Tuesday, April 3, 2012

How Did You Paint That?

This is probably the number one question I get--how did you paint that, what is your paint technique?  Honestly, I am not sure I have a technique, but I will attempt to share with you what I do.  However, I do have a disclaimer: I have been painting furniture for a dozen years.  My style or technique has evolved and changed and developed over those years, and I am sure it will continue to do so.  I also believe that I might have a knack for it, it comes easily and naturally to me--how I paint a particular thing is often a feeling or instinct.  So, with that said, here you go:
use a chip brush to create a weathered paint finish

*This post contains affiliate links*
I am showing this on a piece of pallet wood--all wood and furniture is different and take the paint and stain differently.  As I discovered with my accidental finish on my pallet coat hook shelf, if at first you don't succeed, keep playing and trying.  I sand the wood usually a little before painting to get some of the rough spots off, but not too much as the roughness helps add to the character.  I most often use what is called a chip brush.  These are inexpensive, natural bristle brushes that typically cost under $1.  I like them because they do not cover completely, and are cheap enough to replace as needed.

As I have said many times, I slap some paint on.  I usually paint several boards at once, starting with the lightest color of paint I am using.

paint wood to create a weathered paint technique
I do not clean off my brush between colors, but I do brush it on wood until most of the color is gone.  I do use a different brush for red or if the colors aren't going to blend well. Hint-- I keep a separate brush that I use only for red paint in case it doesn't get completely cleaned out.
use 2 or 3 paint colors to create a weathered finish
I wait a bit for the paint to dry.  It isn't always completely dry when I paint the next layer, it depends on how impatient I am. I only painted 2 layers for this tutorial, but I have done up to 5. I do not completely cover up the first layer.   For my pieced pallet things I have being painting mostly just one color since they are so colorful.
paint layers to create an authentic farmhouse finish
When the paint is dry (again, mostly dry anyway), I sand it--sometimes a lot, sometimes very little.  I most often us an 80 grit sandpaper or whatever is on the sander. 
use an electric sander to sand through paint layers
 Here is how much I sanded this piece of wood:
sand off paint to expose reclaimed wood
I then use a stain,most often MINWAX  over the top.  I have found some of the pallet wood takes the stain really dark so I have been using something a little lighter like Early American or Provincial.  I ran out of those a few days ago, so I am using dark walnut.
use minwax stain to create an awesome weathered paint finish
I cover the paint/piece of wood completely.  Notice, I use a chip brush for this too.  Wipe the brush off on a rag and one will last you several months. 
use stain over paint to create a cool paint technique
After putting on the stain, I wipe it off with a rag (a piece of an old t-shirt).  Note--stain rags should be put in a bucket of water and not reused.  I throw them out on trash day.  A friend's garage caught on fire from 4 stain rags left on a pile of trash--use caution!!  And drumroll please...the finished results:
use paint and stain tp create a weathered paint finish
I do not always put a clear finish on my pieces.  However, have I mentioned that I might be impatient at times?  I often use a clear spray to finish pieces because it dries the stain just about instantly.  I also use a finish if it is an outdoor piece. 
how to create an authentic weathered paint finish with stain
Some of you have asked what colors of paint I use.  Honestly, it changes always--sometimes I use cans of latex I have and sometimes I grab some craft acrylic paint.  I often mix colors that I have bits of.   

See THIS paint finish in my favorite color combination HERE

88 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great tutorial on how you achieve your painted finish. Love your projects!

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    1. The site is one of a kind that is giving the pleasant material. If it's not too much trouble post all the more intriguing articles here. I have subscribed to your rss channel which should do the trap! Have a decent day!

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    2. Thank you so much for sharing I have come up some amazingly beautiful pieces using this technique. Love it!

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  2. Thanks so much..I pinned it on my DIY board....to use later. :)
    Denise

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  3. Thx you so much for sharing your secrets with us :))) I love your painting technique
    xoxo
    Rasha

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  4. Thanks for sharing! I have been doing this a long time too and appreciate that it's often difficult to explain exactly WHAT you do....you did a fine job! I think it will help a lot of novice painters out there!
    Lorraine

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  5. great tutorial, i always love your pieces.
    lauren

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  6. Beautiful and thanks for the great tutorial... Your furniture ALWAYS looks great!
    Susan
    Homeroad

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  7. Thank you so much! I did always wonder how your painting was done. Now I know...! Thanks for sharing this great tutorial!

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  8. Thanks for this! I love that finish. Also thanks for the stain rag tip. I had no idea they could so easily catch fire.

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  9. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME!!! What a great idea! and I adore the finished look. So trying this :)

    TFS!

    xox

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  10. Thanks for sharing one of your techniques! I'm all about furniture painting right now and love seeing the different techniques out there! Your stuff is fabulous!
    Melody
    One Chatty Chic

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  11. Thanks for sharing.. i wondered about your technique, it's looks fabulous!!!
    Sheree

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  12. Hi I am new to your blog and happy to have come across it. What you do with the pallets and other items is so creative. Your philosophy on how you allow your items to evolve from how you paint them to your end product is very similar to my own thoughts. Love your blog. Full of great ideas.

    @ 3Beeze Homestead

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  13. Thanks for the tut!! Very informative and I am ready to go to work!

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  14. Thanks! I pinned this to my "to do" board!

    Happy Easter to you and your family Becky!
    gail

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  15. Thank you for sharing this "how to". It is very helpful indeed! And I appreciate the tip about the stain rags in water. I usually throw mine out, but I don't keep them wet. No need to risk a fire :(

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  16. I followed your technique, but when I applied the stain to white and light colors, the painted sections were almost brown, am I not wiping them enough? Am I saturating too much? Help!

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  17. You rock! Thanks so much for sharing this.

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  18. Thanks so much! Your work is absoutely beautiful!!!

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  20. hello-i want to know paint color names and brands...i want to do my entire dining room table..an old weathered rustic pine. can you tell me the name of the blue and the green that you used above? im thinking about combining them. the table is large so i am hoping to be able to duplicate the color in a long lasting wearing paint that i can buy from the hardware store, do you think thats do-able? thank you

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  21. hello-i also want to know paint color names and brands...can you tell me the name of the blue and the green that you used above? im thinking about combining them. thank you

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  22. Absolutely gorgeous. I love your blog. You are a very talented lady and should be proud of it. I appreciate all your tutes you share. They are awesome. Thank you.

    Natalie
    enjoyingalllifehastooffer.blogspot.com

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  23. Your is great--so many wonderful ideas. I have become a follower so that I can pop in often. Thanks for your tutorials.

    Faye

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  24. I just found your blog and I love your style! This tutorial was great, I do funky painted furniture but have been doing some work with old barn siding,(my sis has a whole barn of it!)in more of the rustic style, I love the texture. It's always good to know I am on the right track, I love your work and have pinned several of your projects but never really taken the time to expore your blog. I love it! Thanks for the great tutorial! Carolyn

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  26. Thank you! I love this simple and sooo easy to follow tutorial. Just what I wanted for my bookcase.

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  27. Thank you for this link...I am specifically looking for the colors you used on the coffeetable project. Here is the pin from pinterest --> http://pinterest.com/pin/244812929714773956/

    It is the one with 4 boards...cream, pale blue, salmon and green. Or here is the image on your blog --> http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-01-01T19:05:00-07:00&max-results=6&start=13&by-date=false

    That would be great if you have the colors and if that look is latex or acrylic. I am actually putting boards together and then a frame on top...we will see how it turns out!

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  28. Do you have a certain type of paint you use to paint your furniture ie: flat, milk, semi?? Just wondering if there is a wrong type of paint. Great tut. Found you on Pinterest.

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  29. Thank you! I am so inspired by your work! I too found you on pinterest and just pinned a table I made this weekend inspired by your tutorial here!

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  30. thanks for taking the time to share that with us. Its very helpful and I know writing and taking pictures for a tutorial can be torture, esp. since you want to finish the project already!

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  31. I am brasilian and liked your tut. Thank you.
    Karinepossari.blogspot.com

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  32. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this tutorial!!! I'm your newest follower. Found you through Pinterest!

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  33. The stain over the white latex paint I'm using is turning all of the colors too dark. Should I use an acrylic paint or something different? Let me know.

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  34. Pallet tray is lightly sanded and ready to finish. Various cans of paint have been collected from rooms around the house. Just reading your tutorial one last time before starting to layer on the paints. Supposedly this will be finished and ready to gift by tomorrow! Wish me luck.

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    1. THANKS! For my first attempt, I'm very happy with the results. Pictures posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20608440@N00/8312133184/

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  35. This was perfect. I had commented on a different post....but should have kept reading! Thanks!!!!!! These projects ROCK!

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  36. Would love to know what color paint you used on this stool (green and blue)

    thanks

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  37. Thank you for the tutorial. I used your technique on some benches we made using pallets. I used various colors of ctaft paints, smearing various tones of each colors then stain and spray varnish. They look great!

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  38. Looks like you have quite an audience for your posts about painting pallets and making things with them. So glad I found your blog also. It's always so good to have the experience of somebody that been doing this, knows what works and doesn't. Love how you make things, so appreciate the tutorials and tips.
    My hubs and I have had a "discussion" about painting the items we make with the pallets, he insists they shouldn't be painted but I thought doing some sanding to take the roughest part off and add some color would make them a bit more attractive to buyers, would also need some kind of finish to protect what we've done on them. Many pieces he saw online weren't painted, but I noticed they had a bit of sheen on them. I think using the spray type finish would be best. Thanks so much for sharing your talent.
    Happy days

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  39. THIS IS SOOOOO GREAT! I am making a "Ranch Rules" sign - wanted the rustic wood look, without searching the country for rustic wood, I can just follow this tutorial! Thanks so much! I'll be referring to this tutorial when writing mine on the Ranch Rules.
    My blog is newby - but getting ideas and projects done daily. Your painting technigue could make it really fun!
    onlandrufflane.blogspot.com

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  40. where do you get your chip paint brushes for $1.00? (love your creations)

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  41. Hello Becky,
    Thanks for sharing this great tutorial! I have a question: Is the wood finish you are using transparent?

    Greetings
    Edwin

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  42. I love this, I also use pallets all the time and it feels good to know I'm not the only impatient crafter out here. I make my own stain, do u have any good homemade stain recipes?

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  43. I ran across your tutorial on How did you paint that. I too want to know what colors you used for the board sample in the green, blue with the dark walnut stain? I've been searching on how I wanted to finish my 3 unfinished book cases, and I want to do them in this finish. Since you used pallet wood the texture of that wood is rough which adds to the finish. My bookcases are smooth wood, I'm afraid they will not come out looking the same. Any ideas on how to get them where the wood texture is rough or do you think it won't matter? What do you recommend for clear sealer over the paint?

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  44. Hi
    I just bought a railroad cart with all different slats on top.
    Can you tell me the name of your blue, green, yellow and red?

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  45. Hey to everyone, it’s my first visit of the blog site; this blog includes awesome and actually best info for the visitors.

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  46. Enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing.

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  47. Hi, I need to try your technique on bare wood, I suppose you'll get best results using unfinished pieces of wood. I didn't realize you can't keep / re-use the rags after the wood stain, good tip. You can easy make your own wood stain, using dark vinegar, coffee and wire wool:
    http://cherriehub.webs.com/apps/blog/show/37327061-how-to-make-your-own-wood-stain-

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    1. I would love ro learn more about making my on stain

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  48. Absolutely beautiful Becky. Love your style.

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  49. Love this tutorial - am just getting into pallet wood now so it has come at a perfect time. That one you finished for this tutorial could be hung as a piece of art!!! Love it.

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  50. Absolutely striking. the obvious concern I have is, are pallets safe to use on indoor projects?

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  51. I would like to know the paint colors of the blue and green.... Thank you, love it!

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  52. I really like that shade of green! Luckily, my teak benches shouldn't ever need to be painted... although they could use a coat of oil every so often!

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  53. Since finding this tutorial, I have used it on almost every piece I've done! From signs to furniture, this is absolutely the best technique for a distressed and rustic finish.

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  54. Thank you ....I learned a lot...and i am a artist...bless you my child for sharing

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  55. Hi Becky, i've been foolowing The Fence for awhile now and besides being very funny I L o Ve your work. A paint combo I really like of yours are the colors that are on the hall coat hook gadget holder thingy that graces the top of your blog. I am looking for something with reds/maroon, black and a touch of turquois maybe but for sure dark reds and black. How did you get that look?
    also, do you have any ideas for painting old worn out metal shutters? My house is sided in an old metal siding, yuck! I can't change that at this point but I am staining my deck black, the house is white and I have red and turquois accents around along with lots of color in the garden. I thought I would spray paint them a red color but the colors at our local lowes/HD are so run of the mill. It is an old washed out red on them now. Thanks for your time and tons of energy you put into this!

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  56. I have a wood fence in my front yard. I really like the look of when they are stained or painted. I think that doing something like this would make it look even better and give it some added interest.
    Gary Puntman | http://www.budgetfencendeck.com

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  57. Becky, I have always wondered how to give woods that type of finish! I couldn't think of a better name for this post, "how'd you paint that". It's exactly what I think when I see things like this. I had no idea it was so simple to do. Definitely on my to-do list. http://www.fredshardware.com.au/our-stores1

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  58. I am so glad that you shared you VIP tip on how to dispose of stain soaked rags properly.....thank you for sharing!

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  59. I love this look. Can you tell me what kind of paint you used. I tried this with acrylic and I had a ton of difficulty trying to sand it off.
    Thank you!

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  60. I have an crate that is fairly new. Pine. I want to turn it into a flower box. Will this technique work on sanded pine? It's not like pallet wood. Thanks! I love your blog!

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  61. What color is the blue, I love that color? Thank you so much for sharing this technique.

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  62. Thanks for sharing your secrets. I’m currently beginning a business of purchasing, repainting/repurposing furniture, etc. for resale and I also plan on building new things using “free” pallets. I’ve scored tons of free pallets thus far, but just in the beginning stages of pulling the pallets apart, etc. I’d love to be a part of your community and definitely will subscribe to your blog. Eventually, I plan on doing my own blog/site for my business. Thanks again for sharing your success!

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  63. You have a really unique style of painting your pallet projects. The end results are beautiful!
    www.palletfurnitureonline.com

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  68. Bless you! I am so excited to try this tomorrow...yes, probably should wait until tomorrow....clearly patience (or lack there of...) is a virtue, ha-ha! Thanks again!

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  69. This post is still going strong, Becky! Just saw it posted again on a facebook link. And with your previous permission, I pinned it again :)

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  70. Thank you for having such an awesome blog. You inspired me to paint some pieces of furniture I found at the curb. Keep up the great work!

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  71. I would like to know the color names that you used in this tutorial. They are the perfect colors for my room.

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  72. Perfectly concise, informative tutorial. Thank you for taking the time to create and share this. May I ask about your painting letters on wood, for example, your "Home Sweet Home" coat hook. How do you paint on your letters/words? If you have covered this in another tutorial, please direct me to that. I am very new to Pinterest and so I am still learning my way around. Thank you, Gary

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  73. I just wanted to share this with everyone.If you have a store called Harbor Freight in your area they have the "chip brushes"..You can get the 2in brushes 36 for $12.99 or you can get 3in brushes 12 for 7.99 and if you look as you walk into the store you can get a flyer and it will have a 20% off coupon..that's way you can paint for a really long time and for cheap to...well I just wanted to share this with everyone...and also you can go by your local Lowe's hareware or a paint Store in your area and sometimes they will have returned paint where the customer didn't like the color and you can buy it most of the time for more than 1/2 off...I do it all the time...sometimes it may not be the exact color you want but you can mix them until you get the color you want...again I wanted to help inform those of you just starting out or the ones that just didn't know...well enjoy your projects and never stop doing what you love

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  74. Thanks for the tutorial! I love the techniques you use. Pinning this for future referrence.

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  75. what i say about this post really amazing
    ArganOilhome

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  76. I really love your tutorial but I would like to know what the blue and green colors are that you used.

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  77. Absolutely love the color combinations. If you have the names of the paint I'd love it please :) thanks for sharing you knowledge.

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  78. Absolutely love the color combinations. If you have the names of the paint I'd love it please :) thanks for sharing you knowledge.

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    airless painters

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  80. Thank you! I just did this and it turned out amazing! I'm going to do it again for sure :)

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  81. Hello, your DIY works are awesome! Thank you for sharing the tips! It is very helpful and informative. Would love to see more updates from you. Great tutorial, btw!

    airless spray

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate your kind words!