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How to make new wood look like old distressed barn boards

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There are sooooo many different methods and techniques out there for distressing or aging wood to look like rugged old barn boards. But I’ve tried them all… and I’m going to show you the absolute EASIEST and most customizable way for you to make your NEW boards look like legitimate old wood.

Here's a super simple technique for making brand new wood look like old, distressed wood barn doors!This post contains affiliate links.

We used cheap pine 1×4’s. SO CHEAP!

I took my little intern with me, and we had a lesson on how to spot cupping issues when choosing lumber. (she’s a quick learner)

Grab yourself some brand new boards, and make them look like old distressed barn wood in 3 simple steps! {Reality Daydream}

Make new boards look like old barn boards with a SIMPLE technique! {Reality Daydream}

You could use any type of wood for this, but I love pine because it has awesome wood grain and I love how it accepts the stain.

Not to mention CHEAP.

Did I add that pine is inexpensive?

Oh yeah… and it doesn’t cost very much either!

Next, I ran them through the router with a 1/4” Roundover Bit  to knock off those crisp edges. You could also just hit ‘em with a sander too for the same (ish) effect.

Smooth out the crisp edges of your new wood with a table sander, or just use a sheet of sandpaper for this easy step.

I whipped out some random quarts of paint I had lying around from previous projects. Mint, turquoise, white, and charcoal gray. I know there will be a handful of you that want EXACT colors, but it just doesn’t matter. Just grab a handful of colors that are along the lines of the color scheme you’re going for, and roll with it! I specifically like adding in white to any color combo though because it really adds contrast in the end. You’ll see!

Make new boards look like old distressed barn wood! You can use any paint colors you'd like for this project. I used mint, white, turquoise and charcoal gray. {Reality Daydream}

(NOTE: use semi-gloss for the white, because if you use flat or even satin, it will soak up the stain tooooo much! The sheen doesn’t matter for the other colors)

Next, I just haphazardly dry-brushed on the paint, using 2 or 3 colors on each board. Just be random, my friends. And don’t slop on too much. It’s ok if the board is showing here and there.

Take your paint colors and slop them on your fresh boards. It doesn't have to be perfect - in fact, imperfect is best for this step! {Reality Daydream}

After letting the paint dry overnight, I went at it with 80 grit sandpaper on my Cordless Orbital Sander. You’ll see that the wood grain pops through FAST! It doesn’t take much sanding!

After letting the paint dry overnight, lightly sand the wood boards so the wood grain JUST pops through. Don't over sand all the color off! Simple technique for making new boards look like old painted barn wood {Reality Daydream}
Some boards I sanded more than others. The key is to be random. And just truly not care.

Here are what my boards look like after the light sanding. 3 steps to make brand new wood look like legit old barn boards {Reality Daydream}
You could almost stop there, because they look pretty weathered and all… but the last step is what really gives it something special! I promise!

After sanding and dusting all the sawdust off, I stained with a medium brown stain (Minwax Provincial to be exact). You can go with a lighter stain too… if you don’t want it to be such a dark rich color.

Go over the sanded paint with a layer of wood stain. You can use any color stain you'd like - but DON'T let it sit too long! Wipe it off quickly so it doesn't cover up the paint. {Reality Daydream}

Rather than applying the stain with a brush, I just wiped it on with a cloth and wiped it off immediately with one swift motion! You don’t want that stain to soak in too long.

The finished stained wood looks great! SUPER SIMPLE technique for making brand new wood look like old barn boards! {Reality Daydream} #rustic #distressed #farmhouse #barnwood

That’s it: {PAINT} {SAND} {STAIN}

Are you crying tears of joy? I KNEW it!

Wouldn’t this technique look amazing these barn doors on  we designed and built? (barn door hardware and installation post here)

And now that you’ve wasted all these minutes reading this tutorial, you can see the whole process time-lapse-style all squished into 1 minute and 4 seconds.

Make NEW wood look like OLD distressed Barn Boards!

And here are some examples of how we used this technique to make old distressed barn boards for actual projects!

Credenza Overhaul Makeover Transformation... using Barn Wood Inserts! {Reality Daydream}Credenza Makeover (you have GOT to see the before!)

DIY Bracket-shaped Barn Board Sign {Reality Daydream}Barn Wood Family Sign

DIY Circle Monogram Wooden Sign {Reality Daydream}Circle Monogram (indoor or outdoor!)

State Plaque (IOWA!) made from barn boards ...you could make ANY STATE! {Reality Daydream}Barn Board State Cut-out

The possibilities are endless! And it’s such a SIMPLE technique! As always, if you give it a try, be sure to send pics or tag me on social media! (@realitydaydream) I love seeing what you guys come up with in your various DIY projects. So fun! Now go forth and be creative!

~Bethany

OH! And check out our very eclectic portfolio of furniture transformations… using soooo many different FUN techniques! And each one has a TUTORIAL with it!

We also have a post that helps you determine whether your furniture is Laminate or Wood Veneer (and what the difference is!)

The difference between laminate and wood veneer, and how to paint them! {Reality Daydream} 300
A-guide-to-pricing-your-DIY-Furniture-Reality-Daydream.jpg

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For your Pinning pleasure!


SUPER SIMPLE technique for making brand new wood look like old barn boards! {Reality Daydream} #rustic #farmhouse #barnwood #distressed

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Comments

  1. 178

    This is fantastic and I can’t wait to try it. I’m going to try this on a finished table that I have by sanding all the current finish off first. The big challenges for me will be the “be random” and “don’t care” but I’m up for it! Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
  6. 188

    Could you have first used a wire brush on the wood to bring out the grain (I saw someone else do that)?
    Also, instead of a brown stain, would a grey have given a more weathered look?

    I am 90% sure I want to try this for my bedroom faux shiplap accent wall. Probably 1/2 the cost, PLUS it will be in the weathered colors (blues, tans) I want, rather than what Home Depot or Menards decide it should be, were I to buy prefinished shiplap planks.

    I guess it wouldn’t hurt to buy different stains and paint colors, and just spend a day experimenting.

    Reply
    • 189

      Yes definitely experiment with different stain and paint shades to get the look you’re going for! Gray stain will definitely give you a more ‘driftwood’ look. 🙂 As dor using a wire brush, you can totally do that! There are LOTS of different ways to distress wood to make it look old.

      Reply
  7. 191

    I used your technique with Christmas colors to create a wall shelf for hanging all of our Christmas stockings. With 3 kids w/spouses and 5 grandkids all coming to our house for Christmas every year I needed to figure out a solution other than the mantle. I had spray cans of burgundy red and hunter green on hand, and also pints of matte black and gloss white. I even had Provincial stain on hand! Following your directions, I think the shelf came out really nice. Even the store bought corbels responded well to the technique. I used cabinet knobs for the hooks and further embellished with various crosses to complete the Christmas theme. I love it! Wish I could send you pictures.

    Reply
  9. 194

    Hi Bethany! I love this look! I am building a TV console and would like to add a little color. I have just stained the TV console. What it be possible to do the paint on top of the stain or will it not work?

    Reply
  10. 196

    I live in a 1955 era cape…the extra bedroom upstairs is paneled 3/4 of the way up with finished knotty pine. I want to do this to it! Should I just sand it down, and then go with your process from there? That’s kind of what I’m thinking! (It’s stained and varnished, I’m pretty sure…typical old knotty pine paneling.)

    Thanks,
    Kelly

    Reply
  11. 198

    Hi. I am finally refinishing my cabinet with this technique. So far So Awesome!!!! One question. Said cabinet has 4 drawers over 4 doors. I have already painted applying in ling strokes up and down the boards. Do I apply paint up and down on the drawers as well or across them? I don’t want them to look weird sitting right above the doors. Thank you

    Reply
    • 199

      I’m not sure I fully understand what you’re asking, but the rule of thumb I always go by is to brush on the paint in the direction of the wood grain. You can’t go wrong!

      Reply
  12. 200

    Did you use regular paint or chalk paint to do the rustic pine boards (mint, turquoise, white and charcoal grey) I LOVE these colours and am hoping to use this to cover my kitchen island with a diy farmhouse style wood countertop.

    Reply
  13. 202

    I am trying this on some scrap wood to see if I can do it. Did you put on one color, let it dry and then put another on top of it or did you just apply all the colors at once? I want to do this for the potting shed my husband is building me. I will be using 6, 8, and 12″ boards. I hope I can do. Yours looks great! Thanks for the info.

    Reply
  14. 205

    I LOVE the old barn door look. Any suggestions on how to achieve this with a prepainted (apple green) piece? Without having to completely sand down to bare wood to start from scratch?

    Reply
    • 206

      Hey Holli! Absolutely! Just skip the first step of painting (since yours is already painted) …OR if you wanted to add a bit more paint in another color that would be fine too! Then sand and stain the way the rest of the tutorial reads. I hope this helps! Send pics when you’re done! beth@realityDaydream.com

      Reply
  16. 210

    From your high speed video, it looks like you put the different colored paints all on at the same time. Is this correct? I would think you would have to let different colors dry or they would just all run together.

    Reply
  18. 216

    Thank you SO MUCH for this tip!

    We had a drop ceiling in our kitchen/dining room. It was done before we bought the house, and when I peeked under the tiles, the ceiling looked a little grim.

    About 2 weeks ago, my wife came to me and asked if we could change the ceiling tiles as they were getting old and dirty. We found some faux barn board tiles that we both liked, but they were $25 each (about $6.25/sf). I did some online research and found your post. I recreated it by creating large plywood panels with birch plywood strips attached to them. I used the same aging process as you described, and I varied and mixed the stains to create a complex palette.

    The results were AMAZING!

    Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your advice.

    Reply
  19. 219

    Hi Beth,

    Do you think this tutorial would work to make a “barnwood wall” (over my painted drywall wall)? Would you recommend using the same 1×4 pine boards, or something different? And If I do like a 15′ wall, do you have any recommendations (other than staggaring the seams) about how to place the boards on the wall to make it look good? What would you recommend for a top coat/finish?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • 220

      Oh – and one more question — would you recommend nailing them into the wall, or would something different look better? I’ve never DIY’d before, so I have a hard time picturing the finished product. 🙂 THanks!

      Reply
    • 221

      As long as you stagger the seams to look as random as possible, I think it will look awesome! I would try to use a matte or ‘flat’ finish polyurethane. I know for sure they make it in water-based versions in both Minwax and RustOleum. As for your other question, If you can get your hands on a nail gut or a pin nailer, that would by FAR be the best way to affix these boards into place. It will go really fast, and you will hardly be able to see the nails! Perhaps you can rent these at your local home improvement store?

      Reply
  20. 222

    Oh my god!!! I did this to make 3 little canvas with animal silhouettes for my newborn’s room and it is fabulous!!!! Really a no brainer! I followed your instructions and it is gorgeous! Thanks a LOT!!

    Reply
  21. 224

    Hello – I am doing this on the top of an old wood table. I sanded the old finish off so it was bare wood, painted with latex paint, sanded the paint down, and used the same stain you did…..it seems like the stain just sits on top of the paint in some places and in others the paint looks like a neon color next to the darker stained sections (especially the minty paint) even though it was applied evenly. Any thoughts? Thanks!

    Reply
  22. 226

    Hi, thanks for this great tutorial. I am planning to do a DIY project (my first DIY) and have couple of questions.
    1. Did you chose treated OAK wood or untreated for this project?
    2. I would like to use same wood (OAK) and get different colour patterns. In you video you have used a medium brown stain. I am planning to have different color shades on each wood board. What would you recommend for different color shades for example: Light Blue or Light Green or Red colors?

    Thank you for for the tutorial once again and thanks for your help.

    Reply
  23. 228

    Thank-you for the great tutorial. I love this look, but not the price tag attached to the new imported products you can find in-store(s). Plan on doing this on a pine buffet bar/table to update its look…and then a bookshelf…..and then whatever else my heart desires.

    Reply
  24. 229

    I just tried this technique and I am wondering if the grit of the sandpaper makes a difference in the darkness of the wood after staining? I used a very fine sanding block and not 100% happy with the finish.

    Reply
    • 230

      Hmmmm, that’s strange. You were right to use a very fine sanding block. The only thing I can think of is that the species of wood your using isn’t ideal for this technique. For example, oak and walnut (hardwoods) promote more ‘bleeding’ into the wood grain than woods like pine or poplar. Something to think about!

      Reply
  26. 232

    Beautiful work! Wondering what you put on the wood to protect it after you were finished…I am doing a kitchen table ..i obviously want to protect it as we will be eating on it etc…I dont like the look of varnish…I have heard about wax paste…and I love the look… would it protect enough?

    Reply
    • 233

      I’ve never used wax to seal furniture, so I can’t speak on its durability. But I know a lot of others that use it and love it! Another option is a flat-sheen polyurethane if its the glossiness of varnish that you don’t love.

      Reply
      • 234

        Bonjour,

        Je suis en France et je ne trouve pas de Minwax Wood finish, pouvez vous me dire ce qui compose ce produit s’il vous plait, afion de trouver un équivalent! merci beaucoup d’avance!

        Reply
  34. 247

    Question … did you finish the ends of the wood boards? I’d like to make some signs, but I don’t intend to paint the edge white as you did. I guess I should stain the ends then too? Thoughts?

    Reply
  35. 250

    I love it!! great sense of humor by the way. right when I got done reading it I saw “and now you can see the video!” lol love it thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  36. 251

    I used your technique while refurbishing my headboard and foot board . Came out spectacular!!! I wish I could post a pic. I finished it with Minwax finishing paste wax. I am so pleased!

    Reply
  38. 253

    I hate to be a bother but I have a question regarding the paint and stain. Did you have any issues with the paint (any finish) becoming sticky afterwards? A few years back I tried a similar technique but found that, even after several days, the areas that were lightly painted were very sticky. I stumbled across another blog post similar to yours and others had the same issues. So to be clear, use a semi-gloss latex for the white and the oil based stain, correct?

    Reply
    • 254

      Hey Natasha, I haven’t had that problem, but I can see how it would be frustrating! I wonder if the paint isn’t fully dry enough before the stain is added? Or maybe the sheen of the paint isn’t getting sanded off enough? It’s hard to troubleshoot from afar. I wish I could help more!

      Reply
    • 255

      I wonder did you use an oil based stain on top of a latex paint? if so that could be the problem as they are not compatible.

      Reply
    • 256

      I’m new to dig and this tutorial is awesome! Have you ever transposed photos to wood and stained with clear? I have 3 great wave style 6″ x 63″ mirror strips I want to try your method here and there and put paris and family photographs. I’d like to make the pictures part of the wood. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

      Reply
      • 257

        Sylvie, I’ve never tried images transfers on wood, but I’ve always wanted to! Maybe I should play around with it sometime soon! If you give it a go, let me know!

        Reply
      • 258

        Sylvie, I’ve never tried images transfers on wood, but I’ve always wanted to! Maybe I should play around with it sometime soon! If you give it a go, let me know!

        Reply
  40. 261

    I agree with Sara 🙂 Easy peasy way to make rustic wood barnboards. I’m working on the right color combination for my daughter’s room at the lake house. Still have some tweaking to do with laying the paint on and sanding enough. https://goo.gl/photos/6zvSJdC2ydjimdBQ7 I used 3 different stains in the image and ended up with a rosewood (the top 2 boards). Thanks for sharing Beth!

    Reply
    • 263

      L Ryan, those are BEAUTIFUL!!! Do you mind emailing me (julieholder615@gmail.com) and telling me what kind of paint/stain you used? I’m going for this look right now!
      Thanks!

      Reply
    • 265

      Your colors are beautiful. Did you use the same colors on every board? Do you mind telling me the colors and the stain color you used?

      Reply
      • 266

        Oh girl, it’s just some leftover cans of paint I had laying around. But the exact colors are not important. If you want this exact same look, use a teal, and aqua, and white, and just haphazardly slop it on the boards. Use a slightly different combination of colors on each board!

        Reply
  41. 267

    This tutorial is PERFECT! I know it is older, but you are still helping others. We took apart a deck this summer and had a ton of leftover wood. I am using this method (with grey and white paint and a weathered oak stain) on boards. We are going to put those around our breakfast bar. It is going to be beautiful I think!

    Reply
  42. 269

    Looks like your applying the stain with steel wool, or are you sanding lightly after staining.
    When I do my boards, and before I give it a light poly seal, I use the steel wool to smooth out the stain and paint.

    Reply
  44. 273

    Hi Thanks for the info. I refinished a wood growth chart using your steps, but blended the paint a bit more, more so because this was my first try at it. I liked the results so much, I made a video and blog post of it. I gave you a shout out. I didn’t realize this was so easy! Thank you.

    Reply
  45. 274

    Awwww YAY Lisa! Thanks for leaving such a sweet comment! And yes, it’s me writing 99% of the posts. Occasionally Nick will write a really complicated woodworking tutorial, but we always state it clearly that he’s writing. 🙂 WELCOME to Reality Daydream!!

    Reply
  46. 275

    I just read an article about how American barns are disappearing so it does my heart good to see people NOT using real barn wood. Yay you!

    Reply
  51. 281

    Hey saw this cross posted on my friends, addicted 2 diy, blog. Had to try it out on my twins high chair I built for them, can’t post pics here but would like to share it with you and get your input. Thx

    Reply
  52. 283

    Thanks so much for this post!! I’m using your technique on a new wood barn door! It is going to look fantastic if I can pull this off! You make it very easy to follow…. I just found your blog and I’m so excited!!!

    Reply
  54. 287

    Thank you! this looks super easy and consistent.
    We want to do this on the floor but have a matte yet soft finish. do you have any suggestions for a protective yet clean overlay? poly? wax?

    Reply
  55. 289

    Yes. Waterbased can be the base under polyurethane. But as top coat, waterbase can only be use it on top of waterbased. Never topcoat waterbase over polyurethane

    Reply
  57. 293

    EEEK! I am so glad I found this. I have a project to do and I have been trying to figure out what colors to do and I think I finally figured it out using this technique. I am using old pallets so I hope I get the same effect (if not I will go with pine). Hopefully can get started on it this weekend after a quick trip to the hardware store for a little stain and brush.

    Reply
  58. 294

    I love this and am considering using this method to turn an existing kitchen table into a “barn wood table top”. How would you recommend that I attach the wood boards to the existing tabletop? And how would you recommend that I seal it? I really appreciate your thoughts!

    Reply
  59. 296

    What is the best product for sealing my wood? I’m using this technique for my adirondack chair in my backyard. I don’t want the wood shiny with varnish. I want the matte, rustic look.

    Reply
  60. 298

    Hi..I absolutely love this!! Thank you for sharing I’m in the middle of countless projects right now. Ha what’s one more, rrriiiiggghhhttt!! But could you tell me what colors you used? Thank you.

    Reply
  61. 300

    They say you can make wood have an aged look if you use vinegar and steel wool. Should give it that old rustic look..

    Reply
  62. 302

    What would you use just for staining instead of paint? They are trying to get Appaloosa color on Knotty Alder wood

    Reply
  63. 303

    The old antiquing kits we used was acrylic paint with a thinned oil based stain. I still love that combo. That takes a bright red and makes it an old weathered barn red… Can use black or browns for the stain. I am going to try this though. I have many things that will work with your technique . Thanks!

    Reply
    • 305

      I used latex, but I think chalk paint would work too. The white won’t be as bright because flat sheen paints really suck the stain up. If you want a bright white to pop link it does in my example pics, I would use a satin or semi-gloss. You can combine chalk paint and latex too, since they’re both water based. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions! 😉

      Reply
  65. 306

    Hi Beth! I tried it and it didnt work for me, I followed all the steps. When I sanded it takes all the paint away. Did you make something to the board before painting it?

    Do you use a regular sand paper or an orbit sander?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • 307

      It’s so weird that it isn’t working for you! Were you HAND-sanding with 80 grit sandpaper? Don’t use an orbital or belt sander! Let me know some details and I’ll help trouble-shoot what the issue might be

      Reply
      • 308

        Thanks Beth, I HAND-sanded with 80 grit sandpaper as it says in the post. I’ll try a lighter sand and let you know how it works. Thanks!!

        Reply
        • 309

          That’s soooo strange. I just don’t know what to make of it. I’ve used this technique so many times, and it always turns out the same. I’m sorry I don’t know how to help you. 🙁

          Reply
  66. 310

    Hi Nancy! Unfortunately I wrote this post almost 4 years ago and can’t remember exactly which paint colors I used. It was back before I knew I should write all that stuff out in the blog post. Haha! The good news is that this technique for ‘aging wood’ is very forgiving. If you use some blues and grays, you’ll likely come out with a very similar shade/outcome. Hope this helps!

    Reply
  67. 311

    Love this! Exactly what was in my head. Just did not know which steps to take to get there. (and I will also be incorporating a couple shades of gray…tehehehe. Thank you for this post and Pin!

    Reply
  68. 312

    I just started my own blog, do you mind if I share your link on my blog. I made a coat rack out of a 4’4′ using this technique

    Reply
  70. 315

    Great project, Beth! I’m very excited to try it with an accent wall. If you were doing this against a stucco (outdoor) wall, would you nail/glue a thin layer of plywood against the wall first, or do you think gluing & nailing each wood board would be enough? I’m worried the glue won’t take with the stucco wall being so bumpy. Thanks!

    Reply
    • 317

      We bought these 1×4’s at Menards… which is a big home improvement store in the Midwest (if you’re not familiar) 🙂

      Reply
  74. 322

    I was thinking of doing this to the floor in my flower shop but I heard that the urethane may turn the paint yellow. Have you had any experience with this?

    Reply
  75. 323

    Hey just wondered did you use flat, gloss, or satin paint or does it matter? Doing our bathroom walls like this and cant wait to do it:-) yours look beautiful!!

    Reply
  79. 332

    About to do a small plaque and I am thinking of trying this distress method! I was wondering if I could use regular acrylic paint for the first step, or does it need to be paint that goes on wood/walls? Thanks

    Reply
  80. 334

    ive been wanting to use barn boards to make a headboard. know that i know how easy it is, i can start this weekend! pretty pumped!

    hopefully after i finish current project of refinishing my wicker chair!

    Reply

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Attention: Almost any do-it-yourself project involves risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skills will vary, as will the conditions at your project site. Reality Daydream has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions of the plans on this website. Reality Daydream will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all commonly accepted safety precautions.