In the comments on my last post Donna from Never Enough Time, asked me to share how I distress my furniture.So here's some pictures of how I do it.
First off, I water down some Acrylic paint, the colours I've used are Burnt Umber and Tree Bark Brown.
I mix quite a lot of water in with the paint, so that its nearly transparent. You can see it on the tile next to the counter. This is then painted all over the piece and left to dry.
I then mix up some more paint and water a little thicker this time and go over the top of the first coat. Then leave to dry.
Remember I want these pieces to look old and worn for Diagon Alley. In the bottom picture you can see what the counter looks like after two coats. You are still able to see the grain of the wood through the paint. Once this is fully dried, I'll see whether it needs another coat. If not that's the time to distress. I use a very fine sandpaper and sand, where the unit would be worn through year of use... I share the finished results with you once its finished.
Ah Debbie, it's the 'leave to dry' bit that I always have trouble with!
ReplyDeleteMercedes
Mercedes I do know that feeling. I sometimes use a hair dryer to speed up the process...
ReplyDeleteDebbie. When you go to sand this. I found with one i made that if you hold a bit of paper accross the front top panel and then sweep down you can make the groove slotted wood look even more worn.
ReplyDeleteI reckon a nice idea seeing as you are joining two together would be to make an upper shelf between the two.
Would look fab because you could have dangling bits and bobs and then perhaps jars above on the shelf.
Pop over to the galleries at CDHM and look for my counter for a better idea of what i mean.
Can't wait to see Debbie...
ReplyDeleteQuestion...with this piece of mini unfinished furniture that you purchased, do you have any trouble with the watery acrylic paint raising the grain and causing the wood to feather? Just wondering if the wood is nice and tight...
Thanks
Jodi
Good Idea Nikki, But there isn't much head room downstairs in the Apothecary.
ReplyDeleteJodi, no I haven't had any problems at all. It is a very tight grain. The water does raise the grain slightly as it gets wet, but once dry, you'd never notice..