DIY Rustic Kitchen Cabinets | eHow

Purchase unfinished knotty cabinets for your kitchen. Knotty woods such as pine, alder or hickory will make an ideal base for rustic style.

Install the cabinets into your kitchen, but leave the doors and drawers off. Place these in an area where appropriate for wood finishing work, such as a wood shop, garage or an unfinished basement.

Drive nails around the doors and drawers in a random pattern to a depth of about 1 inch, then remove the nails. Pattern the holes in clusters of at least three.

Hammer gently along the doors and drawers to cause indentations in the wood. Focus on the edges, since this is where aging occurs naturally. The number of indentations you create is up to you, depending on how rustic you want the cabinets to look.

Apply a coat of matte polyurethane to the cabinets, doors and drawers. Allow the polyurethane to dry for 12 to 24 hours, depending on climate. If your climate is dry and hot, 12 hours will be sufficient. If you live in a humid climate, 24 hours may be needed for the polyurethane to dry and cure properly.

Buff the cabinets, doors and drawers lightly using a buffing pad. Remove the dust that the buffing creates with a tack cloth.

Apply two additional coats of polyurethane, and allow to dry properly.

Install the doors and drawers onto the cabinets. Purchase and install knobs and pulls in designs and materials that enhance the rustic look, such as wildlife or tree designs in wrought iron.