How to Fix Scratches & Chips on Wooden Furniture

Scratches and chips on your wooden furniture are inevitable. Television remotes, keys, drinking glasses, pens and other household items scratch and scuff your furniture, but you aren't powerless to repair the damage after it's done. With simple household items -- even items from your kitchen or yard -- you can fix the scratches and chips on your furniture and make it look almost as good as new. While the scratches might still be there, minimizing and obscuring them make them less of an eyesore on your otherwise immaculate furnishings.

Walnut
Felt-tipped marker and/or wood stain marker
Nail polish
Sandpaper
Black tea bag
Hot water
Wood stain
Clean rags

Instructions

- 1
  Crack open a walnut to expose the "meat" inside. Rub the meat into a scratch, then lightly buff it with a soft rag -- the color bleeds into the scratched wood to stain it and make it less noticeable.
- 2
  Color in slight scratches with a felt-tipped marker. If you don't have the right shade, you can purchase different colors of wood stain markers from a hardware store -- they are designed for this purpose.
- 3
  Fill in shallow chips and dings with clear nail polish -- just a few drops do the trick. After it dries, sand it with 600-grit sandpaper to make it flush with the rest of the table.
- 4
  Steep a bag of black tea in hot water. The longer you steep, the darker the water. When it reaches a shade comparable to that of your wood, dip a cotton swab into the solution and use it to stain scratches and gouges in the wood.
- 5
  Stain wide gouges and chips with wood stain that matches your original finish.

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