I am a huge fan of DIY projects – especially DIY projects that save me money. Brian from the The Wildman Project youtube channel created this awesome DIY Distressed Wood Mantel and it looks great.
He was able to create the look of distressed wood, with just a few tools and some lumber from a big-box store. Awesome.
If you are interested in tackling a similar project, I have included links and a materials list below the video.
Brian uses a belt sander in the video. I don’t have one of those – so I used a random orbital sander. I simply held it at a slight angle to the surface of the wood, to create the dips that you see in the video. If you have the patience – sandpaper wrapped around a piece of scrap wood would work just fine.
You can pick up the boards for this project at your local big-box store. The top and front are glued together with simple butt joints and the corners are mitered. There are no nails or screws used – so they won’t get in the way of sanding.
Here’s a list of other items you might need to complete this project – including wood glue, stain, a sander, and a file.
This distressing process would work for creating a variety of DIY projects. Â
I recently used this technique to build a simple picture frame. It turned out great and I’m thinking about using this technique to add some character to a head board I’m building for our bedroom. Also, this might be a great technique for building one of those very popular rustic kitchen tables.
You can view more of Brian’s work over at his website – The Wildman Project and the Wildman Project Etsy Shop.
If you are new to DIY and woodworking – I recently shared my list of inexpensive, budget friendly tools.
Check out my new DIY projects board over at pintrest. Blessings.