Painting and Distressing Wood Furniture

Place a dropcloth in the area you plan to be working to protect floors and other surfaces.

Sand the entire piece of wooden furniture lightly using 100-grit sandpaper. Not only does this help the paint stick, it also helps the furniture look more worn and distressed. Do not rub hard enough to remove any charming dings or dents; instead only sand the surface of the wood furniture enough to allow the paint to adhere to the furniture.

Wipe the sawdust off the furniture with a soft cloth.

Dip a new soft cloth in your paint.

Rub the paint onto the piece of furniture using the soft cloth. Rub in a circular pattern to distribute the paint, but don’t worry about adding the paint evenly. The more unevenly the paint is applied, the more distressed and worn the furniture will look. Apply paint heavily in some spots and less in others.

Rub paint all over the piece of furniture and then allow it to dry.

Tap the piece of wood furniture lightly with a mallet to give it a series of dings and dents. Pay special attention to the legs and feet of the furniture as well as its top-most surface.

Scrape the edges of the wood furniture with a steel scraper. You can also use a steel scraper to knock off the sharp corners of the furniture. This gives the furniture a used look.