Drill a pilot hole and make sure the long edge of the nail goes with the grain.
Making wood furniture look distressed. But since we re distressing i wouldn t stress about it. Distressed wood has the look of being weathered and old giving it texture and a rustic homey appeal. For hand hewn pieces use hand forged or cut nails. Sand and clean the piece.
If the object already has a finish previously painted or varnished. If you aren t confident that you thoroughly cleaned your sponge then use a different one. For the bare wood look. Every project should start with proper preparation.
If the stain is oil based use an oil based polyurethane. Materials and tools sandpaper paint paint brushes or rollers polyurethane candle steel wool stain optional drop cloths rags or tack cloths. A finishing coat of polyurethane will seal the dried stain making your new distressed furniture durable for the long haul. Lightly sand the object you want to distress.
To distress wood furniture start by sanding the entire surface with coarse grit sandpaper to create a smooth base for the new paint to adhere to. Use tools and other objects to distress the wood. Grab the same yellow sponge applicator that you used to apply the glaze. We want that old.
How to distress wood furniture step by step prepare your space. So cover the workspace. When the base coat is dry start sanding off areas that would naturally end up. This one is no different.
Next give the furniture a new coat of paint use coarse grit sandpaper or a sanding block to achieve an uneven weathered look and apply the top coat of paint. Try hitting it with a hammer mallet or metal chain to create small divots. Make sure like any painted furniture project including when you distress painted wood that you seal the paint. You can help make new wood look old by pairing the style of hardware for your project with the base distressing technique that you chose.
Regardless of what clear top coat you select be it matte or high gloss a foam brush will make application easy and even. Paint the entire piece in the base coat color you ve selected.