft, about the texture of room-temperature butter.
Work a little of the white wax onto the board and rub it in until it settles into every groove. Then wipe away as much as you can so the finish looks authentic. I don't want any thick clumps of wax left behind.
That's it! Even though it started as old barn wood, the board now has the faded look of driftwood. It made the ideal backdrop for my rope and wood sign.
I love the weathered white look of the new sign. Tomorrow I'll walk you through the rope “relax” portion of the project. It's also very simple!
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