How to Make Distressed Looking Furniture

Choose a work area that is well ventilated and roomy enough for you to move around the piece of furniture comfortably. Lay down a plastic tarp or several pages of newspaper under the furniture to catch paint spills and drips.

Use a piece of fine-grit sandpaper or a power sander to sand the furniture in the direction of the grain. Sanding will give the furniture an even, smooth finish by removing any dirt or old paint. Remove the dust after sanding with a tack cloth.

Use your paintbrush to apply a coat of a latex flat paint to your furniture. Apply paint in the direction of the grain. Keep in mind that the paint color will be visible after you start distressing. Allow 24 hours for the paint to completely dry.

Make use of an old rag to apply paste wax to the furniture. If you are distressing the entire piece of furniture, apply a thin, even layer over the entire surface; otherwise, only apply it in the places you plan to distress. Wait one hour for the wax to dry. The wax will make it easier to remove the top layer of paint.

Apply a layer of wood glaze with your paintbrush over the entire piece of furniture. Choose a wood glaze color that matches your room decor since it will be the primary color of the furniture. Let the glaze dry overnight, but finish distressing within 24 hours.

Use the sandpaper to lightly sand areas of the furniture where you applied the paste wax. This will remove the top glaze and reveal the first layer of paint. Use the tack cloth to clean the surface after sanding.

Utilize several hand tools and items to finish creating your distressed look. An ice pick will create holes resembling wormholes. A rubber mallet will make large dents in the wood, or a metal chain can be used to hit the furniture to make smaller dents or remove chips of paint. Use a wire brush to create scratch marks.