How to Age & Distress New Wood

How to Age and Distress New Wood

• 1

  Rub sandpaper on the new wood. You want to remove any paint along the sides of the object. Go with the grain. For example, on the arms of a chair, concentrate on the areas where your arms rest.

• 2

  Use a wood file. Concentrate on the areas you sanded. You want to file down the areas until they appear smooth and curved. File in the direction of the wood grain.

• 3

  Hit the new wood. Use a mallet and gently dent certain areas. For example, use a mallet on the arms of the chair. If you are distressing a table or cabinet with legs, use a hammer to knock some of the chips of the feet.

• 4

  Make holes in the new wood. With a hand drill, place four to five tiny holes into the wood. You want to place the holes in one area. The wood cluster should simulate woodworm.

• 5

  Apply scratch marks to the wood. To achieve scratch marks, rub a wire brush along different areas of the piece. For instance, if you̵7;re aging a chair, place scratch marks along the back of the chair.

Using Paint

• 6

  Apply paint. Use a paintbrush to coat the wood, going with the wood grain. The paint shows the areas you̵7;ve distressed. Let dry for approximately 24 hours.

• 7

  Place paste wax on the new wood. Spread the paste wax evenly over the surface areas. If you̵7;re not antiquing the entire area, only use paste wax on the areas you̵7;ve distressed. Allow the paste wax to dry for one hour.

• 8

  Use wood glaze over the paste wax. The glaze acts as the main color of the new wood. Let dry for 24 hours.

• 9

  Finish aging and distressing. Lightly sand the areas you want to age. You want to go in the direction of the grain. Also, coat the entire wood piece with a protective sealant.