Tag Archives: faux finish

I did it!  I finished my first pallet project.  I’m excited to show it to you.  So, let’s get right to it.

Y’all are quite familiar with what they look like. So, I don’t have a before photo of the pallet.  But, here it is after giving it a faux drift wood finish.

  Here are a few close-ups.

I am so, so pleased with the way it turned out!    I already had all of the paint in my garage.  So, this project was (cue Oprah’s sing- song introductions) Fuh-reeee !!

I had been wanting to do something to make my fireplace wall stand out.  I think this pallet makes a great “impact” piece.  So, the mirror that hung above my mantel was replaced. (Check back Thursday to see how beautiful the mirror looks in my bedroom.)  Now, I didn’t want to leave the pallet blank.  The original plan was to transfer a recent family photo onto canvas, and hang it on the pallet.  But when I saw this mirror in Ross, I decided on it instead.

Here are the directions on how to create a faux drift wood  finish.

1) Scrub the pallet to get it as clean as possible.  I gave it an all over wash with dish liquid and warm water.  Then, I used a general purpose cleaner on the tough spots.

2) After the wood dries, paint the pallet with the base coat color.  (I did not use a primer because I wanted to see the wood grain.) This will be the darkest color in your color palette.  I used “Charcoal Sketch” by BHG.

3) While the paint was drying, I mixed some of my base color with “Antique White” by BHG to lighten it a little.  Once you’ve created your second color, add 1 part water to 2 parts paint to create a glaze.  I painted the glaze on with a paint brush and then used a paper towel to slightly rag it off.

4)  Next, you will use the lightest color, for me that was the “Antique White” by BHG, and dry brush it onto the pallet.  Make sure your brush is dry and that you dab off most of the paint onto a paper towel before painting.  You don’t want much paint on your brush.  I also recommend brushing very lightly.  You can always add more if you need to.

5)  Once the pallet is dry, it’s finished!  You can seal it if you choose.  I did not.

This is an example of a project that I never would have tried if I hadn’t been inspired in blogland; in particular, by Debbie @ Debbiedoo’s Blogging and Blabbing.  Thanks, Debbie!

Speaking of Debbie, I will be linking up to her Newbie party ,as well as:

Trash to Treasure Tuesdays @ Kammy’s Korner

Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking

Rock and Share @ The Shady Porch

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

More the Merrier Monday @ DIY Home Sweet Home

Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative