How to Make a Faux Wood Grain Table Top

Making a faux wood grain table top is easier than you think using this simple paint technique. No stripping or staining required – in fact this look is achieved with chalk paint and antiquing wax.

I first learned of this technique a couple of years ago and tried this it on an old vintage end table that I picked up from the Facebook Marketplace. It was such a simple technique and the table still looks like the day I finished it.

This little table sits on the end of our sofa and fits perfectly in this space. There are no scratches or stains as it has held up really well. To look at it you would never know the top is a faux wood grain painting technique.

Recently I picked up two chalk painted end tables to refinish for my vintage booth. There were a few marks on the table tops so I knew this method would be the perfect solution since matching the chalk paint color may have been challenging. Here’s one of the tables before I started to refinish the top.

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The Supplies:

• Piece of furniture of your choice
• Can of white chalk paint (enough to cover furniture piece)
• Can of Valspar Antiquing Wax
• Minwax Polycrylic clear satin polyurethane
• Chip Paint brushes
• Chalk paint brush
• Frog tape -painters tape

The Process:

The beauty of chalk paint is that it requires very little prep. You want to make sure the furniture piece is clean but other than that you can go right in with your first coat without sanding or priming UNLESS its a darker older piece that may bleed through the chalk paint. The old cherry and dark mahogany pieces often do. For these types of furniture I use 2 coats of B-I-N Shellac Primer first, let dry completely, lightly sand then go in with my first coat of chalk paint. Often chalk paint requires 2 – 3 coats but luckily it dries fast.

Antiquing Wax

Once the piece (or pieces in this case since I have matching end tables) have dried, I use frog tape to tape off the top to avoid getting the antiquing wax on the piece.

Next I take Valspar Antiquing Wax and give it a good stir. Then using an inexpensive chip brush I begin apply the antiquing wax to the top of the table. I find this wax so easy to work with because it allows plenty of time to apply the wax and get the strokes in the direction you want them. In other words it doesn’t dry very fast so its easy to manipulate.

As you can see when you apply the wax the white chalk paint shows through the brush strokes. This gives the appearance of faux wood grain. I have yet to try a different chalk paint color however, a gray or mustard yellow base may be equally appealing.

You will want your brush strokes heading in the same direction so it mimics the grain of wood but don’t worry, you have time get it right. After the first coat you have a light finish (pictured below). You can stop there or add more coats using the same techniques.

After the first coat let it dry for at least 2 hours. Once fully dry you can go in with your second coat, same application process. You will see below how much darker the finish is with two coats.

Let the faux wood grain finish dry overnight and then add a coat of polyurethane to protect the finish. And thats it! no sanding, no multiple applications of several different paints – very straightforward! We like that, yes? For these end tables I decided to switch out the drawer knobs. I love these little wired flower knobs that were left over from my No Rod – Drop Cloth Curtains.

And off to the booth at Off The Common Antiques where I hope one happy customer finds a home for these faux wood grain tables.

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Thanks for visiting the blog today. I love sharing How to Make a Faux Wood Grain Table Top with you! I delivered them to the booth along with this fun DIY dog bed!