Antiquing a Dresser

Use a chain to create dents and pressure spots on the dresser. Visit an antique shop to see how real antique furniture is usually covered with dings, dents and scratches. Hit the dresser in various spots all over the surface with the chain to create the random dings; for an authentic look, they should not be even. Force should be used carefully; you don't want to inflict serious structural cracks to the dresser.

Rub a candle on areas of the dresser that would have been handled the most to mimic the wear and tear that ocurrs over the years in a real antique. Rub the candle on all the edges of the dresser liberally. If you do not have a candle, you can purchase paste wax at your local craft shop. Use a small paint brush to generously apply the paste wax in areas of high wear and tear.

Paint the dresser black as a base coat. This will help create an antiquated look. Once the black paint has comletely dried, apply two coats of cream paint. If the black base still shows through the cream paint, apply another layer. Allow the layers to completely dry overnight.

Use sandpaper to rub the surface of the dresser and remove part of the top layer of paint. Make sure to do this in random areas, not in an evenly spaced pattern. Select areas that would naturlaly have been worn with the passing of years.

Add random strokes of black paint in areas across the surface of the dresser, being careful not to create perfect lines. These strokes will represent stains that would have occured with age.