Some bread with that butter?..a filling-in that carved wood tutorial

After this post, I was asked by many people how I made this swan ,

 from this ugly ducking.

It was like Butt-ah, or more exactly, buttering in. When you have  a piece of furniture that is dated or has weird carvings, or even deep nicks, you can use  a technique called "buttering in." You can also use this for  wood paneling or cabinetry.

 

The basic premise is to fill the spaces with paintable/stainable wood putty. I am using the tube because I feel like  it creates less air spaces to squirt it into the carvings than to try to smooth-in large globs from a can ( I know, it's a very technical term..).

After you've squirted in your putty, use your spackle/putty knife to butter in, or smooth in the putty. Once you've filled as much as you can, let it dry. 

It is very important to do so, you'll be repeating this step because it will shrink while it dries, and you'll need to add more.  Even if it says it won't. Plan on repeating this step several times and always wear the right protective equipment. I do this outside because it creates a ton of dust.

Sand the excess and reapply the putty. You'll do this until the space is filled and you can no longer feel any ridges. Add your appliques after the wood putty has been sanded for the last time.

It's really important at this point to prime over those spots a few coats. This will help blend the puttied area in. Even after your project is painted, in certain angles, you may see "Ghost lines" or lines that show through a bit under the paint from the earlier pattern. By applying wood appliques, it can minimize the amount that show through. With some appliques you can cover them completely.

I love this technique because you no longer need to pass up those  questionable pieces at  at yard sale or thrift stores with good bones.

Jen