Antique furniture has the look of wisdom and age. Many families use antiques to decorate rooms in their houses. It gives the house a warm, inviting look. However, finding just the right antique can be quite time consuming. You might find a piece that is perfect accepting it is falling apart. Or you might find an antique chair that is in great shape, but not right for your décor. The hunt is the most difficult part of antique decorating. However, if you know how to antique your own furniture, things can be made much simpler. In a mere weekend you can purchase your favorite furniture piece and antique it by hand. I have done it, and I will tell you how. There are 5 steps for simple furniture antiquing, you can try this out.
1. The first step is perhaps the easiest step of furniture antiquing. Visit your local craft store and purchase an antiquing kit. Usually the crackling type kit works the best. Then take the kit home and you will be on your way to beautiful antique furniture.
2. During this step, the antiquing real work begins. Apply a primer and then two coats of your base color on a porous surface. Be sure to let each coat dry before applying the next.
3. When the paint has dried, it is time to apply your crackle undercoat. For this stage, use a foam brush for the right effect. Make sure the final finish does not appear dull. If it does, apply another crackle undercoat layer.
4. After the crackle undercoat has dried, it is time to apply the crackle top coat. Use a sponge and dab using even pressure. An important antiquing note to keep in mind is not to go over the same area more than once. If you do, you will ruin the antique effect.
5. Use a clean sponge for the next antiquing step. Simply apply a coat of the antiquing medium lightly over the top. If you would like a more dramatic antiquing effect, use a second coat after the first has dried. Once this is completed, use a matte-finish sealer.
There is nothing like a real antique. However, no one will be able to tell the difference between real antique and an antique you created if you follow these 5 steps. Antiquing furniture is a hobby, art project, and decorating project all rolled into one easy weekend.