Materials:
paint for base and top coat (satin or semi-gloss)
paintbrush
candle
medium-grade steel wool
object to be distressed (wooden frame, piece of furniture, etc.)
sandpaper
tack cloth
Steps:
- Lightly sand the object to be distressed. If it has a finish (paint or varnish), sand all areas well. When done, remove dust with a tack cloth.
- Apply base coat and allow it to dry overnight. Use any color combination for this project, however it works best if the lighter (or brighter) color is applied first as the base.
- Hold the candle base like a pencil and rub the wax on wherever you want the base coat to show through. For an aged look, wax the corners and edges--anywhere paint would normally wear off over time. Don't forget to do the sides and back, as the entire piece should show this technique.
- Apply top coat to the entire piece, covering over all the wax. Allow to dry for several hours. Rub the steel wool over the entire object, making sure to remove all the wax that was put on in Step 3. Be sure to rub the steel wool over everything, so that the entire paint finish shows some distressing. When finished, remove all dust.
Color Advice
Distressing an object allows just a peek of the previous paint job to show through, so some sort of contrast is a must or the technique won't be seen. Vary the base and top coats by their darkness vs. lightness (usually a brighter color underneath a more neutral shade). For example, one great country look is a bright yellow underneath an ocean blue.
Note: This technique is not limited to making objects look old. Create a personalized gift, writing the special person's name and birthday on the object with the wax. Draw some favorite characters, flowers or whatever you enjoy.
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