How to Distress Furniture With Petroleum Jelly

Use this simple technique to add a shabby chic look on a piece of furniture.

Easily Distress Furniture
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If you want to create a distressed look on a piece of furniture or home decor, you can get it done cheaply with a little effort using petroleum jelly. Transform any piece of wood furniture into a shabby chic mastetpiece in an afternoon.

Materials

  • old bar cart or wood furniture
  • petroleum jelly
  • paint
  • rags
  • paint brushes

This wood cart is fine on its own but a little color and distressing will make it a one of a kind statement piece.

wood cart

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Before2

Transform a plain wood cart into a statement piece with this easy distressing technique.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Apply Petroleum Jelly

Dip the brush in petroleum jelly.

dipping brush in petroleum jelly

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Jelly1

Dip the brush in petroleum jelly.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Apply a generous coat of petroleum jelly on areas where you do not want the paint to adhere.

painting petroleum jelly on wood

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Paint on Jelly

Add a generous coat of petroleum jelly on areas where you do not want the paint to adhere.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Paint

Apply two coats of paint onto the cart, letting the paint dry inbetween coats.

painting

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Paint4

Paint two coats over the petroleum jelly.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Be sure to paint the edges and let it dry thoroughly.

painting

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Paint2

Paint the cart.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Remove Petroleum Jelly

Once the paint is dry, wipe down the cart to remove the petroleum jelly.

wiping blue cart

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Wipe

Once the paint is dry, remove the excess petroleum jelly from the cart.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

After the initial pass, go over the smaller areas with a clean, lint-free towel to make sure all of the petroleum jelly is removed.

wiping blue cart

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Wipe3

Remove the petroleum jelly from the cart with a clean,dry towel.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

The petroleum jelly will leave parts of the cart unpainted, giving it a trendy distressed look.

corner of a cart

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Beauty Detail

The petroleum jelly will leave parts of the cart unpainted, giving it a distressed look.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

This technique adds character to any piece of furniture.

blue cart with plants and bottles

Petroleum Jelly Distressed Furniture Beauty

Distressing your furniture is easy with the help of petroleum jelly.

Photo by: Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

Andy Vinson of Loch & Key Productions

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