How To Make Driftwood Using Paint And Stain – An Easy 4 Step Formula
An easy 4-step formula to get the look of driftwood on just about any surface. This method of “making” driftwood stain is perfect for furniture makeovers and updating home accessories.
If you love the rustic warmth of driftwood colored furniture or having just a few driftwood gray home accessories sprinkled around your home, this formula is super easy and is a budget friendly way to update the decor in your home.
I love a driftwood weathered wood finish, don’t you? I love it because its soft, bleached gray look blends well with anything and everything. However, purchasing furniture that already has that much-desired patina can be pricey! And finding driftwood decor accessories just isn’t very easy – it seems they get snapped up pretty quickly.
Just because it’s pricey or I can’t find the real thing very often, doesn’t mean that I can’t get the look in my home though. If you know me at all, you know I’m all about budget decorating and using what you already have, so after lots of experimenting with different techniques, I’ve come up with an almost too-easy-to-be-true formula to get the look and you can use it on just about anything!
I used my faux driftwood formula on the backer boards for the lanterns hanging on my screened in porch. Then I always get tons of questions about where they came from!
I used it on two parts of the table setting for a summer dining room tablescape. Would you believe that the chargers under each place setting are plastic and used to be shiny gold? And that the piece of wood under the centerpiece is just a scrap of wood that we had lying around. You can’t see it very well, but I gave it the faux driftwood decor treatment as well.
I used the same stylish chargers as part of the summer shelf display in my breakfast room one year. Notice that the reproduction vintage toolbox and small lamp also have a faux driftwood style finish.
I used the formula to transform a black frame and other art pieces that were part of a gallery wall. By the way, this wall doesn’t look anything like this anymore! I gave it a total overhaul with a new updated look that you can see HERE.
You can see all the beachy driftwood inspired decor.
I get lots of questions about these eye catching candlesticks any time they make an appearance in a blog post. I bought them on clearance and they were originally painted red, green and yellow. Now that they look like driftwood, everyone wants to know where I found them! They create such a dramatic focal point.
Using my shiny gold chargers as the example, let me show you just how easy my driftwood stain formula is!
STEP 1:
If the surface of your object is shiny, wipe it down with liquid sander/deglosser and allow it to dry. Liquid sander/deglosser can be found in the paint department of any big box home improvement store.
STEP 2:
Paint the object solid white and allow it to completely dry. You can use spray paint or paint from a bottle or can.
STEP 3:
Apply any brand of gray stain over the dried white paint. Make sure to keep all of your brushstrokes going in the same direction.
STEP 4:
While the gray stain is still wet, apply a coat of any shade or brand of brown stain over it – again keeping the brush strokes going in the same direction. Allow the piece to completely dry . Once dry, seal with a matte sealer, if you desire, but allow the piece to completely dry before using.
NOTE: Depending upon the surface you’re applying this technique to and the humidity level, stain may take longer to dry than paint, but it will dry!
A few tips:
- Any shade of brown stain will work, but I would avoid an ebony or red mahogany shade to get this look.
- If you don’t want to wind up with shiny “driftwood”, be sure that the white paint you use has a flat finish.
- I like to apply the brown stain while the gray stain is still wet. The two kind of meld together and I believe it gives a more realistic look to the finished product.
- I use an inexpensive chip brush to apply the stain. In fact, I use the same brush for both stain colors. You may want to pour some of the brown stain into a separate container if you use the same brush for both colors. That way you won’t “contaminate” the whole can of brown stain with gray stain or vice versa.
- Don’t be afraid to add more gray or more brown to get the look that you’re after. There have been times when I’ve added more stain even after I thought the piece was finished and everything was dry.
- If the overall look of your piece is too dark, try very lightly dry-brushing more white paint on top of the dried stain.
- I’ve tried mixing up the steps for which color to apply when, but I think this method works the best.
Sadly, real driftwood has become scarce along the beaches of North Carolina in recent years. Everybody is on the lookout for it, so if you happen to find some, be sure to grab it! I have several pieces that I inherited from my mom that I would never give up. Yep – real driftwood from the beach is that “valuable” to me! 😀
This technique looks easy and it is a quite convincing imitation. I’m going to try it!
I love this technique and will be trying it out soon. All of the examples look great.
I love using driftwood and I’m always on the hunt for pieces that I can use when I’m at the beach. They can be hard to find. I can’t wait to try your technique. I’ve got a few pieces in mind. Your pieces all look fabulous! Thanks for linking up at Snickerdoodle. We’ll be featuring this at tomorrow’s party. Hope to see you there
Suzy, This is such an awesome idea and I love the look. Thank you for sharing this at Share Your Style last week!
Love the soft weathered colors of driftwood. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful DIY driftwood technique! Can’t wait to try it!
Love it!! Where did you find your centerpiece? Love that it is long and narrow and not intrusive.
Hey GF. The centerpiece is made from a black metal thingy that I picked up at Goodwill one day. I’ve never been able to figure out what its original use might have been. It’s simply sitting on a piece of wood that I painted to look like driftwood. 😀
I have several mis-matched chargers and other pieces that can be brought together with this driftwood look! Thanks for the diy, Suzy!!
What a simple process. I love the look of driftwood too and have some items that need to be done. Appreciate you sharing your technique. Thanks!
Ooh, I love this! What an excellent tutorial!
Amazing how realistic and gorgeous this is, and not too hard. I could really go all out with this! Luv!
Oh my word! I have three ceramic pillar candlesticks that I’ve been holding onto for years that would make the perfect candidate for this driftwood treatment. All I need to some grey stain. Thank you SO much for the great tutorial!
I have candlesticks just waiting for this technique! I love driftwood and have a basket of pieces from Lake Superior on my mantel right now.
Love, love, love the driftwood finish!!! Picking up some gray stain this morning to do some candlesticks.
Thank you so much for sharing your formula!
Wow, I need to try this! Love the candlesticks!
Did you use latex paint and stain?? Love this look! Excited and nervous to try it on a table! ? lol
Hi Mandy. Yes, I used latex products – both paint and stain. Have fun with your table!
I used this technique this weekend on a full length mirror I have! The mirror frame is plastic and was originally black and now it looks like driftwood!! It looks amazing and was SO simple and quick to do! Thanks for the DIY tip! Now I am looking for things to make into “driftwood”!
What a wonderful blog!! Question, Do you think it’s possible to get this effect with acrylic paint? Thanks, Margaret.
Hi Margaret. Yes, I absolutely do! You’ll probably need to water down your paint to get that streaky look and acrylic paint will dry faster than stain,, so be aware of that. I recommend experimenting a bit on a piece of scrap wood or something before you try it on your actual piece.
I love the look of driftwood! Do you think I could use this technique on painted paneled walls? I’m renovating my family room. Thanks!
Hi Jackie. I think this technique can technically be done on a wall, but it all honestly I think it’s best for small projects.
I live in a 1909 farmhouse with shiplap painted a “hospital blue/gray” and I was looking for a way to just paint that one wall to look like driftwood so it will coordinate with a couple of driftwood picture frames with seaside Morgan prints. Your technique looks like I can get this effect without all the sanding etc., that other methods are dictating. Here’s hoping the result comes out as great as your projects! Thank you!
I just find your blog last 4-5 days and have already fallen in love with it!!
Thanks for sharing..!