How to Distress a Chest of Drawers

Place your chest of drawers onto a drop cloth in a well-ventilated area.

Use a screwdriver to remove any hardware from the drawers.

Sand the entire chest of drawers smooth to remove any previous finish. Wipe away the dust with a clean tack cloth.

Hold a chain in your hand and hit the chest of drawers to dent the furniture in random areas.

Hammer nails into the chest of drawers to simulate worm holes. Remove the nails.

Pour a mix of 50 percent of one color of acrylic paint and 50 percent water into a container, mix with a stir stick. The first coat of paint should be the darker of the two colors. Some good colors are blue and tan, ivory and brown, and green and cream.

Use a rag to apply the paint mixture to the chest of drawers in an even coat. Let the paint dry completely.

Sand the chest of drawers in areas that would typically show the most wear. This includes the top, edges and legs. Wipe away the dust with a clean tack cloth.

Mix the lighter color paint with 50 percent paint and 50 percent water in a clean container.

Apply the lighter paint mixture to the chest of drawers in an even coat with a clean rag. Allow the paint to dry completely. Sand the chest of drawers again in the areas you want to reveal more of the base coat or wood grain. Wipe away the dust with a clean tack cloth.

Spray the chest of drawers with a coat of polyurethane sealer to protect the finish.