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Dukes and Duchesses

Dallas Fort Worth Creative Lifestyle Blogger

painting · Written by Randi Dukes

How to Create a Color Washed Effect on Wood

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This color washed effect post contains affiliate links.

I’ve been working on a few DIY projects and yesterday, while painting wood for a project, I wondered if you all know how easy it is to create a color washed effect on wood.  This idea is so simple that I almost didn’t share it here but if you haven’t ever color washed wood, I don’t want you to miss out on this easy paint technique.  It’s a really great way to get a completely different look.

how to create a color washed effect on wood

Creating a color washed effect is very simple and doesn’t require any special supplies.

Supplies for Creating a Color Washed Effect

To create this effect, you’ll need craft paint or any water based paint and a thick paint brush or a foam brush.  You’ll also need access to water.

Because this technique doesn’t require a lot of paint, if you’re doing a small surface, a small container of craft paint is more than enough.

How to Create a Color Washed Effect with Paint

Using the thick paint brush or foam brush, dab paint onto the wood, spacing the dabs out a bit.

color washed effect on wood

Wet the paint brush well with clean water and brush over the paint dabs and the wood, wetting the brush as needed until the board is covered with color.  You can alter how dark or light the washed paint is by the amount of water you use.  

If the paint gets too watered down, just add more dabs of paint and continue with the technique, blending the colors together with more water.  

Apply as much or as little water as you need to get the washed effect you want.

washing paint on wood

You can also wipe the board down with a paper towel to get rid of excess water and paint and to remove any bubbles that occur on the surface of the wood.

color wash on wood

Let the wood dry completely and cover with a protective coating, if desired.  

This color wash is a super simple paint technique but I love the final washed look and the way the grain of the wood continues to show through it.

color washed wood

Have you ever tried a color washed effect?


51 Comments

About Randi Dukes

I’m Randi, a Dallas-based mom of five kids, ranging from third grade to college and including a set of twins. I love strong coffee, craft and DIY projects, my planner, and my big ol’ family. When I’m not creating something for my blog, I can be found in the car, running kids from one place to another. I’m the one knitting at the red light. Connect with me on google+ | twitter | facebook

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Comments

  1. Kati says

    February 25, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    I love the washing effect on wood! So pretty. Love your projects and tutorials, no matter how simple they seem sometimes it’s good to remember the simple things 🙂

    Reply
    • Debi Roberts says

      April 12, 2019 at 7:46 pm

      Agree!,,😊👍
      I as a Activity Coordinator for 51 residents, I am always looking for idea’s for their wood crafting activity. Ty

      Reply
      • Irene says

        April 1, 2020 at 1:32 pm

        What if the wood panel white and you what to color wash it

        Reply
        • Randi Dukes says

          April 2, 2020 at 10:24 am

          You can still use the same technique but it will depend what’s on it and whether the wash will soak in. If it’s white because it’s coated with a glossy paint, the wash won’t absorb into it. You may have to experiment a bit.

          Reply
          • Marina says

            October 1, 2022 at 7:16 pm

            I can’t find a way to COMMENT.

            I have been watering down water based paints most of my life. I experiment until I get the color that I want.
            Super easy!

  2. Savannah says

    February 27, 2016 at 3:16 pm

    This is so stinking cute!!
    I’ve been thinking about building a sandbox for my son this summer, and I think this would make an adorable border!! Thank you so much for sharing <3

    Reply
  3. Jessica says

    February 29, 2016 at 7:33 pm

    I love this look! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Pamela Smith says

    February 29, 2016 at 8:26 pm

    I haven’t tried this, but I will now! I love this looks and how beachy it looks! Thanks for posting. Pinning!

    Reply
  5. Mistie says

    February 29, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    I love the color washing effect. Great tutorial! I found you at Creat Link Inspire party.

    Reply
  6. payal says

    March 9, 2016 at 3:01 am

    Does the colour come off when you touch it , does it stain your hand ? Would it be a good idea to put a coat of transparent varnish on it ?
    Thanks for showing how to do this , I had been wanting to use water colour on wood , this showed me the way. ?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      March 9, 2016 at 1:29 pm

      It’s just like stain at the end so once dry, it doesn’t come off at all. You could definitely varnish it if you wanted to add a protective coating.

      Reply
      • Karen & Jeff Brown says

        October 19, 2017 at 12:33 am

        Have you ever painted driftwood? I’ve been searching for hours for info or tutorials that discuss specific paint type, etc. Any suggestions?

        Reply
        • Randi Dukes says

          October 19, 2017 at 6:07 am

          I haven’t painted driftwood. Do you want to color it or stain it? Could you use chalk paint?

          Reply
        • VICBOY says

          March 13, 2020 at 4:45 pm

          DRIFTWOOD CAN BE PAINTED WITH ACRYLIC WASH, WITH CHALK PAINT YOU MIGHT NEED MORE BUT YES UT WORKS. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO PUT FINISH ON OR NOT. SOMETIMES PEOPLE BLEACH THE WOOD BUT I MYSELF DONT.

          Reply
      • Glenna says

        July 24, 2019 at 12:42 pm

        Do you have a favorite varnish? I’ll be using this technique for some small craft items.

        Reply
        • Randi Dukes says

          July 24, 2019 at 1:26 pm

          I usually use Minwax polyurethane or a spray on varnish/polyurethane by Rustoleum.

          Reply
        • Kerry says

          October 30, 2022 at 6:57 pm

          Glenna, I use MinWax’s Polycrylic clear sealer, (it applies easily with a brush, dries quick because it’s water based, and gives a lot of protection); it comes in matte, or semi-gloss finishes. Or you can use paste wax like Johnson & Johnson’s floor wax and seal your piece that way – which is what you use to seal chalk painted items. You apply the wax sparingly, and follow by buffing with a clean dry rag. Depends on your personal preference of the finished look.

          Reply
  7. DazzleWhileFrazzled says

    March 9, 2016 at 7:13 pm

    Great tutorial! I always thought you used a dry brush technique so this was interesting to learn. Visiting from Create It Thursday.

    Reply
  8. Mindi says

    March 10, 2016 at 9:27 am

    Awesome! I have tried this before, but I don’t do it enough, love it!

    Reply
  9. Fatima says

    March 14, 2016 at 12:46 am

    Ah I was looking for this. Luckily found this on your blog. Hope I am able to do it easily. The water marks on my table don’t look good.

    Reply
  10. Natalie says

    August 26, 2016 at 10:55 am

    Will this work on old white wood windows.

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      August 26, 2016 at 1:46 pm

      It will as long as there’s nothing that’s sealing the wood like a polyurethane, paint, or something similar.

      Reply
      • JESS says

        April 3, 2021 at 2:54 pm

        THEY CAN ALWAYS JUST BUFF/SAND IT FIRST RIGHT? LIKE EVEN IF THERE IS A SEALANT, AND THEN IT SHOULD WORK JUST THE SAME…. I MEAN I WOULD ASSUME….WOULD YOU AGREE?

        Reply
        • Randi Dukes says

          April 6, 2021 at 7:30 am

          Yes, as long as the sealant hasn’t soaked into the wood. That would affect the way the wood can absorb the color wash.

          Reply
  11. Lauren says

    February 25, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    Can’t wait to try this, especially as I just priced “milk paint” at $19 a can, and I need 6 colors for a project that is going to be donated to a charity as a raffle item! I’ll let you know how it came out!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      February 25, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      Love the look so far! I took pictures but I don’t see an easy way to post them in the comment space. Whether or not I can actually complete the project is another story! Hopefully I’ll have figured out a way to add the pictures by then !

      Reply
      • Randi Dukes says

        February 26, 2017 at 12:54 pm

        Share the photos on the Dukes and Duchesses facebook page! I’d love to see it.

        Reply
  12. Denise says

    June 22, 2017 at 9:13 am

    What is the name of the color you used. I’m doing my kitchen in aqua, and that looks like it would go great with it.

    Reply
  13. Debbie says

    July 27, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    What color did you use and what paint brand

    Reply
  14. Jennifer says

    October 22, 2017 at 8:59 am

    What color is this?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      October 30, 2017 at 5:54 am

      I’m not sure exactly what color I used … it’s a craft paint from DecoArt and an aqua color but I don’t know the exact one. Sorry!

      Reply
      • Tabatha says

        March 1, 2020 at 4:17 am

        Peacock blue or peacock real if that’s not correct then it’s the ocean blue or ocean teal… I just emptied all four of those on a peacock’s gone wild all over my bed room furniture… brands that have similar names and like color are anita’s and the decorate Americana hobby lobby and Michael’s….hope this helps I use that color so much I knew it immediately

        Reply
  15. Kat says

    August 4, 2019 at 6:19 am

    How long did it take to dry? I want to add a stencil on top w reg white paint

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      August 4, 2019 at 10:12 am

      The dry time will depend on how wet your wash is but it dries in about the same amount of time that paint does.

      Reply
  16. Nikki says

    December 15, 2019 at 9:19 pm

    Can you water down an acrylic paint to get this effect?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      December 16, 2019 at 6:27 am

      Yes! Most craft paints are acrylic and this works perfectly with craft paint.

      Reply
    • Kelly says

      August 2, 2020 at 12:12 pm

      Yes. That is the way it is commonly done so you don’t risk splotches.

      Reply
  17. Debra says

    May 20, 2020 at 7:56 am

    I stained my boards first. Do you think I could get this same effect on the board using a chalk paint?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      May 21, 2020 at 7:59 am

      You could get something similar if you really watered down the chalk paint. It probably won’t absorb through the stain the same way but you could likely achieve that streaky watered down look.

      Reply
  18. Linda says

    July 21, 2020 at 7:31 am

    I did something similar to an old book case but I added water to the paint then bushed it on. You can still see some wood and the grain of the wood through it. I love how it turned out.

    Reply
  19. Tammy says

    July 28, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    Will this work with “treated” boards?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      July 28, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      It will to a degree. Usually a treated board will allow some color to seep in but often it affects the clarity of the color.

      Reply
  20. Penny Young says

    August 28, 2020 at 9:43 pm

    Hi Randi,
    Firstly, thank you so much for posting this tutorial!! I have wanted to do this for a couple of years. I tried doing it couple of times but I could never get specific look I was chasing. The two major obstacles were; #1- I wasn’t satisfied with the finished product; #2 – I didn’t know what the technique was called so my searches never delivered the desired effect.
    You have put an end to fruitless and frustrating searches and now I can feel confident I will be able to see the desired outcome!!! Thank you again!!

    Reply
  21. Jane says

    March 4, 2021 at 1:30 pm

    This looks incredible. I found a color treatment I’d like to replicate on natural plywood — sky blue and whitewashed wood grain. Do you have any suggestions for how I can accomplish the white and blue while still allowing the wood grain to show through?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      March 10, 2021 at 8:38 am

      I would first test on a small piece of plywood. I would do the white first, whitewash as per the instructions in this post, let it dry completely, then add the blue over top. The less water the better with the blue so you don’t disturb the white. Not sure it will work but it’s worth a try.

      Reply
  22. Kim says

    May 25, 2021 at 11:09 am

    I want to do a multi color stained look on a butcher block desk. Bright colors, pretty stained look. I’m not sure where to start.

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      May 28, 2021 at 7:05 am

      I love that idea but I think you’ll have to make a bit of a plan first so it doesn’t end up just a mess. If you overlap the colors too much, I think you might end up with a brown puddle. I would kind of map out where you want the colors and do one color at a time and let it fully dry before doing the next.

      Reply
      • Brandi Massey says

        January 19, 2023 at 9:56 am

        ♥️Curious minds 🤯🤷‍♀️ As for changing colors I would definitely make a plan…. but I think tape could help…that way you could use the tape to separate the colors…. then after it dries you could remove tape and have that small area to blend colors….but practice blending on similar wood maybe a scrap piece to make sure the color blend, blends the way you want! I think 🤔 💭 this may help…. I just saw taping being a huge help to get your desired look♥️

        Reply
  23. Carol says

    September 11, 2021 at 7:38 am

    I love this idea! I have a small wooden bench I’m trying this on. Thanxs!

    Reply
  24. Nicole says

    November 15, 2021 at 9:18 am

    Nice project! I will try this method for a wooden wardrobe I just bought. However, the wood of the wardrobe is not smooth but coarse. I was wondering if it is then necessary to sand the surface first? Do you have any tips?

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      November 18, 2021 at 8:51 am

      I would probably recommend sanding it first. I think it will give you a better looking finish once you color wash it.

      Reply

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Welcome to Dukes & Duchesses!

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I’m Randi, a mom of five living in Dallas. I love strong coffee, long lists, bright colors, thrift stores, repurposed junk, and power tools.

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