Distressed Furniture DIY – 8 Easy Ways That Work

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YOU HAVE TO SEE THESE EIGHT EASY DISTRESSED FURNITURE DIY METHODS TO GIVE YOUR FURNITURE PIECES A NATURAL AGED LOOK!

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Distressed Furniture DIY (8 Ways)

Distressing furniture is one of my favorite things to do. It feels therapeutic to me to completely transform an old piece and give it new life.

While the farmhouse-style craze has settled down since Fixer Upper was on HGTV, a good old piece of weathered furniture with chipped paint will still stop me in my tracks every time.

I think the trend got out of hand because so many people were doing the distressed look. We all started to go a little overboard and it became too much.

So today I want to share different distressing techniques. All of these methods are a little more elegant and when done with a light hand, will result in a more naturally aged look. Which one you choose really depends on what you’re starting with and which method you’re most comfortable with.

The Chalk Paint Method

Chalk paint was big during the farmhouse craze – for good reason. It’s a great way to get a distressed look on furniture. It’s SO easy to work with and it’s practically mistake-proof. I used it then and I still use it now. And I still like the paint color selections available from Annie Sloan chalk paints.

I call this paint mistake-proof because after the base coat, and each additional coat of paint, you can do a light sanding with a sanding block. This helps remove accidental drip marks or brush marks resulting in a smooth finish.

Because it sands off easily, it doesn’t require a palm sander or much elbow grease.

To get the distressed look with chalk paint is simple. After your paint has dried, sand off the areas where you want your piece to look distressed. Sanding around the edges of a piece will give you the most natural look.

Chalk paint does require a good sealer afterward or it will continue to chip. The clear wax from Annie Sloan works very well as a sealer. Just be sure to apply it with a lint-free cloth or you’ll end up with small debris in the wax which is a total pain.

I’ve used this method on my round dining table, several side tables, nightstands, and more. They’ve all held up to everyday use.

A similar option to chalk paint is milk paint. While I’ve used that a few times, I always go back to chalk paint. Milk paint comes in powder form that needs to be mixed with water and I always have trouble getting the right consistency.

Also to note, when I use chalk paint I will pour it into a paint cup and add a tiny bit of water to that as well. That helps prevent it from being too chalky or drying out too fast.

When I painted my kitchen cabinets, I also used chalk paint. Those have held up ok, but with the amount of use cabinets get there has been chipping. I’ve had to touch up the paint about once a year.

If I were to paint cabinets again, I would probably choose something more durable and seal it with my favorite top coat, Fusion paint sealer.

Distress Furniture With The Vaseline Trick

One of the easiest ways I’ve found to get the aged look is with Vaseline. It requires very little prep work.

It sounds crazy but this works! If you don’t like the work or mess of sanding, this one is for you.

I first tried this method on a small vintage side table. It had a perfect patina but was badly damaged in some areas. I used Vaseline to cover the patina’d areas so I could fill and paint the rest. Not only was it easy, I was very happy with the result.

This is a good one to try if you like the color of the wood or paint you’re starting with but the piece has damage or staining.

Distressing furniture using Vaseline is easy! First, simply apply the vaseline to any areas of the piece where you don’t want the paint to adhere. Next, paint over the whole piece. When the paint dries, wipe off any area where you applied Vaseline. I use paper towels for that part. The paint will come right off showing the finish underneath.

Using spray paint or a paint sprayer is best with this method so you don’t get Vaseline in your brush. However, I have also used this technique with a paintbrush and it still works. Just be aware and try to wipe off any Vaseline that gets on the brush so it doesn’t get into your paint can.

The Vaseline trick is a great method for showing layers of paint if that’s the look you’re going for.

Additionally, I’ve heard you can do a similar method with candle wax but the vaseline seems easier in my opinion.

How To Sand Furniture For A Distressed Look

Sanding down your furniture for a naturally worn look is another easy distressing method. This one may take a little more elbow grease.

That being said, I often will sand wood furniture down to bare wood for the most natural look. How much you sand and where is up to you.

For a natural look, you always want to sand around the edges of a piece. Also around knobs or handles and the feet or base of the piece.

You can use a sanding sponge, sandpaper, or even a palm sander depending on how much paint you need to remove. Additionally, you could start with a paint stripper and steel wool before going right to sanding.

Age Furniture With Brown Paint

Another easy way to get a distressed look is with paint. The photo above from Megan Miller is a great example of this. You can see how she did it on her Instagram page.

To get a similar finish, use a few different shades of brown paint and apply it using paper towels to the areas that would normally get the most wear, such as around the knobs. She also used the bristles of a hand broom to paint on streaks (this part was brilliant). Lastly, you could use a small brush or Q-tip to add brown paint around the edges.

Another smart move on her part was to mix some of the blue/gray paint she used to paint this piece with brown paint to tone it down for a muted look.

Make Furniture Look Old With Dry Brushing

Using the dry brushing technique has its advantages. You won’t need much paint or many tools other than a paintbrush.

For my side table above, I first brought it down to raw wood with sanding. Then I used the dry brushing method with wood stain rather than paint but the technique is the same.

To dry brush a piece of furniture dip your paintbrush into paint and then paint it onto a piece of cardboard until hardly any paint is left on the brush. Then use what’s left to paint your piece. This way, you won’t get full coverage, which is what you want on a distressed piece.

Distress Furniture DIY With The Wet Distressing Method

The wet distressed method is a DIY project I haven’t tried myself. When I first heard of it I imagined using a garden hose to spray the furniture down but it’s actually a simple concept.

In the project above, they went for a heavily distressed look but you can control how much or how little paint to take off. Assuming you get it off before it fully dries.

The wet distressing process is similar to the Vaseline method.

First, paint your piece. While the paint is drying, use a squirt bottle to wet a lint-free cloth or a paper towel. Now wipe some of the paint off. Once you get the look you like, seal it with your top coat.

I am interested in trying this one myself. The next time I find something small and inexpensive at the thrift store, I’m going to experiment.

Apply Antique Wax For A Distressed Look

Another easy way to distress a piece is with dark wax, which also acts as a sealer.

This is a good option if you are going for an antique look. It’s also good if you have an entire piece of furniture you’d like to look weathered but don’t want to break your back sanding.

To distress with dark wax, simply apply the wax to your piece as per the directions. I prefer Annie Sloan wax because it holds up well but you may be able to find something similar for less money.

My tip for using the dark wax is to apply it VERY lightly and wear gloves. You can always add more if needed but it’s easier to work your way up because the wax isn’t easy to remove.

Forcing Paint To Chip

Lastly, if you have a piece that’s already painted you could try a paint scraper to remove some of the existing finish and get that chipped look.

Once you have the look you like, I’d recommend sealing it. Otherwise, it will continue chipping and create a mess. My favorite clear coat is Fusion tough coat in matte. It’s not glossy and you can’t tell that it’s sealed, leaving a natural look.

Printable cheat sheet for distressing furniture

As you can see, there are lots of different techniques you can use to distress and antique furniture!

To make it quick and easy, I put together a shortened, printable “cheat sheet” showing all the different methods. You can access it HERE or below to print it or save it.

I hope that helps! Have you tried these or any other methods for distressing furniture?

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