Sometimes, old furniture just has more character.  And well, we can pretend new furniture does too, after we weather it!

There are a few different methods to weathering furniture.

Method 1

This works wonderfully for pallet wood or other wood tables, chairs, furniture, etc.  You will need:

Steel Wool

Vinegar

Break up the steel wool and put them in a jar with vinegar.  Let it sit for 36 hours.  After the steel wool has all but dissolved, brush it on the wood you are trying to weather.  After it has dried, you can continue to distress it by sanding in the areas that you want. Tip from White Lace Cottage.

Method 2

You will need:

Sandpaper

dark stain or glaze

Polyurethane

This is a good option for painted furniture.  After the final coat is painted and dried, take the sandpaper and rub it along the edges of the moldings, and any other character pieces on your furniture.  When it is as distressed as you would like, use the stain or glaze to rub over the rest of the piece, giving the undercoat the look of being weathered or tattered. Apply a coat of polyurethane over the top of the stain or glaze.  This will take any “stick” off of the furniture that was created by the stain or glaze.  This makes furniture last longer anyway, and the end result is A-maz-ing!

Method 3

You will need:

Oven cleaner

White vinegar

Spray the wood with oven cleaner (as long as it is lye based) and then spray the wood with a layer of white vinegar.  This technique will produce perfectly aged gray wood.  This is the most natural way, as the lye is actually a corrosive substance.

Method 4

You will need:

Vaseline

An old paintbrush

A rag

Before painting over your furniture, apply petroleum jelly to the piece. Paint over the petroleum jelly. Paint doesn’t adhere to Vaseline, giving it a weathered look. Here is the full tutorial from Salvaged Inspirations. 

Method 5

Brewed coffee

Paintbrush

This method is way less invasive than using a stain. Use the paintbrush to apply the coffee, it will age the white of your table, while keeping it white! Here is the full tutorial from Killer B Designs.