How to Make a Faux Wood Grain Finish
Most wooden walls and surfaces look elegant and beautiful on their own, but unfortunately for you, you’re stuck with boring-looking ones without any decorations on it. If you want to improve the look of your walls, but you don’t want to spend much money, you can simply make a faux wood grain finish. Here’s how.
What You’ll Need:
White vinegar
Ocher or mustard-colored acrylic paint
Raw sienna or burnt umber water color paint (tube)
Oil-based varnish
Sponge
Awl
Sandpaper
Cork
Clean rag
Flat paintbrushes
Old newspapers
Painter’s tape
Procedure:
Determine which wall area you’re going to improve with a faux wood grain finish. Afterwards, clear out the furniture around it and remove hardware and other installations on the wall, such as hanging decorations or light switches. If there are areas you don’t want to paint over, cover them with painter’s tape. Cover the flooring with old newspapers, to catch dirt and grime
Sand down the wood using your sandpaper, then wipe all of the dust with a clean rag. Cleanliness is very important when you’re working on this project.
Get the ocher or mustard-colored acrylic paint and apply a base coat on the wall. Use a flat paintbrush or a roller to do this. Allow the paint to dry. Make sure you refer to the instructions on the paint, to know how much time the paint needs before it thoroughly dries.
Get the vinegar and the tube of watercolor paint. Make a mixture that’s one part vinegar and six parts paint. This will be your glaze, and should come out as smooth and thick.
Use another flat paintbrush to paint the glaze on your wooden surface.
While the glaze is wet, you now have to make a fancy grain appearance. Here are a few techniques.
Use your index finger and run it diagonal patterns across your glaze.
Get an old cork and use an awl to poke holes at the flat end. Afterwards, stamp the cork on the wet glaze. Dab it on a clean cloth every third or fourth stamp, so the glaze won’t build up on it.
Twist the paintbrush in circles across the glaze to form swirly patterns.
Get a natural sponge and wet it. Use it to lightly dab at the glaze. Afterwards, pat the sponge on a clean rag every now and then, so the glaze won’t build up.
When you’re satisfied with the patterns you created, allow the glaze to dry. Then, apply an oil-based varnish. Let dry, and apply a second coat afterwards.
With a little work and some creativity, your wooden walls will look better. You can try this faux wood grain finish procedure on furniture, too.