Distressing Your Wooden Furniture

Gilz

Create the distressed look on almost any wooden piece using this technique.

Choose a wooden bench or piece of furniture that's the right size and style for your room, then select two paint colours, one for the top coat and another for the base, which will peek through from underneath.

What You Will Need:

•    Wooden bench or piece of wooden furniture
•    2 or 3 paint colours
•    Primer
•    Sandpaper
•    Tack cloth
•    Wax
•    Paintbrush
•    Drop cloth
•    Polyurethane

Instructions:

1.    Select a piece of painted or unfinished wood furniture. If it's unfinished, sand and prime, then paint the base colour. If it's painted, wipe with a tack cloth and paint the base colour. Or, prime again and paint the base colour. Let it dry. Rub wax over the base coat, going with the grain. For an authentic look, concentrate on edges and areas of natural wear.

2.    Place the piece on a drop cloth. Sand with medium-grade sandpaper until you achieve the distressed effect. If you wish, repeat waxing, painting, and sanding for a third colour. Wipe bench with tack cloth, and seal with two coats of polyurethane.

3.    Place the piece on a drop cloth. Sand with medium-grade sandpaper until you achieve the distressed effect. If you wish, repeat waxing, painting, and sanding for a third colour. Wipe bench with tack cloth, and seal with two coats of polyurethane.