I've been noticing that distressed wood is making a comeback! Flip through any cottage style magazine or browse through Etsy Housewares and you will find lots of decorating pieces that have been deliberately weathered. There is an antique and charming quality to them that is quite wonderful.
I realized that I was in love with this rustic look, and being the craft-driven DIY person that I am I wondered: Is this something I can do at home? After a bit of research, I concluded that this was completely possible. I jetted off to Good Will to load up on old wooden picture frames for cheap ($0.99 - $2.99 each), and I began collecting wooden pieces from around the house that I was either bored with, or needed revamping due to wear and tear.
My old pine box with a "new" look:
This pine box was my first attempt at distressing wood. Not bad, huh? Unfortunately for this one I don't have the original box documented photographically, but I wish you could see it! It was truly ugly. It was blood red with some poorly painted flowers all over. It looked like an out-dated clearance item from Ross or Walmart. Not that there is anything wrong with shopping at these places, trust me (I will go into my favorite places to budget shop later), but I didn't want it to look like it was from a discount store. The trick is to cheat the eye by adding your own touch of elegance! That's why I went for this bold color scheme when selecting the paint: robin's egg blue with a punch of sunshine yellow. I think painting the inside yellow gives the piece a little kick! But you can keep its bold yellow hidden for more "respectable" company.
------- How to Do-It-Yourself: -------
Supplies:
- A Wooden Item to Distress
- Sand Paper / Sanding Block (important!)
- Paint (premium house paint is best, but acrylic craft paint also works. You will need 1-3 colors)
- Paint Brushes / Rollers (rollers are recommended for larger furniture pieces)
- Optional: Varnish for Coating the Piece when finished
- Optional: Paint Stripper for adding to the distressed effect
- Pick Your Piece - I recommend browsing your local thrift store for cheap hand-me-down wooden pieces, or going through your own stuff! What are you sick of? What is already scratched up that could use a face lift? Just remember: once you've started distressing piece there is no going back so make sure you try a few practice rounds on stuff you don't care about!
- Sand it down - Since you'll be using your sanding block either way (it is a very important part of the distressing process), why not make things easier on yourself? Give your piece a light sanding to prep for painting.
- Start Painting! - I wouldn't go to the trouble to use paint primer before painting on this one. I see it as a waste of time. You will be shredding the heck out of your paint job. So go to town painting! I usually start with a dark paint or a very colorful paint as a base coat. This is the color that will be shining through. It does not have to be perfect at all though. Let it dry for about 1/2 hour.
- Another Coat of Paint, Another Color - The idea is to give the item some age. Going crazy with the colors is a fun way to go. If your first paint color was black, why not mix it up with a sage green next? Just make sure you save the color that you want prominent for your last coat. And remember, you will be aging this piece so don't waste your time on a perfect paint job. Lather it on sloppily. This even helps achieve texture. Let it dry for about 1/2 hour.
- Another Coat of Paint, A Final Color - You can stop at two coats if you want, but if you are truly mimicking age, this item should look like it's seen some years! Try using trendy colors from different time periods to create this effect if you like. Just remember: the last coat is going to be the dominant color. Let it dry fully.
- Sand Away! - Once the final coat of paint is dried, it's time to ruin it! Take your sanding block and start chipping away at random. The paint will slough off more depending on how much pressure you apply. This is also the time to use the paint stripper and let it pool on the piece in areas. If you are not using paint thinner, just sand away. I find that it looks more realistic if you really rough up the corners and edges of your wood because these are the areas that are most subject to wear and tear. Think about how this piece would age if you weren't forcing the look.
- Coat with Varnish - I listed varnish as optional because you may not necessarily want to protect your piece. Maybe you want it to get banged up even more, the natural way. The varnish does help to coat the roughed-up areas and prevent paint chips from falling off.
As I mentioned, this weathering process will basically ruin your wooden piece. That is why I wouldn't use it on expensive wooden furniture or anything you may want to have looking new again. Distressing wood is best for cheap old stuff that you want to rejuvinate.
Examples:
Distressed Wooden Picture Frames
I am planning on selling some beautiful distressed wooden pieces in my etsy shop soon, so remember to check back! Or now you can hopefully do your own. :)
Here are some etsy sellers' pieces for inspiration!
credit: LuckyMargo
credit: flowerpeddlers
credit: mushroommary
Remember to have fun!
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