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Here's how:
1. You can use an electric hand sander to strip the wood, but using a little muscle and regular sandpaper is just fine. Remember, you don't need to get all the way to raw wood, but just sand enough to smooth out the surface and rough up any glossy finishes so that your paint adheres.
Wipe the piece clean with a damp cloth and let dry.
2. Brush on the ivory base coat and let dry. You may want to apply a second coat, but before you start, remember that this is a "distressed" piece and may not need it.
3. When your base coat is completely dry, use fine-grit sandpaper to sand areas that would normally distress, such as edges and raised areas.
Wipe off any sanding dust with a damp cloth and let dry.
4. Apply the darker top coat to areas you have sanded. Let sit for a few minutes and wipe clean with a paper towel. The longer you let it sit, the darker your distressing will be. Remember, you can always add another coat of the dark top coat.
An alternative approach to distressing:
Rub a candle over the surface of the wood, following the grain. Concentrate the wax in areas where the wood would most likely be naturally worn away over time.
Apply 2 coats of paint. The coats can all be the same or different colours. Let dry between coats, and do not sand.
After the paint is dry, scrape the surface with steel wool, working in the direction of the wood grain to reveal the raw would or base coat below the surface. Paint will flake off easily in areas where the wax was applied.
Finally, sand the surface to smooth areas where paint has been removed.
More... Distressing gives new life to old furniture
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