How to distress wood with paint?

Here is the easiest way in the world... 1. Distress the finish - a few nicks with a hammer. a few small nail holes (looks like old worm holes) and so on. Some people use a chain and hit the surface. 2. Paint the light base coat in off white, cream, what ever color you want (but lighter) paint leaving brush strokes, (strokes should mimic the wood grain). 3. When dry, take a wood stain in a soft brown, or a brown paint (thinned with water or a thinning compound) and rub it over the surface with a balled up rag. Rub extra where the natural stains would be darker, like near the edges, where dust would be harder to clean... Do it lightly and add more coats to get the right look. I have used this technique many times, and you can't mess up. It's so easy. The stain fills in the brush strokes, and darkens inside the dents and dings. It's a great effect. If it's a big surface, you can brush on the stain and rub it off as well.How to distress wood with paint?
I've seen wood painted white, and then sanded certain areas to bare wood, mainly corners and very small areas.How to distress wood with paint?
you can use the crackling material. paint the base coat that you want, paint the crackling material over it per directions as to how much crackling you want, then paint with your top coat.


to add the nicks and dings, you can hit the furniture with chains, hammers etc.


to ad a ';wear'; look, after painting and the paint is completely dry, think of where the furniture might have been handled the most and sand the paint off in these areas.
tell the paint a sad story...:P