How to Distress Wood With Paint and Stain

Wash the furniture piece to remove any dirt or dust that can interfere with paint. Let dry.

Wear protective gear. Use protective eye glasses to shield your eyes from wooden dust. Wear a paint mask and rubber gloves.

Distress the wood as much as you desire. Use a hammer to knock dents in the wooden surface. Drag nails and drill bits along the surface to create scratches and small nicks. Twist a chisel to mar the grain of the wood. Bang a padlock on the surface for odd shaped dings. Focus on places that get the most wear and tear such as the edges, knobs, handles, chair rungs, corners and legs.

Rub generous amounts of petroleum jelly into the areas that you want to look distressed. The petroleum jelly will prevent the paint from sticking to the surface.

Apply a coat of latex paint with a paint brush. Let dry as recommended by the manufacturer. This coat is the actual color that will be showing through when you are finished distressing the wood.

Apply two coat of latex paint in a contrasting color. Let the coat of paint dry in between applications.

Rub the paint off with steel wool or 150 grit sandpaper in the areas that you distressed with the tools. Continue to remove the paint on other areas of the piece as you desire. Use a dry cloth to dust off the sanding debris.

Dip a clean rag or sponge brush into a dark wood stain. Apply the stain to the distressed areas. Gently remove the stain immediately to achieve the look of old dark wood. The stain that remains on the surface will emphasize the distressed surface of the wood. Let the stain dry. Add more coats of stain if you like.

Protect your distressed wooden piece with a coat of polyurethane finish. Let dry.