Hello Friends,

Summer should be all about fun and so should summer makeover projects. This easy project is a fun way to distress paint without sanding.

I know, right? Total game changer.

I gotta tell ya, when I learned that I wouldn’t have to deal with the mess from sanding, I was all in. I’m talkin’ push-all-your-chips-to-the-center-of-the-table in.

To test drive this technique, I refinished my parent’s old –nearly vintage– early American-style wall clock. After all, July 4th is just around the corner, so it seemed like perfect timing.

How to Easily Distress Paint with Vaseline

Disclosure: This post is done in collaboration with Fusion Mineral Paint, but all projects and opinions are 100% my own.

Step 1: Clean and Prep

All I did to clean and prep was wipe away the dust with a damp cloth. This clock had been cleaned and wrapped for storage for over ten years, so most of the prep was done before storage. Of course, for a dirty or grimy surface, a cleaner (like TSP or Simple Green) is needed. However, I did wrap a damp cloth around an old toothbrush in order to clean all of the nooks and crannies.

What other supplies are needed?

• A few clean, dry cloths

• A surface cleaner

• Painter’s tape

• Paint brush

• Fusion paint – Algonquin and Ash

• Vaseline

• Painter’s blade

Step 2: Apply Basecoat

Two coats of Fusion Mineral Paint in the color Algonquin was applied over the cleaned wood surfaces inside and out. Algonquin is one of Fusion’s great greiges that matches basically everything. Although it looks a tad yellow in this photo, be assured that it is just the weird lighting from a rainy afternoon. 

If you recall, Algonquin was used on the mirror frame in the great room and on a bookcase in the basement. It is my favorite color for blending a greige color on some of my older pieces. Trust me, it works every time.

Step 3: Apply Vaseline

After the basecoat is thoroughly dry, apply Vaseline to areas where you do NOT want paint to stick. Just think about where paint would naturally distress if the clock was old and worn. A light distress would naturally occur around the edges and a heavier distress would include more of the wood.

How much Vaseline to apply?

To vary the amount of distressing, a very light coat is applied to some of the flat surfaces and a medium amount (which kinda looks like globs in the photo) to the edges. 

Step 4: Apply Topcoat

Two light coats of Fusion’s color Ash is applied and allowed to dry between coats. If you have followed the kitchen nook and great room refresh, I used a lot of Fusion’s Coal Black and Ash on the picture frames. So, in order to tie the clock in with these accessories, Ash was chosen as the topcoat. 

It also helped to see these examples:

• A beautiful mirror makeover by Lauren over at Bless’er House.

• And a furniture makeover by Denise from Salvaged Inspirations.

Step 5: Wipe Paint

The last couple of steps are super easy. When the topcoat is completely dry, wipe the Vaseline away with a clean, dry cloth. The paint that is not sticking will wipe away with the Vaseline. As you can see, I opted for a rather heavily distressed finish. Notice, too, that because there is no sanding, none of the clock’s original finish shows through. 

Tip: Using Vaseline as a resist is a good choice when the goal is to completely block the original color and/or finish on a piece.

Step 6: Remove Gold Stamp

The gold stamp on the inside of the glass was removed with a painter’s blade.  A painter’s blade is a little tool that looks like a razor blade on one side contained in a hand-held holder that will scrape away the gold.

When these steps are complete, simply add a few accessories and you’re good to go.

Because it’s just that quick and easy.

If you appreciate this makeover, please…

For more information about Fusion Mineral Paint and where to buy, please click here to visit their website.