Distressed chest DIY.

On the same trip in which I got that fancy make up, I also found a small wooden box. Immediately I knew I wanted to make it look old. Here's what it looks like now:

Click through for before and all the steps in between.

You will need

A plain wooden box

Screws

A ruler

An (Electric) wood scraper

Antiquing wax
An old rag

What to do?
I started by carving straight lines into the wood so it would end up looking as though the box was built out of small planks. I did this by dragging a sharp screw through the wood along the ruler. When that was done, I made several scratches and dimples with different sides of the screws, but then my dad gave me his electric wood scraper, so I used that to do more damage.

At this point it doesn't look all that great yet, but here's what will make a world of difference: apply a layer of antiquing wax all over the box using an old rag. It will darken the whole box whilst leaving the wood structure visible The was will also sit in the pits and scratches, thus accentuating them.

After it has dried for at least 30 minutes, polish with clean piece of rag. Then continue to add more wear and tear and/or antiquing wax until you're happy with the result! I enhanced the lines and added more pits with the wood scraper and then did two more layers of wax. I also applied wax to the inside of the box.




Be sure to let it dry and air properly before using it!
Sincerely,
R.