How to Make New Wood Look Old and Distressed

I love to make new wood look old. It's very rewarding, not so difficult and a great way to get out some of your frustrations!

Gene and I tiled 2 of our kitchen walls and I had the idea to band the top of those walls with an old faux beam. He picked up some pine and I got banging!

Supplies: chisel, screwdrivers, hammer, chain, screw, nail, BBQ lighter or blow torch, wood stain and rag

1. Gather your supplies
2. Chisel out some chunks of wood. Small and large. You can do this along the edge, in the middle or both. Space it out.
3. I used a heavy chain and just banged it onto the wood. You can also create this effect with a hammer.
4. I wanted to create a Woodworm effect. I did this by lightly hammering in the tip of a screw (or nail) to create holes.
5. To create a more realistic Woodworm effect, I grouped the holes.
6. Using the edge of a flat head screwdriver, scrape the wood in an up and down motion. Try doing this against the grain.
7. This effect was created with a Phillips head screwdriver.
8. With a blow torch or BBQ lighter, lightly burn some of the areas of the wood. This will add a nice dark color to certain spots. Don't overdo it.
9. Once you've finished banging up your wood, it's time to stain. I applied Minwax Walnut stain with a soft rag. Let it dry before hanging.

Once the stain is applied, all the marks are revealed. I'm very happy with the results.