💠 MACRAME 101 - How to Prepare Driftwood

MACRAME 101 - How to Prepare Driftwood
This is how to properly clean and disinfect your driftwood to prepare it for your macrame textile art.
💙 Please follow safety precautions
💙 Take care to properly dispose chemicals according to your municipality.
SUPPLIES
- Driftwood
- Sand paper
- Bleach
- Large bucket
- Spray paint
- Rubber gloves
- Work gloves
- Safety glasses
- Dust mask
- Drop cloth
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💙 MACRAME EASY ROSE TUTORIAL: • Macrame Easy Rose Knot...
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#SimplyInspired #Macrame #Driftwood

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 Do you think all this prep is necessary? Let me know I’m curious what your thoughts are. Also here’s an easy tutorial using Driftwood: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmnZm5x8ablkgNE

[@urbancitrus6869]

This DIY is so useful!!

[@guydwelly]

Great video and your boy did a fantastic job! Thanks

[@maistorbata]

Thank you you are the best !

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

maistorbata aww thank you ☺️ I’m glad you found it useful 💙

[@itspossibleonline7167]

great art!

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

It's Possible Online thank you! ☺️💙

[@bilomagic]

good info great channel stay cool

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

lyfelinejim aww 🥰 why thank you 💙

[@troydanielboy]

If you're interested in a water-based clear coat, there is one I used on wood and even after a decade or longer (inside the house) it's still looks great. Polycrylic. It brushes on or you can use a paint sprayer if you have one. Just an FYI as an alternative.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 Oh I’ll have to look into that, thank you for the suggestion ☺️

[@PrincessePeiPei]

Thanks for sharing! I didn’t think about prepping the woods... now it’s too late, my macrame is already hanging 😅 but i will do a few of your recommendations next time.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

PrincessePeiPei 💙 oh that’s totally not a problem. I’ve done many without prepping the wood. It does help with the longevity of your art and makes it easier to dust and clean though ☺️

[@redhairedsalvien]

@@SimplyInspiredbySheena Great video, thank you! Can you tell us how long would the art last if we haven't done a prep on the wood?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

redhairedsalvien hey 👋🏻 it really all depends on the type of wood and if fungus sores have been introduced to the wood prior. I’ve had one break on me from rot in just 6 months!! (Which is extreme) However I have several untreated branches, sticks, and driftwood that’s being stored in the outside shed that’s no where near breaking down! It all varies and bleaching isn’t 100% necessary. It just adds to the longevity of the wood.

[@karinbever2336]

Thanks for sharing. I wrapped my driftwood with plastic bag for a week to stop any oxygen supply ( if there's any insects) now I put them in a bath with water and bleach as you suggested. Will it kill for sure any insects? It's my biggest 😨 especially when it's going to be hung above my bed. Thanks

[@DTubridy7]

"Bugs and bacteria" - so obvious and I hadn't thought about that at all! (I promise im not being nasty)Thank you! 🤩 I want to clean and bleach a ½ft x ½ft thick and 5ft long - partly rotted one end, 400 year old English oak beam. Will this work?

[@ysmargonzalez5667]

Thanks for the video! If I don’t want to do the bleach part, it’s just clean and spray paint? Can I use polyurethane water-based for interiors? Thanks

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 Thanks! Yes you can definitely use a water based poly just note that if you have a very splintery piece of wood it tends to lift the fibres up a bit. If it’s a hard smooth wood you are using you shouldn’t run into any problems As for the bleach...it’s not 100% necessary. The purpose of the bleach is to kill any fungi that might be living on or inside the wood. Killing it with bleach adds to the longevity of the wood. However not all wood requires the additional help. Most of the time I just use the raw branch for my art unless it’s a high end commission piece Hope that helps 💙

[@dancagle2533]

Unique driftwood prep video. Bleaching in a bathtub can clean large pieces. The matte clear finish did not alter the wood. I am just starting crafting with driftwood. I've been pulling all kinds of large and small driftwood out of the lake I live by. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. I did make some macramé hanging baskets (for plants) over 30 years ago. I will watch more of your videos.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

Dan Cagle 💙 I’m so happy you enjoyed the video. There’s TONS of cool things you can create out of driftwood! I’m partial to macrame but I’ve seen someone frame some branches which was a cool effect. It was almost like a living photograph of trees...beautiful!

[@dancagle2533]

I've bleached some driftwood with good and bad results. Some of the darker resinous pieces lost their beautiful color. I'm a bit concerned about bleach also. Today I pressure washed several pieces with my electric washer with good results.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

Dan Cagle yes unfortunately you kind of have to experiment with the amount of bleach to figure out your sweet spot as well as how long to soak it for. Mine changed ever so slightly as well. 💙

[@dancagle2533]

On some pieces I definitely prefer the color. Is your driftwood for your own use? I've heard driftwood has a good market.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

Dan Cagle 💙 kinda for both! I create lots of textile art for myself, for KZbin, and for clients 🙂

[@ayymarie528]

Thanks for the video! I live in an apartment with no way of letting sticks outside to dry. Can I dry the sticks in my living room near a window for a week? (On top of a plastic dropcloth of course) I live in Pittsburgh and we get rain most days - the upcoming forecast says rain for the next 2 weeks. Since it’ll be indoors should I wait for a week when the sun is supposed to come out? I want my sticks to have a really bleached look - so if the sun is 100% necessary in achieving that I’ll probably wait it out.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

Ayy Marie 💙 hello! Yes it can definitely dry inside but use caution. Bleach can leach into fibres even when it appears dry. Also it will take much longer to dry inside, sometimes MONTHS depending on the wood. To speed it up you can use a small space heater or fan. If you want your pieces to be lighter in colour add more bleach and soaking time. Hope that was helpful 💙

[@ayymarie528]

Simply Inspired thank you so much! I’ll probably do that then!

[@peachiepeachie]

Recommend using bleach tablets instead of u don’t naturally keep bleach on hand..which I don’t. Perfect tutorial for what I was looking for. Thx!

[@garamiz]

What is the spray you are using? Is it wood oil spray?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

Zoltan Garami 💙 hello, it’s actually a clear coat matte finishing spray. You certainly could use an oil but for my purposes (I’m a textile artist) I needed to seal it so bleach doesn’t leach out over time.

[@pac7704]

Thank you!! Can the wood be stained or painted before you spray it?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 Hello 👋🏻 Yes you can totally paint or stain it, that’s a fantastic way to change it up and depending on what you use, you might not need to clear coat it ☺️

[@pac7704]

@@SimplyInspiredbySheena also, where did you get those large pieces of driftwood? Thanks!!

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

@@pac7704 💙 I’m lucky enough to have very close access to rivers, lakes, forests, and the ocean. The best pieces of wood are the well aged ones that are free from rot and fungus. Happy scavenging and stay safe from wildlife 💙 * if you are hiking far be sure to tell several people the location you plan to explore and if possible share your GPS location. Bring a pack and preferably don’t hike alone

[@stevenmccarron-talesfromli4831]

Does this also make your art fireproof by adding the spray paint? Thanks in advance.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 Hello Steven! No I don’t suspect that it would be fireproof. The clear matte coat helps seal any crevices which helps keep bugs out. It also helps with the longevity of the wood, and because we bleached it a little; it helps prevent the bleach from slowly leaching out and altering the colour of your rope (if you plan on creating rope art on it)

[@stevenmccarron-talesfromli4831]

Simply Inspired Thankyou for your quick and concise response

[@tokazhu6919]

any idea whether this product would be aquarium safe?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 No, bleach really seeps into the wood and the matte coat is also toxic to any aquatic plants and animals. This tutorial is meant for art pieces 💕

[@staciejean]

Just wondering if you felt that spray paint made your wood more warm in shade? I'm just using dead tree branches and not wood that has already been bleached by the sun. I don't want to do all this prep work to get a nice neutral ashy colored wood and then coat it with something that makes it yellow or warm in tone...any suggestions?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 mine did not change the tone but it brought out the colour a little more. I think it will vary depending on products used and even the wood. My suggestion would be to test it out on a scrap piece of wood that’s similar in colour to what you are using that you won’t feel a loss if it does alter the warmth

[@staciejean]

@Simply Inspired thank you for the reply and suggestion!

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

@@staciejean 💙 No problem! Let me know how it goes and good luck 😊

[@stefk.1006]

Do you use cold or hot water?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 I usually start off with warm water not too hot. And do not mix with any other chemicals or cleaners to avoid any potentially dangerous toxic fumes

[@ketkimali]

from where to Buy this bleach? Chemist /hardware store ?

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 Anywhere that sells household cleaning supplies. I purchased mine at my local grocery store in their cleaning aisle

[@barbra429]

I'm just starting to learn how to macrame and I went and bought some supplies. I haven't figured out how to hang the dowel or stick. Do I have to buy some type of hook and make holes in my wall, I'm hoping to avoid this. I'd appreciate suggestions please.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

Barbra 💙 Hello Barbra! Welcome to macrame! it’s a very rewarding art. To answer your question, no! You definitely don’t have to make any holes to hang your project while working on it. I buy really inexpensive rolling racks from Walmart ($10 Canadian) and S-hooks from the dollar store. All of this can be broken down and stored out of the way which is a bonus! Take a peek at my newest video (Skull tutorial kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXnTf6OdnLOVrZo ), you can see what I use right near the beginning after my intro. 💙 Hope that helps

[@bostonw2986]

I put the ends of my dowel on hangars and bought a cheap Garment Rack to hang them from at Walmart. Sometimes I tape my dowel to the hangar. Seems to work.

[@marcellustone]

I don't have any kids and pets in the house, instead I have a lot of deamons in the house, any suggestions? 😆 For real, I thank you so much

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 I suggest avoiding black cats, broken mirrors, and haphazardly walking under ladders

[@christinetuttle8975]

OMG, I have driftwood all over my house from the river behind my house - never occurred to me there ere bugs in, yikes!

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 haha sorry for that disturbing realization 😆 I’m sure if there are bugs in it you would have noticed the extra house tenants by now lol Most of the time it’s fine, this tutorial is just meant to be helpful if you choose to protect and treat your wood 😊

[@edgarc3819]

I do not put my driftwood in clorox unless I want to change the color of the wood. To get rid of any micro bugs, I simply use a large plastic bag, spray the inside with a bug killer. Seal the bag and leave it for 24 hours. This gets rid of any bugs.

[@SimplyInspiredbySheena]

💙 very true bleach does tend to lighten the wood. The amount I use and the duration it soaks for however is very minimal and it kills any pests that may live inside it. I do caution you on using bug repellent. It will leech into the wood just like bleach does and both are harmful. Make sure you use a sealant spray on the wood afterwards otherwise the owner of the beautiful artwork will be inhaling the chemicals (both the bleach and the repellent) *and this should go without saying but for anyone else who reads this….DO NOT MIX bleach with anything but water. It’s very very very dangerous. Be sure to read all the warning labels on any chemical products you use*