How to Make a Wood Graining Rocker

Rocking chairs come in many styles and sizes. Some are simply made of wood, while others are upholstered with comfortable fabrics. If you've found the perfect rocking chair at a yard sale in the wrong color or the wood is just plain ugly, with a little paint and hard work you can change it to look like rich mahogany.

Sandpaper
Cloth rags
Primer
Brushes, standard and soft bristled
Rusty brown eggshell paint
Whiting
Mid-brown glaze
Dark-brown glaze
Mottler
Fine steel comb
Clear gloss urethane
Darker glaze

Instructions

- 1
  Sand the entire rocker and wipe off the dust with a cloth rag. It is not necessary to remove all the paint or stain that is on it. However, the surface should still be rough up enough to be able to accept new paint and glaze.
- 2
  Prime the rocker with one or two coats of primer. Completely cover the rocker with the primer and let it dry.
- 3
  Apply two coats of rusty brown eggshell paint to the rocker. Allow this base color to dry completely before moving on.
- 4
  Use a clean, damp rag to wipe a thin coat of whiting over the surface.
- 5
  
  Rockers vary in size and design.
  
  Mix the mid-brown glaze according to the manufacturer’s instructions and use a standard brush to apply it to the largest part of your rocking chair . This will most likely be the seat and/or back. You need to work in sections to be able to create the graining before the glaze gets tacky.
- 6
  
  Try to mimic the graining lines you might find in a piece of mahogany
  
  Drag a small mottler through the glaze and make a W pattern. Comb over the dragged out glaze two or three more times following the W shape. Doing this breaks up the glaze making pores in the wood, making your chair look likes it's real mahogany. Create each arc in one fluid motion.
- 7
  Use the soft bristle brush to soften the effect. Start at the center and gently sweep your brush outward. If any glaze builds up on the brush, wipe it off with a clean rag.
- 8
  Use the smaller brush and use the dark glaze to paint streaks withing the W shapes following the grain lines you combed. Dry brush through these streaks to break up the color.
- 9
  Retrace all your grain lines with the fine steel comb to create very fine lines making your faux mahogany look more realistic.
- 10
  Repeat the above steps on all the large areas of the rocker like the back, head rest, arm rests, etc.
- 11
  Apply more mid-brown glaze to the smaller areas of the rocker. While these areas are still wet, drag the mottler over them to create bands of graining. Paint a few streaks of darker glaze where you dragged the mottler and soften these graining lines with the soft bristle brush as you did before and let dry.
- 12
  Apply one coat of clear gloss urethane to all areas of the rocker and let this top coat dry for 24 hours.
- 13
  Wipe another coat of whiting over the entire chair.
- 14
  Work as you did before in sections and brush the darker glaze on with a standard brush. Then, use the mottler in the same pattern as you did on the first coat.
- 15
  Use the soft bristle brush, in an up and then down tapping motion to remove some of the glaze. Wipe the bristles with a rag often to remove the glaze build up. Do this over the entire chair, being sure to work in the direction of the grain. Drag the fine steel comb over your graining lines again to complete the effect.
- 16
  Allow it to dry completely and then apply a coat of urethane. Let it dry again before use.

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