Learn How To Make Barn Wood The Easy Way With Our Step-By-Step DIY Guide

Wood is a popular material used in many structures today. Wood is not only used as a construction material anymore but often as a decorative material as well.

This is why companies are producing different kinds of wood, staining them, adding textures, and then asking ridiculous prices for these pieces of material that we need to complete that look we desire so much.

The barn wood look has certainly become popular. It does not only suit those farm-style house decors but also fits in great with modern designs as well.

The only problem, however, is that barn wood tends to cost a significant amount of money, especially when you need a lot of wooden slabs in order to build a patio, a Wendy house, a wall, or whatever it is you need to build with the wood.

Luckily, we are here today to tell you that you can create your own barn wood.

While it may take a little effort and some time on your side, you will end up saving a lot of money, and you’ll gain the bragging rights to the fact that you created those beautiful pieces of wood that now makes up the patio, your dinner table, or perhaps a set of chairs.

We’ll share with you a DIY guide that you can easily follow to start preparing your own barn wood – and you can do this with simple slabs of pine wood, a type of material that would certainly be much more affordable than slabs of authentic barn wood.

The best news is, you’ll end up with pieces of pine wood that looks just like real barn wood.

What You Need For Making Barn Wood

First off, let’s cover some of the essential materials and tools that you will need if you want to learn how to make barn wood.

Even though you will need some equipment, as well as a couple of tools, chances are, you most likely already have these available in the garage.

If you don’t, then no need to worry – there are many cheap options on the market that you can turn to that will do the job perfectly fine, allowing you to get your barn wood without having to dig too deep into your wallet.

The first thing on our list would be wood to use. I personally find that pine board works great for this very purpose, and they are also very cheap.

You’ll also be able to find slabs of pine board easily with a call or two. Get yourself a couple of slabs – or one if you are still a little skeptical on whether you’ll be able to accomplish this or not.

In addition to the wood that you will use for making barn wood, you’ll also need a couple of extra tools that we will use during the process.

Make sure you have all of these tools available so that you can finish the entire process without constantly having to drive back to the hardware store to pick something up.

The additional tools, accessories, and items that you will need:

In addition to these, you’ll also need three types of wood stains:

You’ll also need a paint roller and cotton rag for staining the wood.

Before you take the leap into making your own barn wood why not take a look at our Teds Woodworking Review, It has over 16,000 blueprints for your woodworking journey.

How To Make Barn Wood

Once you have collected all of the tools that you need, and you have your wood ready, it is time to get started with the process.

We’ll start by preparing the wood. Place it in a stable position – you can nail it to another piece of board that is in a more stable position.

Step One

The first step is to use the angle grinder on the edges of the pine board that you are using for making barn wood. Use it to make the edges a little rough.

You already know how barn wood traditionally looks like, so try to mimic those rough edge look.

Use the grinder on the ends of the wood slab as well to create an angle. The gouges that you make on the edges of the wood should be random, not planned out, in order to create a more authentic look in the end.

Step Two

Once you are happy with the edges, use the cup brush attachment on your grinder to grind the top and bottom parts of the wooden slab. Be sure to run the brush along the slab’s length to create lines.

Do not put too much pressure on the wood and avoid grinding away too much of the surface.

Step Three

The next step is to create wormholes by using the awl to punch small holes into the wood. Be sure that you punch these holes in groups to make them more realistic. They should also be different in size.

Also, use the hammer to create a few dents in the wood. Barn wood tends to have a decent amount of dents – be sure you use the claw side of the hammer, though.

Using the utility knife, create a few splits and cracks at the ends of the pine board slabs. You can also do a few along the board’s edges. If there are any cracks that already exist, try to see if you can make them a little bigger without making it look artificial.

Add a few final touches by using the grinder to stimulate saw blade markings on the surface of the wood.

Step Four

Now that you have completed the initial part, it is time for the staining of the wood. The first step is very easy. You simply use the oak wood stain with a paint roller and stain the wooden slab.

You’ll most likely only require a single layer to achieve the desired effects.

Take a look at the tin to see how long the stain takes to dry – wait until it is dry before you proceed to the next step.

Step Five

Once the first layer dries, use the dark-colored wood stain that you got. Dip the cotton rag into the stain and then apply a few patches at random locations on the wood. The idea is to create a layer of stain that is uneven.

Make sure you do not cover all of the wood as this would hide the oak-colored stain. Again, wait for this layer to dry, before proceeding to the final step.

Step Six

The final step is to use another piece of the cotton rag to apply the gray stain to the wood. You can apply a little more than you did with the darker coat, but, again, do not apply too much as it would overpower the oak stain.

Conclusion

Barn wood offers an authentic look to any décor, whether on the inside of the house or perhaps outside.

The only problem is, this wooden material tends to cost a lot of money, which can suddenly cause a significant spike in the budget requirements for your project.

In this guide, we shared a few simple steps that you can follow if you would like to gain that authentic look that barn wood can offer you, but do not have the budget for it.

We shared a complete guide on how to make barn wood in a few, easy-to-follow steps, to help you get started.

Now that you have your barn wood why not create some barn wood shelves on it check out-our DIY barn wood shelves article here.