DIY Furniture Repair: Covering Dings and Scratches in Wood Furniture

We get it: wood furniture can be difficult to care for. Though we specialize in wooden furniture, we understand that it can be quite the investment for those who don’t have the time or financial ability to maintain upkeep. This post, however, is meant to show you that mild damage can be reversed with just a few household items. In most cases, you’ll already have one of our three suggestions in your kitchen pantry.

Walnuts—You read that correctly. Walnuts. Rub a shelled walnut on the damaged area of your wooden furniture. Immediately, dings, scrapes, and scratches will begin to darken and disappear. This option is best for smaller, superficial scratches, but the color will hold for longer than you might expect. If you have a nut allergy (or are close to people with nut allergies), you may want to skip this DIY trick in favor of our next suggestion.

 

Coffee Grinds—Coffee grinds: we all have them, but we don’t know what to do with them. If your wooden furniture has a mild scrape, apply used coffee grounds with a cotton swab to the affected area. Let the grounds sit for five- to ten minutes before buffing with a cotton rag. This is an excellent option for darker furniture.

 

Touch-Up Wood Markers—You won’t find this one in your kitchen pantry, but it’s a safe and cheap way to fix superficial furniture damage. Sharpie has a line of wood markers perfect for touching up furniture, floors, doors, cabinets, wood trim, and picture frames. There are three colors to choose from, but the pigment is buildable; if your furniture’s color is somewhere in between, apply a limited coat of ink.

 

If your furniture damage is more severe than what can be colored in, you may want to dye, refinish, or seek a professional’s help. However, if the damage is light, these three DIY tricks are the perfect solution.