How to Distress a Spray-Painted Chair

Use sandpaper to rub off parts of the paint on your chair. If the chair is wood, work in the direction of the wood's grain. If you have just one coat of spray paint, sanding the paint will expose the wood or metal beneath. Another option for wood chairs is to apply paste wax over the first coat of paint and let it dry for one hour. Add a second coat of paint in a new color, wait for the paint to dry and then sand over the areas where you put wax. The first coat of paint will show through.

Hit the chair with a mallet to create dents, making the chair look like it's been though some wear and tear. Take care when you hit the chair -- you want to add character to the piece, not break it. Use a hammer on metal furniture to create more precise marks.

Scrub the chair with a wire brush to rub off streaks of paint. Steel wool can also be used to create marks and scratches in the paint.

Fill a sock with nuts and bolts -- or rocks -- and swing it at the chair. This will create more dents, smaller than those made from the mallet. Use the sock to create dents along the back of the chair or the seat, where there is a larger landing surface for the sock; making contact with a thin chair leg may be possible but requires more precision.