Things You'll Need:
- Hammer
- Chain
- Nuts and bolts
- Paint or varnish
- Sand paper
- Hardware
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Step 1
After sanding down the current finish (unless it is unfinished already), you will want to begin beating up on your furniture. That's right, beat it up. A hammer, a chain or a sock full of nuts and bolts--all these things and any other hard implement you come up with can be banged against the furniture to create dents and nicks. While doing this, be sure to consider where these bumps and bruises would actually occur due to heavy use if this item were old.
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Step 2
Now you want to determine what kind of finish you will use. You can paint one color base coat and then another color on top of that to make it look as if the furniture has been painted many times. Or you can just paint two coats of a light paint without a primer so it looks streaked and worn. Another option is to paint it white and then paint over it with a diluted brown paint to make the white look older.
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Step 3
Sand down areas that would be naturally worn down if the item were old, such as along the edges, corners, drawer handles, legs and so on. Use a fine-grit sandpaper. Start slow and as you gain confidence in your vision, sand some more.
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Step 4
If you have drawers, you will want to find hardware for them that looks authentically old. Try the internet, thrift stores or antique malls to find actual antique hardware for an even more realistic look.
