How to Make Distressed Style Faux Antique Furniture

People who prefer the charm of days long gone often use antique furniture in their homes. Instead of shiny, smooth finishes, antique furniture is often distressed and worn. Genuine antiques can be expensive. Below are three methods for creating distressed style faux antique furniture out of the piece you already own.

Distressed Style Furniture with Crackle Glaze

Crackle glaze can be purchased at many craft and home decor stores. Using this type of glaze creates a crackled finish on the furniture. It looks as if the paint is weathered and peeling off.

To use crackle glaze to create faux antiques, first paint the furniture a base color. Using a darker color for the base is an attractive choice.

Then, use a large paintbrush to sweep on the crackle glaze. Allow this to dry for at least four hours before painting the top color of paint. As this dries, it will separate into a crackled finish.

Distressed Style Furniture with Wax

The next way of creating distressed style furniture is using a plain white candle or other hard wax. This will create a rubbed look to the furniture, as if the paint has been worn off in places.

Begin by painting your furniture with a base coat and allow it to dry completely. Then, take the wax piece and rub it over the furniture in patches or streaks. You can also rub it in places where natural wear would occur, such as drawers and handles.

Paint a top coat of a different color over the wax. Then, use a piece of steel wool or scrubber pad to gently rub over the whole surface. Some paint will peel away where the wax was laid.

Distressed Style Furniture with Sand

The final method of creating faux antique furniture with a distressed finish is to use plain sand and paint. This method creates a spotty, worn-looking surface.

Begin by painting the piece of furniture with a base coat of paint. When this is dry, coat the piece with a shellac sealer. Working quickly, sprinkle clean sand over this while it is still wet. The sand will stick to the shellac.

After this has dried, paint the furniture with a top coat of your desired color. When dry, use a piece of steel wool or a scrubber to gently rub off the covered sand. Patches of the base color will be revealed.