Distressed Painting Techniques Using Stain

Wear Lines

• It's easy to create wear lines on a painted piece of wood with coarse sandpaper, a rag and some stain. Scuff up the wood with sandpaper in the direction of the wood grain. Also, use the sandpaper to take portions of the paint off corners and raised molding. Then, dip a clean, soft rag in the stain, and wipe it across the painted wood to leave the stain color in the stuffed areas.

Pockmarks

• Pockmarks are small indents or holes in the wood. These marks are used to simulate the nicks and marks that come with wear and tear on a heavily used piece of furniture. Create marks on your piece by striking it with a heavy metal chain. Then, make small holes by striking the piece with a scratch awl. Finish with a clean, soft rag dipped in the stain by wiping it across the painted wood to leave stain in the marks.

Crackle Finish

• Apply a crackle paint finish to your favorite furniture or accessories according to the manufacturer's instructions. The application should leave numerous small cracks throughout the paint treatment. Next, add an extra step to the process by running a stain-soaked rag across the crackle finish. Follow with a clean, dry rag to remove excess stain from the surface. This will leave additional dark stain lines in the cracks for a more drastic crackle finish style.

Aged Patina

• Part of distressing a painted piece of wood is to give it an overall look of being very old. Mimic the aging process by toning down the color of paint on your wood with a wiped-on layer of dark brown stain over the entire piece. Take special care to get the stain in the corners and crevices of the item. If your first treatment doesn't render an aged patina look, apply another light coat to finish the piece. You can also use the stain under a paint coat for an aged look.