So, I've become a Pinterest enthusiast...which a good thing from an "ideas" standpoint but a "bad" thing from a time management point-of-view. I'm sure if any of you are Pinterest - you can relate: so many pins, so little time!
One of the pins I found on Pinterest was a tutorial on how to "age" wood instantly. Really? Does that work? I MUST try this.
The original blog is "Our Original Adventures in Home Improvement" written by Pam. I followed her instructions and read through the comments to pick up some extra tips; then I set about trying it for myself. I won't leave you all in suspense: It WORKS! How cool is that?! Here is Pam's tutorial on how to age new wood.
One of the pins I found on Pinterest was a tutorial on how to "age" wood instantly. Really? Does that work? I MUST try this.
The original blog is "Our Original Adventures in Home Improvement" written by Pam. I followed her instructions and read through the comments to pick up some extra tips; then I set about trying it for myself. I won't leave you all in suspense: It WORKS! How cool is that?! Here is Pam's tutorial on how to age new wood.
You will need steel wool (I used grade 3), vinegar, and rubber gloves. It doesn't matter if you use white vinegar or apple vinegar. Some people prefer to use white vinegar because it's less "smelly." I used white vinegar simply because that's what I had on-hand. I also used rubber gloves because the steel wool was irritating my fingertips, but the gloves aren't mandatory - totally up to you.
It's recommended that the steel wool sit in the vinegar overnight. You don't have to do this. The first time I experimented with this technique, I let the steel wool sit in the vinegar for 2hrs and I had good results. The next time I used this technique, I let the steel wool sit in the vinegar overnight. The point is to let the steel wool rust and oxidize in the vinegar. When this rusty solution gets on the wood - that is what gives the wood an aged appearance. The steel wool serves no other purpose than that. So, the longer you let the steel wool set - the easier and quicker your job will be.
I used the steel wool to rub the solution into the wood - BUT - that was because I was also using the abrasive properties of the steel wool to sand down the painted finish (alphabet block). When I am aging wood that doesn't have any decoration on it, I simply dip the wood into the vinegar solution, making sure all sides are coated. That is all it takes. You will start to see the effects after a few minutes; it's just that fast! It's really kinda fun to watch your objects "age" before your eyes.
If you use the steel wool to rub the solution into the wood - you may notice black spots in your wood after it is dry. This is from small bits of the steel wool splintering into the wood as you were rubbing. One solution to getting the black specks out is to take an old rag, some FRESH vinegar and work on the spots. I have found that the spots come out without too much effort. The more vinegar you use, the easier those bits of steel wool come out.
One last note: things seem to "age" differently depending on the type of wood. These alphabet blocks aged nicely; a light grey-tan, and took a little effort due to my desire to wear off the paint. I have since aged a set of wooden spools and those aged completely differently; a dark grey-brown, and took little effort at all since all I had to do was dip them in the solution and let them dry.
Have fun experimenting!
One last note: things seem to "age" differently depending on the type of wood. These alphabet blocks aged nicely; a light grey-tan, and took a little effort due to my desire to wear off the paint. I have since aged a set of wooden spools and those aged completely differently; a dark grey-brown, and took little effort at all since all I had to do was dip them in the solution and let them dry.
Have fun experimenting!
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