How to Antique a Crib
Antiquing is a technique that provides an aesthetic boost to any object at your disposal. Making a baby's crib appear aged, for example, involves several different tools and a bit of creativity. Antiquing requires a process of distressing the crib frame and mattress materials. While a having a baby actually sleep in an actual antique-looking crib can pose danger -- possible splinters and cuts, for example -- the technique is ideal for stage prop or production design purposes.
Things You'll Need
- Work gloves
- Safety glasses
- Dust mask
- 150-grit sandpaper
- Metal chain
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Straight-edge knife
- Wire brush
- Needle
- Thread
- 1/2-cup cold coffee
- Rust-colored spray paint
Instructions
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Slide on a pair of work gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask to protect your skin, eyes and lungs. Remove any crib padding and put it aside for use later.
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Rub the crib frame with 150-grit sandpaper. Rub the paper heavily in some areas and lightly in others. The sandpaper roughs the surface and helps remove flakes of paint.
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3
Carefully whip a metal chain at the frame to created dents. Hammer a sharp chisel into different parts of the frame -- along the corners and edges, for example -- to add another dimension of a worn, antique look. Sand chiseled areas to dull freshly exposed wood.
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Scrape the surface of the crib padding with sandpaper and a wire brush. Cut open one or two areas of the lining on the padding. Remove one-fourth of the pad stuffing. Fray and expose remaining padding through openings with the wire brush.
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Re-sew partial areas of the damaged lining with a needle and thread. Pour 1/2-cup cold coffee onto the padding. Allow 12 hours for the coffee to stain to dry.
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Coat metal portions of the crib -- hardware, for example -- with rust-colored spray paint. Allow a second 12-hour period for the paint to dry. Place the padding back into the crib.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
