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ajsvintagedesigns
May 24, 20214 min read

How to get a Weathered Wood Look using a Blend of Paint and Gel Stain – Tutorial & Video

Updated: Sep 14, 2022


I scored this Antique Wash Basin that had already been sanded & it’s the perfect thing for a Farmhouse Makeover. I want to teach you how to get a weathered look on wood using a blend of Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint and Gel Stain.






You will see bold colored text in the product list, those are links to each product so that you can locate the products easily if you are wanting to purchase them.



Let’s get started!



I pour just a small amount of each on a plate, not mixing together, just next to each other.



Step #1:


Grab your water mister bottle! You’ll be using this A LOT since these are all water-based products. Then grab your brush, and the Tobacco Road & Black Magic Gel Stains.




First, you want to mist water all over the area you’re painting.


Misting your piece with water will open the grains, and welcome the stain into the wood for a more even application.


Dip half your brush in the brown (Tobacco Road), and the other half in black (Black Magic), keeping them separate on the tip of the brush.


Keeping the colors separate gives it a streaky look when it brushes on. The variations of darker and lighter colors blend into an aged finish.


When you’re brushing it on, go with the direction of the grain to give it a more natural look.




TIP: You can mist it with water and use your brush to smooth out any start and stop marks.



Step #2:


You can use any color you want, but to give the illusion of weathered paint, I used a different but similar shade of red on the bottom.


Keep your stain brush handy, because you’ll be incorporating the stain again as well.


Since I’m doing a streaky wash of color, I want a damp brush, and damp surface to work with.


Mist the brush & wood you’re painting. Then, lightly dip into Rustic Red with very little paint on the end.


Starting at the top, gently drag the paint down until you have barely any paint on your brush left, and it’s lighter towards the end.


You want to be light handed to get a thin streak of color, with more at the top than the bottom.


Mist the piece with water again, then grab that handy stain brush!


Using the Tobacco Road & Black Magic Voodoo Gel Stain combo, gently streak it over the Rustic Red, being very light handed.


I start at the edges and blend down, for a darker edge.


You’ll want it to be streaky, not one solid color. Keep misting as you go, and blend in the direction of the wood grain.



Step #3:


Grab a clean brush, mist it with water, and barely dip into the Barn Red.


Spray the piece with water. Using the same technique, but this time working the paint from the bottom up towards the Rustic Red.




Switch back and forth from paint to the stain, until you get the perfect blend.


Keeping the gel stain & paint separate on the brush will help you get a streaky aged farmhouse look.


If it goes on too heavy, spritz it with water and work it out by blending with your brush.




Step #4:


For the top, I used a premium chip brush to get more area coverage, and the Tobacco Road / Voodoo Gel Stain combo.


Using the same technique, I dip half the brush in Tobacco Road, half in the Black Magic.


Spray the top generously with water, then apply in the direction of the grain.

Since these products are water based, you do not have to worry if it’s too dark. Spritz it with water, and blend to lighten the effect.


Once it dries, you can seal it using anything you like. I have a video up on how I sealed this piece using Howdy Doody Hemp Oil.


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and it inspires you to give this a try on those Thrift Store & Flea Market Finds.


My Video Tutorial, plus all of the Products & Links for what I used are listed below.

Here’s the link for my Video Tutorial :



Products & Links for this project:

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