How to Age or Distress Crafts

Give wooden craft projects an heirloom look using faux antiquing techniques.

Weathered wood lends a certain cozy and familiar feel to an item, so when you are making a craft that should look well-worn, give it a faux distressed and aged look. Use distressing and aging techniques on all kinds of wooden craft projects, such as picture frames, alphabet blocks, signs, rocking horses, bird houses, boxes and clock faces. Distressed wood crafts fit in with decorating styles like shabby chic, rustic, primitive and country cottage. These aging techniques can even be done on furniture such as chairs, dressers and tables.

Things You'll Need

• Distressing tools, such as a hammer and wire brush
• Sandpaper, both fine and coarse
• Paint, dark color
• Paint, light color
• Paintbrush
• Wood stain
• Old rags
• Spray sealant, matte finish

Instructions

1. Create a well-worn surface by distressing the wood with various metal objects. Use a heavy chain, hammer, wire brush or a sock filled with bolts to create interesting and natural distress marks. Pound the surface of the wood with the different objects. Avoid over-distressing the wood; keep it basic to get the look of a well-worn item.

2. Scuff sharp edges with fine grade sandpaper. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a wood block, and then rub down a corner on the wood item. Apply scuff marks lightly around the project to create an aged look. Alternate between fine and coarse sandpaper to create different looks.

3. Paint the wood with a few layers and colors of paint. Apply an acrylic base color, generally a medium to dark hue, and let it dry. Rub petroleum jelly on areas that would naturally wear, such as corners. Apply a second coat of paint in a different lighter color, like white, ivory or yellow. Allow it to dry, and then add another coat. Use steel wool to scratch away the areas with petroleum jelly to expose the paint beneath.

4. Stain the wood rather than paint it for a more primitive style. Forgo the latex paint in favor of a dark stain to get a stained wood look, or apply the stain over the paint to get the look of aged paint. Dip a rag into a dark water-based stain, and then rub it on the wood. Allow the stain to collect in dents, corners and crevices of the wood. Wipe the stain off with a clean rag, vigorously on smooth areas and lightly on textured or worn areas. This will leave darker marks that highlight the imperfections in the wood

5. Seal the wood craft project to preserve it. In a well-ventilated area, spray a coat of clear matte sealant over the wood project and allow it to dry for 24 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Try a crackled paint technique by painting the distressed wood object. Cover it with a crackle medium, sold at craft stores, then paint over it with a contrasting color. The top layer of paint will dry with cracks all over as the crackle medium forces it to separate into hairline cracks.