How to Repurpose Old Furniture for Primitive Home Decor

Learn how to repurpose old furniture to give your primitive home decor a fresh look and decorate without breaking your decorating budget.

Supplies Needed:

• Furniture
• Screw drivers
• 2 colors of matter finish paints
• Un-scented white wax candle
• Sandpaper (heavy, medium and fine grit)
• Minwax® Gel Stain (Aged Oak)
• Matte varnish
• Old Cotton towels or rags
• Drop cloth to protect the work area floor

Now let’s get started:

1.Take off all the hardware and sand down the surface with heavy-grit paper. Repeat the sanding with the medium and fine grits. It’s not necessary to sand off all the old paint; you just want the surface to be smooth. After you’re done sanding, wipe away the dust from the wood with a rag.

2. Paint two coats of the color you want as your base color. This is the color that will show up from under the top coat. Be sure to allow the paint to dry completely between coats.

3. Once your base color is completely dry, rub the wax candle over areas of the surface. You don’t have to do the entire surface, just spots where and there where you want the base coat to show through. Imagine in your mind where areas would be worn away naturally such as edges, or around hardware. Remove any crumbs of wax left behind the candle is likely to leave behind.

4. Paint two light coats of the top paint color, allowing them to dry between applications.

5. Sand the surface with fine-grit paper paying attention to the areas where you applied the wax. As you sand you’ll start to see your under coat show through.

6. Antique the surface by rubbing gel stain over the wood. Work with small amounts until you have the desired antique-look you want.

7. Apply 1-2 coats of matte varnish to seal the paint and stain.

8. Put the hardware back on.

Now you have a wonderful re-purposed furniture piece for your new primitive home decor!