How to Distress Furniture With Multiple Colors

If you love the aged rustic await of weathered wood, yous are probable to accept wondered how to distress wood or how to distress article of furniture.

During my DIY adventures, I take tried many techniques to distress wood and furniture, and finally decided to put my favorites all in on commodity as a reference for anybody, and so you lot and I don't accept to keep wondering: "Vaseline? Sandpaper? Vinegar?"

These distressing wood techniques are my favorites because they are all super like shooting fish in a barrel, give great weathered wood results, and don't require any special materials or tools. Each i creates a little dissimilar look from gently weathered wood to rustic chippy paint. You can choose your favorite based on your project and the fashion you similar.

I have included videos on each sorry technique and detailed comparing on choosing the best method for your DIY projection.

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There'southward something so irresistible well-nigh pieces of distressed furniture or chippy painted forest that stirs up our imagination and transports united states to another fourth dimension and place. Distressed wood expect beautiful in so many styles of homes from farmhouse, shabby chichi, and country, to industrial and modern.

Here is our listing of 8 easy painting techniques to distress forest and article of furniture:

Sanding technique, Candle technique, Moisture paper technique, Dry brush technique, Scraper technique, Rinsing technique, Wood block technique, and Pouring pigment technique.

A big give thanks you to our friends at Decoart for sending their gorgeous paints for our projects!

1 . Create Weathered Wood with Sanding technique

The most simple and straight forward method to distress wood is to sand some of the paint off. This technique works great on both already painted wood and unpainted wood.

The key is to sand random areas that tend to become bumped or scratched naturally, then it looks organic. Yous can as well repeat the process on the same piece with several layers of paint. Allow each layer dry out, and sand in betwixt layers. For example:

I used this method to distress a wood nightstand. Afterwards sanding the original pigment as shown above, I painted the piece blueish, then sanded it one more fourth dimension. Check out the final finished nightstand and total tutorial here.

2 . Distressing wood and furniture with Candle technique

This is a super versatile technique to distress wood or piece of furniture with almost guaranteed great result. It tin can be used on raw wood or already painted woods and piece of furniture.

It is great for creating either unmarried or multi-layered distressed expect.

For example, I have used information technology in this Ultimate Guide on How to Whitewash Wood, and created an anile wood expect with but white paint.

Ultimate guide + video tutorials on how to whitewash wood & create beautiful whitewashed floors, walls and furniture using pine, pallet or reclaimed wood. | apieceofrainbow.com

Ultimate Guide on How to Whitewash Wood

Here I am using this method to create a piece with layers of wood, plus brown, white and yellow pigment.

Step 1: Decide on which color for which layer. Start with a slice of wood and the bottom layer color. (I used nighttime brown.) Paint the wood at random spots. Let dry completely.

Step 2: Take an un-tinted candle and rub it hard at random spots on the wood.

Paint the woods with the color for the next layer. ( I used white here.) Allow dry completely.

Use a rag and wipe the surface with some force per unit area. The pigment volition come off where the wax was rubbed onto the wood.

The gorgeous yellow is Decoart's Outdoor Living seriese paint "Harvest".

Repeat Step 2 for the third layer of color, which I did using yellow.

You lot can go on repeating this step to add together more than colors and layers. Encounter video of the entire process below!

3 . Distressing forest using Wet paper technique

Both the Candle technique (meet previous) and the Wet newspaper technique are good alternatives to distress wood or article of furniture using Vaseline.

All iii methods piece of work similarly in the mode that they create a resist in certain spots so the pigment can be lifted off afterwards.

I actually came up with this method one day because I was too lazy to go out and purchase Vaseline in guild to start a project!

Got paper? Tear minor pieces of paper, vary the sizes and shapes for a natural look.

Dip each piece in h2o and identify it onto a slice of wood.

Earlier the wet paper dries, pigment the wood then carefully lift each piece of paper off the surface. You can practise this while the paint is still wet or dried. Below is the video tutorial-

Piece of cake and no mess! Yous can echo the process to add together more layers, or sand certain spots to create the shabby chic wait you lot want.

4 . Distress wood with Dry out brush technique

The dry out brush technique is great for creating an aged and scratched look. The cardinal to success is to start with a … very dry out brush!

Old paint brushes with hard bristles piece of work corking here.

Dip the brush in some pigment, and skim off as much excess paint every bit possible.

Paint in a very fast motion, keep the strokes in unlike directions, take intendance not to encompass the entire surface. Run into video below for more details.

I used this pitiful technique to create these faux zinc messages as you run across in the video below.

I too painted the blue side table this mode. You lot can see more details of the DIY chevron lampshade and side table makeover here.

In this projection I likewise used sandpaper to remove some paints after painting each layer.

5 . Distress Wood with Scraper technique

This method is similar to the commencement technique, which is sanding. The difference is that sanding removes more paint and wood, and can expose the raw wood. This technique will only remove some of the paint earlier information technology dries. I love this gently weathered wood look!

Commencement paint the wood. After the paint dries a few minutes and earlier the paint dries completely, take a scraper or credit card, and scrape off some paints at random spots.

The beautiful green paint color is Decoart's Outdoor Living Adirondack which yous tin get here.

If y'all are painting article of furniture, those spots that naturally get bumped onto, such as corners and edges, would exist the all-time places to have the chippy paint effect.

The key is to scrape the paint when the paint has formed a "peel" just the surface is nonetheless a flake tacky to the touch.

6 . Create Weathered wood with Rinsing technique

This technique to distress wood creates an elegant and soft aged wood look perfect for farmhouse fashion. Information technology works best on pieces of raw wood.

Both the Rinsing technique and Scraper technique (in a higher place) are removal techniques.

First past painting the wood and letting the paint dry for a few minutes.

Before the pigment dries completely, rinse the wood in water quickly while gently wiping the surface with a rag. The goal is to washed off some paint on the surface.

I really similar this slice- it looks like aged barn wood, doesn't it?

7 . Wood block technique

This is a one step method to distress wood or furniture using the assistance of a wooden block. It creates more than of a chippy rustic look.

Dip the end of a woods block in paint and drag it along the surface. Paint as many color and layers every bit you want. That's it! Encounter it in action in video below-

Have you seen furniture and decor made from reclaimed gunkhole woods? This is a great manner to make your own "boat wood" that is so full of graphic symbol!

8 . Pouring paint technique

This is a one footstep method to distress forest and create a beautiful whitewashed barn wood look. It is smashing for wood with lots of textures on the surface.

I described information technology in detail in the Ultimate Guide on How to Whitewash Wood

Tutorial and video here.

Now you have run across all viii sad techniques, there are a few basic tips that you can employ to all the techniques:

If the surface you are painting on has been finished with sealer, wax, or lacquer, information technology would be helpful to sand information technology a little so the new paint volition adhere better.
Don't fear near messing up: y'all tin can always pigment things over or sand spots to make it look better. And you tin can mix up these techniques!
Do on some scrap wood or on less visible spots, for case the interior confront of a cabinet door, before working on a big slice. Or, jump correct in! 🙂