Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Refinished thrift store chair using driftwood weathering wood finish

Refinished Thrift Store Chair Using
Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Stain

Refinished Chair with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

Refinished Thrift Store Chair Turned Coastal Cottage Chic

I’m using an outdated and rather dark thrift store chair and updating it with a beachy driftwood finish fit for any vintage seaside cottage and I’m using  Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish.

This is my second refinished thrift store chair project and turning it into a beautiful piece of furniture to fit my beach cottage.  Like the first chair, this one was purchased for under $30 and it needs to be completely stripped of both its dark finish and outdated fabric. 

Once you find that special chair, here are the materials you will need:

To start, you will need to remove all the fabric.  This may entail removing screws and I had to take the chair apart in order to remove the seat.  Here is what you will need for each step:

Removing the Fabric

  • needle nose pliers for helping to remove staples – and there will be MANY, MANY staples. 
  • flat head screw driver – helps with removing staples
  • patience, patience, patience – removing the many staples is the most tedious part

Stripping the Finish

  • Furniture stripping agent such as Klean Strip Paint & Varnish Remover or other safe stripper
  • steel wool #0000
  • scrapper
  • sandpaper #150, #220 and #320
  • mineral spirits

Refinishing and Re-upholstering

  • Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish
  • Fabric of your choice
  • Piping (optional)
  • Chip brush
  • Drop cloth
  • Spray on glue for foam Elmer’s Craft Bond Spray Adhesive Multi-Purpose
  • Tacky glue (but only if using piping) Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive
  • good quality staple gun
  • staples

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Above is the original thrift store chair

It’s in good condition, but not suitable for a vintage seaside cottage.  I wanted that weathered look that I keep seeing in Ballard Designs and Restoration Hardware.  I am always inspired by the pages of Ballard Designs and they have a Bergere style chair with a weathered finish that sells for $800 or more.  Same with Restoration Hardware.  I know I can recreate the weathered finish with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish stain AND I can find a fabric that will suit my decor perfectly.

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

A key to re-upholstering the chair is to keep all the original fabric pieces, including any padding or backing.  This way you can use them as pattern pieces.  Make sure to mark each piece and even take pictures during the removal process that you can refer back to. 

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Take pictures and mark the pieces.  Once all the fabric has been removed, you can start stripping the finish.

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used an environmentally safe spray-on furniture stripper so as not to have hazardous chemicals seep into the ground water.  This particular stripper took longer and more elbow grease but I’m good with that. There are plenty of environmentally safe paint removers available.  To help remove the finish, I used #0000 steel wool especially in the hard to get areas.

Fully Stripped of Finish and Fabric

The chair completely stripped, sanded and cleaned with mineral spirits.  Any chemical residue from the stripper or original finish will hinder the results of the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish.  So I need to test the results using the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish stain. 

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

My first chair project turned out darker than I expected because I did not test the results first.  This time, I knew I wanted a lighter and more brown toned finish that would pick up the taupey brown tones in my chosen fabric. I also wasn’t at all sure what type of wood the chair was made from.  Since the more tannins a wood has – the darker the color will be when using the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish.  It’s really important to test the results in an inconspicuous area first.

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

As it turned out, diluting the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish solution gave me the color I was looking for.  Instead of mixing 1 packet with 1 cup of water – I mixed it with 2 cups of water. 

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Here I am testing the finish against my chosen fabric which is Magnolia Home Indoor/Outdoor Sea Island Spa.  It has a beachy, cottage feel and even looks a bit vintage to me.  The colors are perfect! 

I seriously considered using the Driftwood Liming Wax to give it a lighter finish as I did with my first chair project but then realized I wanted a more driftwood, weathered finish.  A finish that was completely matte like a found piece of driftwood. 

Re-upholstering the Chair

I’ve been sewing since I was 10, but if you are not confident in your sewing skills, this might be where you want to take the chair and original fabric pieces to an upholstery shop to complete the project. 

Cut out all your fabric pieces using the original pieces as templates, which hopefully you saved and marked.  Same with any backing pieces. Sometimes you may need to replace the cushioning or backing pieces.

One thing I learned along the way was to use a spray glue good for closed cell foam such as Elmer’s Craft Bond Spray Adhesive Multi-Purpose to lightly glue ONLY the fabric backing to the foam.  DO NOT glue the actual fabric to the foam – just the backing materials.  This really helps keep everything in place while you are re-covering the chair.

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Another great tip is to fold and press your fabric under about 1/4″ before applying to the chair using a staple gun.  This way, you end up with a nice clean edge instead of frayed fabric edges.  Much less messy.  I also used piping to cover up any exposed staples and Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive to apply the piping.

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Final Project

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

 

Total Cost for Refinishing and Re-Upholstering Thrift Store Bergere-Style Chair Using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

The total cost for this project was about is about $115.00 and that included:

  •  $25.00 for thrift store chair
  • $24 for a 3 yards of fabric
  • $12.99 for the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish
  • $10.00 piping
  • $13.00 Elmer’s Craft Bond Spray Adhesive Multi-Purpose
  • $6.00 Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive
  • $12.99 environmentally safe paint and varnish stripper
  • $8.00 for incidentals such as staples and sandpaper

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Refinished Bergere chair using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Before and After

Stenciled Patio Pavers

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

Stenciling Patio Pavers with
Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish Stain

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

The Vision

Stenciling Patio Pavers – Another Great Use for Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

I have this patio envisioned in my head.  It’s about 15’x20′ and made of Arizona flagstone with all its beautiful color variations.  There will be a 2 ft high stone retaining wall and that will be topped by bluestone slabs for sitting and showcasing plants. Behind that is a wall of 3 ft tall boxwood or similar shrub.  This envisioned patio is #1 on my wish list. Unfortunately, it’s about #8 on the priority list.  But I definitely needed something inexpensive and fairly easy to create that would serve until my dream patio can be built.

patio pavers
The only picture I could find of the cement patio pavers before I started experimenting. This friendly little rabbit would greet me every morning as soon as she would hear me open the sliding door.  She knew I had carrots. Made my heart smile. To know what happened to “lil bit” is to know we also have a bobcat that frequents the yard. Where we once had 5 or 6 rabbits – we now have none. I now know better than to feed or name the rabbits. Sigh…

Let the Games Begin

My mind went to Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish and how it stains just about everything it contacts including concrete, cement and stone.  There is something in the stone that reacts with the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish and turns it the color of spicy brown mustard.  I have no idea what but I knew the color would not wash off like paint.  And then I realized if I could use a stencil with the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish I might be able to create something unique at a cost that was fairly inexpensive.   Soon my backyard became a research project filled with different stenciled patio pavers and various watered down dilutions of the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish. The stenciled pavers were all over the yard like some bizarre game.

stenciled patio pavers

Some of the older pavers I turned over and used for experimentation and some ended up in the patio along with newly purchased cement pavers.  All were purchased from Home Depot but I see them at Lowes and Wal-mart.  They come in different base colors and I chose the lightest, whitest ones.  The cost is about $1.89 per paver for a 12″x12″.

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

 

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

Stenciled paver patios

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

I spent the next 3 days testing and stencilling patio pavers. After trying numerous stencil designs, I settled on this one although Amazon has a quite a selection of great Tile Stencils Available on Amazon. Choose one to fit your paver size.  Some go all the way to the edge and are suppose to match up with the next paver.  The one I chose allowed me to add a border and it had a cottagey/vintage vibe which I liked.

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

The Hard Part

Since there had already been pavers down and the area was somewhat level, I did not have to dig into the ground or put down gravel, etc. before replacing the pavers.  Nor did I use a level (which I regret).  I did have sand on hand to help get an “eyeball” level.  After all, I did not want a big project or a lot of expense – just a fairly quick intermittent solution until my “Dream Patio”.

I used sand purchased from H. Depot specifically for pavers and drove it into the seams with a stiff brush.  I did this for a few days as the sand kept settling and more was needed. 

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

And finally, once the sand had settled, I used Miracle Sealants H20 Plus Penetrating Sealer to give the stenciled patio pavers a waterproof topcoat that would help deter stains.  If you have ever used similar pavers, you know that they stain rather easily especially if you use flower pots.  I was impressed by how well the sealant worked. 

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

Final Project

The pavers are deliberately different shades of the same color.  The darker ones were done with the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish at full strength (1 packet and 1 Cup of water – there are 2 packets per Single Pak). And then I started adding an additional Cup of water (1 packet and 2 Cups of water) and finally 3 Cups of water. Three cups of water ended up being too pale for me. I like the ultimate translucent, watercolor look achieved.  This technique does not give you “fine” lines.  In my creative mind, I likened the look to some ancient Grecian tile floor uncovered in an archeological dig.  It’s been worn and weathered and has tons of character. Perfect for a shabby chic or cottage style garden.

And I started getting ideas for stenciling patio pavers and the different ways I could use them throughout the garden.  More on those later in another blog.

Total Cost for Stenciled Patio Pavers using Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

The total cost is about $150.00 for a paved patio approximately 3′ x 6′ and that included about $75.00 for 18 pavers from Home Depot; $20 for a 12″x12″ stencil; $12.99 for the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish; $4.89 bag of paver sand; $32.00 waterproof topcoat sealant and a fun day sitting in the garden stenciling patio pavers.

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

Stenciling Patio Pavers with Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

driftwood pendant light shade

Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

Creating a Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

Driftwood Lamp Shade

An easy way to make a driftwood pendant light shade that will stretch to go over a glass shade of various sizes.   The secret is simply using “stretch” bead and jewelry cord purchased from Michaels or from Amazon BEADNOVA 1mm Clear Elastic Stretch Jewelry Roll.

If the top of the glass shade is narrower than the bottom – you can tighten the driftwood row at the top and leave the bottom looser.  However, you don’t want to use a shade with more than a 2-3 inch circumference difference between the top and the bottom.  Having said that, a creative mind could easily create two separate rings of driftwood one to fit around the top and the other to fit the bottom.

driftwood pendant light

Materials You Will Need:

  • 1mm Clear Stretch Beading or Jewelry Cording
  • Drill
  • 1/8″ drill bit
  • Pendant Light Shade to be covered
  • Driftwood Pieces preferably 1/2″ or more round, and straight
  • Pencil to mark drill holes
  • Ruler to measure and mark for drill holes

driftwood lamp shade

 

Marking and Drilling your Driftwood Pendant Light Shade

Creative driftwood candleholders
Place a driftwood piece against your glass shade, figure and mark 2″ from the bottom of your driftwood piece.  Then measure another 2-3″ from the first mark and make a 2nd drill mark.  You want the holes to line up as much as possible on each piece of driftwood. Drill at hole at each mark.

Creative driftwood candleholders

Creative driftwood candleholders

Once your pieces are all drilled, start threading the stretch cord through the holes.  Tie knots about every 4th piece to keep spacing a little more equal when the shade expands. Pull the stretch cord to tighten the rows.

 

Creative driftwood candleholders

Make Your Circle

Occasionally place the driftwood row around the circumference of the glass shade to check the fit.  When you have the row the length you want – tie a final knot or two.  DO NOT CUT THE CORD.  Form a circle with the driftwood row and continue threading the cord through 3 or 4 driftwood pieces from the other end.   Knot the ends.  You can add a little bit of hot glue to the end knots or lightly melt the stretch thread with a match.

driftwood lamp shade

Finally, slide the driftwood over the top of your glass shade and attach the assembly to the hanging rod.

You need not be confined to just using the driftwood on pendant shades – try using the same technique to go over an existing table or reading lampshade.

And don’t forget this stretchy driftwood surround makes a great candleholder or planter. Use them for special events, weddings or just liven up the garden.

driftwood lamp shade
driftwood

If you want to make your own driftwood for this project, check out our tutorial on How to Create your Own Driftwood – it really works.

If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.

How to make your own driftwood

How to Make Your Own Driftwood

How to Make Your Own Driftwooddriftwood and kittens

Wondering how you can make your own driftwood?  We’ve got just the tutorial to show you how you can make driftwood at home.  It takes a little time (give yourself a week).  But the pay off is that you can create the size you want and it won’t cost you more than a box of Washing Soda, and a bottle of bleach.  Now, this is for driftwood you want to use for projects – it is NOT meant for driftwood you want to use in an aquarium.  I have no idea how to clean driftwood to use in an aquarium.

Make your own driftwood

What you will need:

  • Arm & Hammer Washing Soda – can be difficult to find – if have a Publix in your area, they carry it.
  • bleach
  • water
  • container to hold your driftwood pieces
  • sandpaper

A neighbor had trimmed their trees and I knew the branches would be a good size for driftwood projects.  I finished stripping the wood and let it dry completely. But then I wanted to get a more grayish tone to the wood so I used the Driftwood Weathering Wood Product.

Make your own driftwood step 1To start this project, I used a big plastic storage container puchased from Wal-mart for about $8.00.  A large plastic trash bucket or recycle bin would also work as long as your pieces fit.  You may have to think outside the box and use something like a child’s plastic or blowup swimming pool. Get creative.

Before Adding Your Wood

Add about 1-2 Cups of Super Washing Soda to the container (obviously more for a larger container) and dissolve it with hot water.  Then add your wood pieces and cover the wood completely with water.  I used about 7 gallons of water.  And then I filled two water containers and used them as anchors to hold the wood under the water.

  Make your own driftwood step 2

 You want to soak the wood for about 48 hours or long enough so that the bark softens and can be removed using a wire brush.

make your own driftwood step 3

I used a wire brush I had on hand for stripping furniture.  You could probably try steel wool or any very firm bristle brush.   You just need to be able to remove the soggy bark from the wood which should already be peeling away.  For stubborn pieces, soak longer.

make your own driftwood step 4

 make your own driftwood step 5

Once the Bark Was Removed

Once I had removed all the bark, the next step was to make sure I killed any bacteria and removed as much odd discoloration as possible.  I filled the container back up with about 7 gallons of water, added 1 Cup of bleach, and once again immersed the wood for 48 hours.

 make your own driftwood step 6

 The next step was to lay the wood out in a sunny spot for another 2-3 days.  If your pieces are small enough, you could conceivably put them in the oven at very low heat and dry them out. Using the sun is a lot cheaper and works just fine.

After 3 days of sun, you can see I have quite a nice selection of pieces but they are still a little rough.  All the ends, pointy edges and texture should be sanded off.  This will give you the appearance of wood that has been washed and weathered by months at sea.

make your own driftwood

 Now these pieces are pretty nice the way they are.  But I wanted to get a little more of a grayish tone to the wood so I applied the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish.

 make your own driftwood step 9Here you can see a picture of :

  • Just how pale the unfinished wood came out;
  • where I applied the Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish to half to give me the grayish tone I was looking for;
  • and finally putting it up against an actual piece of driftwood for comparison.

Now I’ve got quite a nice stash of driftwood pieces for projects like candleholders, lamps, windchimes, mirrors, etc. – perfect!

Don’t have the time to create your own driftwood? We have natural driftwood pieces for sale.

 

How to Make Driftwood Sailboat Ornaments

Make Driftwood Sailboat Ornaments

How to Make Very Simple Driftwood Sailboat Ornaments for Christmas

These sweet little driftwood sailboat ornaments were really simple and quick to make – literally 5 minutes for each one. And these handmade ornaments are a highlight on the tree but you could also attach them to a wreath or set  them into a lush piece of holiday garland sitting on your mantel.

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments by DIYDriftwood.com

Christmas Sailboat ornaments

  1.  Find your driftwood bottom pieces.  Mine are from 4-5″ long.  The cutest ones are the pieces that have a rounded bottom edge like a keel.

If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments

2.  I used long think straight pieces for the mast but you could use a wooden dowel.  Then just drill a hole in the main piece to accommodate your mast. 

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments

3.  Before you glue the mast piece into the hole on the boat, you want to drill smaller holes in the top of the mast so you can string and hang the ornaments. 

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments

4.  Attach the mast to the boat using a good glue.  I’m using “Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue” which sets pretty quick and holds very well.  I’m also using Peel and Stick Fabric Fuse which is one of the most useful tools to have in your crafting kit.  I love this stuff.  And of course, fishing filament to string the ornaments.  You could also use a pretty ribbon.

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments

5.  Antique lace napkins or handkerchiefs work really well as the actual sail.  I can usually find some vintage linens that work at thrift stores.  I made sure to cut the corners that were already hemmed but you could actually use the Peel and Stick Fabric Fuse to turn under any edges.  For the sale, I cut an uneven triangular shape (longer across the bottom) and  I left the bottom edge unfinished. 

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments

6.  Now just take your Peel and Stick Fabric Fuse and run a piece up the center of the sail and peel off the backing.

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments

7.  Lay your driftwood mast piece on the fuse glue and press it into the glue.  Then attached the mast to your main boat piece using Aileene’s glue.  Let it dry.  Thread your fishing filament through the top hole on the mast and your done. 

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments by DIYDriftwood.com

how to make Christmas Driftwood Sailboat ornaments by DIYDriftwood.com

Want more ideas for driftwood ornaments?  Check out our tutorial on making Driftwood Ornaments using candy or a holiday cloche (bell jar).

 

 

5 Easy Creative Driftwood Projects that you Can Do At Home

5 Easy Creative Driftwood Projects that you Can Do At HomeDriftwood projects

Driftwood seems to be all the rage right now – it’s everywhere. Driftwood finished furniture is in all the high end stores along with great driftwood accessories. Everytime I turn around, some very creative person has come up with yet another great idea using driftwood. And, although driftwood by itself can be a beautiful accessory, it’s not that difficult to create everyday objects using driftwood. Here are just a few simple driftwood projects to get you started.

Driftwood Projects #1 – Driftwood Wall GardenDriftwood Planter

By attaching picture hanging wire around a favorite piece of driftwood and creating a loop on the back you can create a beautiful and unique driftwood planter that you can hang indoors or out. Once you have your wire attached, creatively adhere one or more airplants or bromeliads to the driftwood using a multi-purpose epoxy (it won’t hurt the plant) then suspend it from a nail wherever you want a delightful reminder of the great outdoors. You have now created a natural piece of living art. Remember to water the plants with a mister regularly so as to foster their growth. Hang one or get creative and hang many.

driftwood table lampDriftwood Projects #2 – Driftwood Lamps

To do this correctly one has to have creativity skills and patience so as to come up with a perfect design that will not only compliment but blend with other interior home decorations. In this project, all you have to do is fix the driftwood pieces on the lamp base then use electrical connecting wires to connect the lamp to the main electricity power socket. In case you intend to make a permanent lamp, a quality adhesive will help keep all the wood pieces intact for longer. For directions on how to make three different lamps, including a floor lamp, see How to Create a Driftwood Lamp; for step by step directions with corresponding pictures, view Step by Step Directions for Making a Driftwood Lamp

Driftwood candle holderDriftwood Projects #3 – Driftwood Candle Holder

Candle holders are compatible with virtually all home interior decor designs. Like driftwood lamps, there are many creative ways to make unique driftwood candle holders using very large pieces or even very small pieces, but they are all easy to do. Fill your candle holders with special candles scented with coconut or seabreezes to add that spa-like atmosphere. Driftwood candle holders make wonderful gifts and can be very inexpensive to make. For three different style driftwood candle holders can be found here.

Driftwood mirrorDriftwood Projects #4 – Driftwood Mirror

If you have access to many small similarly sized pieces of driftwood, you can create a simple but stunning beachy mirror. This one is for a circular mirror. A nice size is about a 12″ diameter mirror. Try a craft store for an unframed circular mirror. Trace your circle onto a piece of paper. Now place your driftwood pieces around the circle with one end an inch into the circle and the other pointing out. Lay out your pieces until you have the design you want then begin gluing the pieces together using a multi-purpose epoxy or gorilla glue. When you have glued all the driftwood pieces together around the circle – you can center the mirror and attach it with glue to either the back or the front of the driftwood circle – whichever you prefer. Attach a small screw to the wood, wrap wire around the screw and create a loop to hang to use for hanging.

Driftwood Projects #5 – Driftwood Jewellery Display

This is mostly suitable for businesses that sell various jeweleries. It will help create an attractive business environment that will lure customers due to the fact that the contrast between the jewellery and the wood is quite conspicuous and attractive. Simply place the driftwood in your display case as a creatively place your jewellery around the driftwood. Add some seashells and sand and you have a unique and beautiful display to help sell your items. Don’t limit yourself to just jewelry – many items will look good displayed against a backdrop of a beautiful piece of driftwood. And don’t just limit yourself to display cases – this is a great way to display beach inspired dishes inside a china cabinet.

There’s no limit to the creative uses for driftwood and it certainly does not appear that the current craze for driftwood inspired furniture and accessories is going to be ending anytime soon so get out your tools, find a great piece of driftwood and let your imagination take hold.

If you want to make your own driftwood for this project, check out our tutorial on How to Create your Own Driftwood – it really works.

If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.

How to Make a Driftwood Clock

I’ve had this particular piece of driftwood for a while and I knew right away that I wanted to make a driftwood clock from this piece.  It had many possibilities but my instinct was for a driftwood clock.

Driftwood Clock

Required for this Project:

  • Driftwood
  • Clock mechanism
  • Clock hands
  • Clock hour indicators
  • Extra piece of driftwood to serve as a third foot
  • Drill
  • Drill bit the size of your clock mechanism
  • Glue
  • Hinge
  • Screws
  • Screw driver
  • Chain
  • 2 eye hooks

For my clock hands and hour indicators, I took apart an existing clock I had.  I thought the hands and indicators were the perfect complement of smooth modern metallic to juxtapose against the natural ruggedness of the driftwood clock.Driftwood clock

But this piece was rather thick where I needed the mechanism to be centered so I had to order a unit online that had a stem of  1 3/4″ long.  You will need to figure out how long the stem of your mechanism needs to be and most of the time you can find the mechanisms along with the hands and hour indicators at your local craft stores.  If you need something longer, then search online.  I believe I used Klockit.com.  Be aware that not all hands will fit on all mechanisms.Driftwood clock

Another idea is to get creative with the hour indicators.  You don’t need to use numbers – you can use anything you might fancy.  Shells, beads, nuts, bolts – the possibilities are endless.  The craft stores have a mind-numbing selection of beautiful beads that can be used.

1.      I started by finding a piece of driftwood to use as the third foot.  I will attach this to the back using a hinge and screws and then attach a chain that will span from the back of the clock to the third foot so that the foot will only extend so far.  This will keep my clock upright.

2.      I attach a hinge to the driftwood foot and then attach the piece to the back of the clock. 

Driftwood Clock

3.      I then insert two eye hooks – one into the back of the clock and the other into the third foot and attach my chain.  Check the length of the chain and make sure that it extends far enough to hold up the clock without tipping over.

Driftwood Clock

 Driftwood Clock

 

4.      Next I marked the center of the clock face where I need to drill the hole of the mechanism.  Drill the hole.  Insert the mechanism and make sure that the hands will move without any problems before permanently attaching the mechanism to the back of the driftwood piece.  I used a hot glue gun to set it in place.Driftwood Clock

 

5.      Now mark where you want your hour indicators to be on the face of the clock and glue them on.

6.      Add the clock hands.

7.      Add the battery and you’re done.

Driftwood clock -09

 

 

 

Christmas Stars

Make A Holiday Driftwood Star for Christmas

Making Holiday Stars from Driftwood and Candy

Here’s a fairly quick and easy holiday craft idea for making driftwood stars from pieces of driftwood and candy that will give you that stained glass look.

Driftwood Christmas Stars

Materials:

  • Driftwood pieces. If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.
  • Hard candy such as LifeSavers Cherry, Watermelon, Orange; Cinnamon Red Hot
  • Heat Gun such as HiPur Adhesive Applicator by Stienel or Professional Glue Gun
  • Titebond WW30 or WW60 (for use with HiPur Adhesive Applicator) or Ad-Tech Wood Glue Sticks or All Temperature Wood Stik (look for glue sticks that will hold up in all temperatures)
  • Parchment paper or tinfoil
  • Eyelet screws
  • Ribbon
  • Spray polyurethane
  1.  Simply lay out your star figure with your driftwood pieces.  You can make them any size you want but the bigger they are the more crushed candy you will need to fill the star.

Driftwood and Candy Stars2.  Once you have your driftwood star figure, then just glue the ends.  I discovered the hard way that it is much easier to fill them with the crushed candy if they are as level as possible and as many sides as possible rest on the parchment paper so that the melted candy has something to adhere to.  Try to glue the points together without resting the driftwood pieces one on top of the other in order to adhere the points.

If you are using the Stienel Glue Gun and Adhesives, you will find that the glue will become opaque so a little will go a long way.  This is a strong glue but it has its disadvantages.  It will hold together better than regular glue guns and the glue is both waterproof and heat proof so it does work well in Florida’s heat.  It even held up fine while in the oven when the candy was melting.  However, half way through my project, the gun’s heating element broke and I had to resort to another method to finish my stars.  I chose to go with E6000 glue which you can find at any hardware or craft store.  E6000 is very good and also held up in the oven.  It dries clear, but it does not dry quickly so it was time consuming to hold together ends until they were dry enough.

Driftwood Christmas StarGlue the eyelet screw in place so you can attach a ribbon for hanging.

Driftwood StarNow you will need to crush your candy.  Use hard candy such as Lifesavers or any hard candy that, when melted will give you that stained glass look.  Menthol hard candies should give you that pretty holiday blue color.  Sour apple or watermelon hard candies will work. 

Driftwood Stars

I buy a large bag of candies and unwrap each individual piece then double bag them in ziplock baggies and pound away with a hammer until you have the smallest bits possible.  A fine powder is best because it will melt quicker and result in a smoother more glass like appearance.

Driftwood StarsSet your driftwood star on some parchment paper or tinfoil and place on a cookie sheet.  Then fill in the driftwood form with your crushed candy.  The more candy you use and the thicker it is, the longer it will take to melt.  Also, the larger your crushed pieces are – the longer it will take to melt. 

The above star was filled to about 1/4″ with crushed candy and took longer to melt in the oven.  It was about 8 minutes at 200 degrees.  My other stars were not as thick and I put the oven at 250 degrees and they melted in about 4 minutes.  You need to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn so I would start at 200 degrees and do 4 minutes and then check it every 2 minutes.

Driftwood stars

Once it has melted, take it out of the oven and let it cool before moving it around as the candy is fragile and will crack especially if it is thin.

After it is cooled, you can spray it with a polyurethane to help keep it from attracting bugs and also from melting if it becomes too warm.  Then tie a ribbon through the eyelet screw and use them to decorate.

Driftwood StarsNeed a Driftwood Christmas Tree for your new Driftwood Christmas Stars?  Check out our Tutorial for Creating Your Own Driftwood Christmas Tree or check out this Driftwood Christmas Tree from Amazon Deco 79 Driftwood Tree, 13 by 21-Inch or this cute driftwood reindeer Deco 79 Wood Deer, 18 by 11-Inch.

 

Make a Driftwood Christmas Tree

How to Make a Driftwood Christmas Tree

How to Make a Driftwood Christmas Tree

Christmas is right around the corner again, so now is the time to try your hand at making a driftwood Christmas Tree.

Driftwood Christmas Tree

Driftwood Christmas Tree

Parts list for Making a Driftwood Christmas Tree:   
•    20-25    Driftwood pieces, various lengths.  (check out our LittleDriftwoodShop.com for driftwood pieces)
•    1    Starfish or other tree topper
•    3    8/32 Threaded rod 3′ long
•    3    8/32 nuts
•    3    8/32 washers
•    3    8/32 lock washers

 

Tools:Driftwood Christmas Tree Parts
•    Power Drill
•    11/64″ brad point drill (The brad point drill has a sharp point on it. It is made for drilling holes in wood without the drill wandering. The 11/64” size is perfect to allow the threaded rod to fit through).
•    1/2″ Forstner bit (use this bit to make a couterbore hole in the base piece so that the nut, lock washer, and washer will not stick out on the bottom of the base).
•    Pliers
•    Hacksaw To cut the threaded rod.
•    File  (This is to clean up the end of the threaded rod after you cut it with the hack 

saw).
•    Scrap wood block (A groove cut into the block will make it easier to hold the driftwood pieces while you drill them).
•    Hot glue gun – For gluing the starfish on to the top piece.

 

Steps for Creating Your Driftwood Christmas Tree:
1.   Choose the two largest pieces for the base of your driftwood Christmas Tree.
If you are lucky, you can use a curved piece to fit over the very bottom piece. I ended up turning a branch so that the base would at least have three points to rest on.  

Driftwood Christmas Tree -06
   2.   Hold the base pieces together exactly the way you will want them to be positioned, and drill through both of them together. When you put them onto the threaded rod, this is how they will be aligned.

Driftwood Christmas Tree Parts
 .
3.     Next, using the Forstner bit, you will want to enlarge the hole on the bottom part of the base just deep enough so that when you screw in the nut it will not stick out and the base will will sit flat.

Driftwood Christmas Tree Parts
 
4.     I also counterbore the hole on the top part of the base to hide the nut.  So, here you see a counterbored hole in both the bottom and top of my base pieces.

Driftwood Christmas Tree Parts5.   Next put the nut, lock washer and washer on the threaded rod – in that order. The washer goes against the wood. The lock washer goes next, then the nut. The lock washer will help keep it from loosening up over time.

Driftwood Christmas Tree Parts 

6.  Insert this  into the top piece of the base and then put the bottom piece on.

Driftwood Christmas Tree Parts

 

Driftwood Christmas Tree

7.    Put on a washer followed by a lock washer and then finally a nut.  Make sure that the hardware does not stick out past the bottom or the tree will not stand up. This is why you want to counterbore a hole.

 

 Driftwood-Christmas-Tree 

Driftwood Christmass Tree 
Tighten the nut at the top until the two pieces are tight and stable. Do not tighten it too much or it could crack the wood.

Driftwood Christmass Tree

8.     Lay out the pieces for the rest of the tree according to length, with the smallest at the top.
 Driftwood Christmass Tree

9.     Hold each branch in place to get an idea of where you want to drill the hole and mark where you want to drill the hole.

 Driftwood Christmass Tree

10.     Hold each piece against a block of scrap wood when you drill the hole. If you make a V shaped groove in the block, it will be easier to hold the pieces still when you drill them.

Driftwood Christmass Tree
 
11.    Then just slide the drilled branch onto the threaded rod.  Don’t secure the pieces as they will need to be removed in order to cut the rod to its final size.  Later you can adjust the pieces for best placement and secure them with a glue gun if you wish.  I didn’t see the need for that.
 Driftwood Christmass Tree

12.     Continue drilling and placing the branches until they are all done.
 

13.     When all the branches are in place, mark the threaded rod with a sharpie at the point where you want to cut the excess. I decided to leave about 3 inches on top to put the starfish.

14.  Remove all the branches and carefully lay them out in the order in which you had them placed on the rod. 

15.  Now cut the threaded rod with a hacksaw. Use a file to clean up the sharp, cut end of the threaded rod in order to be able to thread an 8-32 nut onto the end.

 Driftwood Christmass Tree

16.    Re-assembly the tree.  Here is what it looked like after I cut the threaded rod and put all the branches back on, then a washer, lock washer and nut – in that order.  Tighten the top nut enough to hold the tree together. I was still able to move the branches a little to position them for best placement.

 Driftwood Christmass Tree

17.     Finally, I chose a small, straight piece of driftwood for the top and drilled a hole straight through the middle to be able to insert it over the rod. To drill it, I held the piece against the scrap block with a clamp. This kept my fingers away from the spinning drill bit.

 Driftwood Christmass Tree

I also filed the very top into a point so that it would fit into the starfish better when I glued it.
 Here’s how it looked before I glued the starfish on top:

Driftwood Christmass Tree

 Driftwood Christmass Tree

18.     Position the starfish. Decide just where you want to glue it.   Glue the starfish on to the top with a hot glue gun and hold it in place while it hardens.  Place it on top for a finished tree. 

 

Driftwood Christmas Tree 

Need some Driftwood Christmas Stars for your new Driftwood Christmas Tree? Check out our Tutorial for Creating Driftwood Christmas Stars.  Don’t feel like making your own driftwood Christmas tree – then check out this Driftwood Christmas Tree from Amazon Deco 79 Driftwood Tree, 13 by 21-Inch or this cute driftwood reindeer Deco 79 Wood Deer, 18 by 11-Inch.

Driftwood Bell Jar

Driftwood Christmas Tree Bell Jar Tutorial

Making a Driftwood Christmas Tree Bell Jar

How cute is this Bell Jar setting with a driftwood Christmas tree, stonewall, bench and snowman.  This bell jar has been designed for Christmas but can easily be changed for the seasons or holidays  just by changing the miniature pieces.  Change out the snow for grass and leaves and the snowman for a scarecrow and you have a bell jar for the fall season – or add some spooky gravestones and miniature skeletons and you have a nice little halloween display – all centered around a little driftwood tree.

Driftwood Christmas Tree

Materials Needed:

  • Driftwood pieces for tree.  If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.
  • Piece of styrofoam to support your driftwood tree while building
  • 6″-12″ wood base depending on the size of your tree and bell jar
  • Bell Jar
  • Heat Gun such as HiPur Former Adhesive Applicator or Professional Glue Gun
  • Titebond WW30 or WW60 (for use with HiPur Adhesive Applicator) or Ad-Tech Wood Glue Sticks or All Temperature Wood Stik (look for glue sticks that will hold up in all temperatures)
  • Snow Flakes
  • Granite pebbles for stonewall
  • Miniature pieces such as a sled, snowman, bench, skates, presents, sleigh, reindeer, santa, etc.
  • Drill and bit the size of your tree base
  1.  Start by picking your driftwood pieces for your driftwood Christmas tree.  A good size to aim for is about 8″ tall.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree-1

2.  Pick out four driftwood pieces to be used as support  on your tree – about 1 1/2 – 2″ in length each.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

3.  Glue your driftwood support pieces on all sides of your driftwood tree base about 1/2″ down on the base.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

4.  Now start gluing flat driftwood pieces from the ends of each support to the top of the base.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

5.  Continue all the way around building up the tree.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

6.  Drill a hole in your base piece using a drill bit the size of your tree and glue your tree in place.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

7.  Use pebbles or stones to create a stonewall or create a fence out of driftwood pieces.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

8.  Add your snowflakes and create your miniature scene then cover with your bell jar. 

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

You can add a Christmas ribbon on top or surround the bell jar with Christmas greenery.

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

 

Driftwood-Christmas-Tree

Need a Driftwood Christmas Tree for your new Driftwood Christmas Cloche? Check out our Tutorial for Creating Your Own Driftwood Christmas Tree or check out this Driftwood Christmas Tree from Amazon Deco 79 Driftwood Tree, 13 by 21-Inch or this cute driftwood reindeer Deco 79 Wood Deer, 18 by 11-Inch.

Driftwood Wall Sculpture

Make a Driftwood Wall Sculpture

Make a Driftwood Wall Sculpture

How to Make a Driftwood Wall Sculpture
This Simple Tutorial on how to Make a Driftwood Wall Sculpture will show you how easy it is to create a stunningly beautiful piece of driftwood sculptural art using nothing but weathered driftwood pieces. 

This Driftwood Wall hanging brings all the colors and textures into one striking art piece that can be hung indoors or out and in a variety of room decors from beachy to modern.  It’s perfect for focal point over a mantel.

Supplies Needed:

  • Heat Gun such as HiPur Former Adhesive Applicator by Franklin International or Professional Glue Gun
  • Titebond WW30 or WW60 (for use with HiPur Adhesive Applicator) or Ad-Tech Wood Glue Sticks or All Temperature Wood Stik (look for glue sticks that will hold up in all temperatures)
  • 150-200  Driftwood pieces 6″ – 12″ (I used approx. 175 pieces for my 25 1/2″ round sculpture). If you need driftwood pieces, we have driftwood in stock. 2-6″ pieces or 5-12″ pieces.
  • Paper Template (decide how big you want it and create a template from paper)
  • Round Wood Base 9-12″ (you will need this to be able to hang the sculpture on the wall)
  • Hardware for hanging sculpture
  • Picture hanging wire

 Driftwood Wall Sculpture1.     Start with deciding how big you want your piece and creating a round paper template that will help you keep the shape in check. I also separated my driftwood into 3 different piles – long pieces, shorter pieces and odd curly pieces.  This made it easier to find the right size I needed.

2.     Center the wood circle on the template.  This piece is what you will use as your base to attach your hardware for hanging and to also attach some longer pieces of driftwood to help stabilize the piece.  It can be anywhere from 9″ to 20″ around.

3       Glue longer pieces from the wood circle to the outer edges of the template.  This will help stabilize the piece. Notice that my driftwood pieces extend way past the wood center piece.

Driftwood Wall Sculpture

 4.     Continue to fill in with shorter pieces – lining them up with the bottom edge of the paper template.Driftwood Wall Sculpture

Driftwood Wall Sculpture

5.     For the next layer, I added shorter pieces and filled in sparser areas.  Then took my odd shaped pieces and used them for the middle to create more dimension – turning them so they pointed up and out. Nice curly pieces that add character as well as dimension.

  curlyandstraight

Driftwood Wall Sculpture

  Driftwood Wall Sculpture6.  The final step is to attach the hardware for hanging.

 attaching-hardware

 

Driftwood Wall Sculpture

 

How to Make a Driftwood Pendant Light

A step by step tutorial for creating a driftwood pendant light.  Pendant lights – they’re everywhere in all shapes and sizes and I’ve seen a driftwood pendant light or two, usually very expensive,  so I wanted to create my own and see just how easy or difficult as the case may be to make one.  As it turns out, it’s not that hard although it takes a little practice and the right tools but once you get that down, it’s fairly simple.

Driftwood Pendant Light serves as both lighting and a piece of art.
Driftwood Pendant Light serves as both lighting and a piece of art.

 To start this project you are going to need a good piece of driftwood and while the driftwood pendant light I’m showing here is a triple light, you can get kits for singles or doubles.  You can use a kit if you wish, which is what I used here, this made it a little easier the first time around.  You can buy kits at Home Depot or Lowe’s and they include all the electrical – you just need to have a nice piece of driftwood and choose your light covers from an overwhelming and vast array of beautiful pendant covers.  You are bound to find something to compliment a driftwood pendant light and any decor.  See below for several options as I had a hard time choosing.  Thankfully, they are easy to change out and you can change them with the seasons like you do throw pillows!

If you don’t want to use a kit, it’s also fairly easy to use mason jars or wine bottles as shades and you can purchase threaded base sockets for housing bulbs and attaching your cords; purchase electrical cording and design your own ceiling mount to attach to your driftwood.

For my project, I started with a piece of cypress driftwood I found in the swamps of Florida and had to soak it for about 4 days in the bathtub using the How to Make Your Own Driftwood method and then letting it dry in the sun before I could use it.

Here is a list tools and items you will need for this Driftwood Pendant Light Project:

  • Pendant Light Kit (3 lights)
  • Driftwood
  • Ferrules sized to fit your wire (16)
  • 3/16″ x 3″ Toggle Bolts (2)
  • 3/16″ x 3″ Eye Bolts (2)
  • Screw Eyes (2) Large ( I used #206 size)
  • Wire cut to length (I used heavy duty wire but you may want to try heavy duty picture hanging wire)
  • Spray Paint to best match your driftwood (this will be used to paint your wire and eye bolts)
  • Drill & Bits
  • Ferrule Crimping Tool
  • Light Covers

Driftwood Pendant Light
Heavy duty wire – 6′

Driftwood Weathered Wood Finish
Ferrule & Stop

Driftwood Pendant Light
3/16″ x 3″ Toggle Bolts

Driftwood Pendant Light
3/16″ x 3″ Eye Bolts

Driftwood Pendant Light
#206 Eye Screws

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These instructions are for a purchased pendant light kit.

 1.  The first step is to separate the electrical wires and pull them back through the fixture.

2.  Drill 2 holes on each end of the light mount close to the holes for the electrical cord and just big enough to pass your wire through. If you decide to use heavy duty wire and not picture framing wire – be very careful not to fray your ends as you will have a difficult time passing the ends through the ferrules unless you have a very good wire cutter on hand.

Driftwood Pendant Light
Drill to holes in the light mount for the wire.

2.  Line up the holes in the “light fixture mount” to your driftwood piece and drill holes in the driftwood.  Then pass the electrical cord through starting from the bottom of the driftwood.

Driftwood Pendant Light
Line up the holes for the electrical cords in the light mount with your driftwood piece and drill holes in the driftwood piece.

Driftwood Pendant Light
Pass the electrical cording up through the bottom of the driftwood and then through the lighting mount.

3.  Because the driftwood will require additional support to hold the weight, you will need to place two screw eyes on each end of the driftwood piece.  I placed them as near as possible to the electrical cord so that I could wrap the supporting wire around the electrical cord in order to  camouflage the wire.  I also pre-drilled the holes before screwing in the screw eyes and spray painted them a color as close to the driftwood as possible.

Driftwood Pendant Light
Place two Screw Eyes at each end of the driftwood piece near the holes for the electrical cord.

4.  At this point, your need to attached the supplied metal bracket to the electrical box per the instructions.  Please be sure to turn off the electricity when working with electrical wiring and test for live wires.

Driftwood Pendant Light
Attach metal bracket to electrical box in ceiling.

5.  Using the lighting fixture mount as a guide, mark the ceiling where you’ve drilled the holes in the lighting fixture mount for inserting the wire.  I used an old artist’s paint brush and put colored wax on the tip, then insert the tip through the hole to mark the ceiling where I needed to drill the hole to insert the toggle bolts.  Drill the holes and insert the toggle bolts but use  3″ eye bolts in place of the screws that come with the toggle bolts so you have an eye bolt in the ceiling.  These eye bolts will be covered by the lighting fixture mount so you won’t see them.

Driftwood Pendant Light
Drill holes in ceiling; insert toggle bolts and use 3″ eye bolts instead of 3″ screws supplied with toggles.

7.  There are different ways to support the weight of the driftwood.  I used wire which was extremely difficult to cut and this made it impossible to get a clean edge to insert into the ferrule once the ends began to fray.  I even went back to Home Depot and asked for a tool to cut the wire and they tried several and they had no tool that would cut the wire so the next time I will use something else like maybe picture hanging wire which I find easier to cut and much more pliable.

You may need two or three people to help you as you attach all the electrical wires and support wires.

8.  Tentatively attach a length of wire onto each eye bolt in the ceiling and measure out the height of your fixture adjusting the electrical cord and support wires accordingly.  When you have figured out the height you want, secure at the top only, by threading the wire first through two ferrules then through the eye bolt loop, loop the wire through the eye bolt a second time and then back through the ferrules  before pinching closed with a good ferrule crimping tool.  At this point, you’ve only attached the wire to the ceiling eye bolts and they’re still not attached to the eye screws on the driftwood piece.

9.  If you haven’t done so already, thread the wire down through the holes in the light fixture mount before attaching the light fixture mount to the metal bracket using the two long screws provided.

Driftwood Pendant Light

10.  Wrap the wire slowly  around the electrical cord as you bring it down to the screw eye in the driftwood then pass two ferrules through the wire, pass it through the screw eye twice and then up through the ferrule stops before securing with a ferrule crimping tool.  Cut or hide any excess.

 

Driftwood Pendant Light
Add 2 ferrules to your wire and loop through the screw eye on the driftwood twice, then back up through the ferrules and secure with a ferrule crimper.

12.  Now let it hang and make any needed adjustments.

The hard part is choosing your shades.

Driftwood Pendant Light

 

Driftwood Weathered Wood Finish

Driftwood Pendant Light