How To Create A Fake Wood Imitation
Do you wish to have beautiful wooden furniture with wood grain patine but can’t afford it? Unfortunately, the cost of solid wood pieces like side tables, chairs, and bedroom dressers can be quite expensive.
Fortunately, France’s great technique is called “Faux Bois.” Faux Bois itself is a French word that means “false wood.”
This technique will help you to create natural wood looks from laminate furniture or other nonwood surfaces. This technique is great for DIY projects since it allows you to save budget.
You can use the Faux bois technique to create natural-looking wood effects on your surface materials, ranging from fiberboard with medium density to drywall.
Moreover, you have full control over the variation and color of your fake wood grain. Thus, you can decide the texture on the flat surfaces.
If you want to know more about this technique and how to apply it to your projects, keep reading this article. You can use two shades of acrylic glaze and latex paint that resemble wood for your home furniture.
What Materials Do I Need To Paint Fake Wood?
Before you begin your project, you need to prepare the tools and materials below:
- Sanding block
- Painter’s tape
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Oil-based primer
- Microfiber cloth
- Paintbrush with a natural bristle
- Paint roller
- Latex Paint (with two shades)
- Paint roller covers
- Brush with a synthetic bristle
- Paint mixing jar
- Clear acrylic glaze
- Paper towels
- Paint pans
- Wood grain rocker
- Painting gloves
The Instructions To Stain Fake Wood
After you have prepared all the required tools and materials, it is time to do the work. Follow the step-by-step mentioned below carefully:
- Prepare Your Workspace For Fake Wood Stain Job
Firstly, you need to prepare the workspace to paint your furniture. Use painter’s tape to cover all of the surrounding areas.
You should also remove any other hardware or décor, like knobs and hinges, to protect them from being affected by paint spillage.
Take old newspapers and lay them down on the floors to keep paint drops and sand debris away from your floors and appliances.
- Sand Your Surface
You can apply a sanding block to sand your project surface if your materials are from manufactured or engineered woods like plywood, particle board, or MDF.
By doing the sanding, it will eliminate any raised fibers on your board, and it will also eliminate any bumps. The right sandpaper grit for MDF ranges from 120 to 220.
For coarser manufactured woods, use a 60 to 100 grit range. After sanding, take a dry cloth to clean up the leftover sanding dust.
- Apply Oil-Based Primer To Your Surface Materials
If you are working with manufactured wood, use a white primer to your entire surface project using a paint roller or a brush with natural bristle.
Some wood types, such as MDF, absorb water and become swollen. Temperature can also affect them since heat can expand or contract the materials inside MDF.
For MDF wood types, use an oil-based primer to coat both the underside and the top of your surface project to help minimize warping. After that, let the primer dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If your project is a painted or bare drywall, you can paint with the help of a paint roller to apply a latex-based sealer/primer to the wall
- Apply Base Coat Paint
Now that you have primed your surface, you are ready for the next step, and that is to apply a base coat paint. You will apply a base paint coat that resembles wood.
To achieve that goal, choose a latex paint with a low luster that mimics the undertones of the wood type you like.
For instance, if you want to make the surface mimic mahogany wood, you can select dark red or coral color. If you want lighter woods resembling maple or walnut, select a shade of orange or gold.
Use a paint roller or brush with synthetic bristle to cover your entire surface project with paint. After the paint has dried, you can proceed to use a second coat, then wait for the coat to be fully dry.
- Mix The Glaze For Fake Wood
Now in this phase, you will mix the glaze for your fake wood. Combine clear acrylic glaze with the second pick of latex paint.
Choose latex paint with the same similarity but with a few shades that are darker than the base coat. Replace the jar cap and shake the contents to create a tinted glaze that is translucent.
After that, when you use the glaze, you will want the base coat stain to still be transparent, so you can see through it
- Apply Glaze Solution On Your Surface
Now, pour the glaze solution into a pan, and then take a roller with a nap roller cover in quarter-inch size or a synthetic bristle brush.
Working in 6 inches of width sections at a time, apply a thin glaze layer that extends the whole height of your surface project.
- Create Faux Wood Grain Effect
Now you can make a wood grain pattern on your surface. This can be a very satisfying experience if it’s done right.
To create faux wood grain patterns in the fresh glaze, take a wood grain rocker and point it at the top edge of your project’s surface. After that, you can slowly drag the wood grain rocker tool vertically.
Drag the curved head of the rocker from the top surface to the bottom through wet paint glaze until the rocker reaches the opposite end of your project surface.
If you want to change the direction of your fake wood grain, flip the rocker tool and start dragging it in the reverse direction.
To create variety with fine, straight grain and larger arches, take a graining comb and position it along the section’s edge you completed.
You can pull the comb at a slight angle or down through the paint glaze. This technique will create a random and more natural wood grain appearance.
- Re-apply The Faux Wood Grain Technique
Take a paper towel and wipe the glaze from your comb and rocker tool. After that, move to the next 6 inches area of the surface project.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 above. If you make a mistake during the pattern making, just re-apply the glaze and apply the fake wood grain again. Keep doing this until the grain covers your whole project surface.
- The Final Step
Wait for the glaze to be completely dry; the final step is to replace any hardware on your project surface. Now you can admire your new fake wood finish appearance!
