How to Distress a Table Top

Move the table outdoors on a still day, if possible. If not, make sure you ventilate the room well and use throw sheets to protect the floor and nearby furniture.

Wear the protective mask. Sand the table top lightly with medium-grade sandpaper. Use an electric sander, if you have one. Just remove the top layer of the existing finish in order to provide a key for the paint. Wipe off dust with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits.

Apply base coat to the table. The base coat can be any color but make sure it is one you like, as you will be able to see it when you rub back the top coat. Allow to dry completely. Once dry, take the white candle and rub it over the table randomly, sideways down. Make sure you rub it near the edges of the table.

Apply the top coat and allow to dry overnight. With medium-grade sandpaper, gently rub the table surface. Where the candle was applied the paint should flake off easily, leaving the base coat showing. Sand the edges of the table where natural wear would occur. If you accidentally expose bare wood, then that's fine; it will add to the aged effect. Finish off with a light sanding using fine grade sandpaper. Wipe with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits.

You can leave the table as it is or you can protect the finish with one or two coats of varnish. Select the varnish according to the paint you used; water-based varnish for latex, or polyurethane for oil-based paint.

Rub a little gold wax around the edges of the tabletop with a cloth if you want to create a French country look. This works well with pale colors such as ivory, cream, light blue or green.