Build with Raw Wood

• You can make twig furniture with basic carpentry skills.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  If you have basic carpentry skills, you might want to try your hand at making twig or log furniture with a rustic flair. Gather dry, sturdy pieces of wood and cut them to size for table legs and connecting pieces. Pre-drill holes slightly smaller than the screws you use to put the pieces together. Create a table top and lower storage shelf with raw wood planks or reclaimed wood for a truly rustic look.
  
  

Build with Reclaimed Wood

• Using reclaimed wood is an easy way to create a rustic decor.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  You can use reclaimed wood for another carpentry project to make dining table tops, sideboards, rustic shelves or cabinets. You can purchase reclaimed wood from specialty sellers or you can harvest it yourself from old barns, farmhouses and churches. Old fencing, wood siding and flooring are perfect materials to reclaim and create rustic furniture.
  
  Examine the wood carefully for water rot or insect dwellers before starting the project. You can also visit a DIY pest control outlet to buy treatments that will kill anything lurking in the old wood.
  
  

Refinish an Existing Piece With Crackle Paint

• It's easy to refinish a piece of furniture with crackle paint.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Even if you don't have carpentry skills, you can skill create rustic-looking furniture. You can refinish existing pieces of furniture with weathered finishes like crackle paint. Shop old barn or garage sales or visit a local flea market to purchase old chairs, tables or cabinets. Purchase crackle finish to apply to painted surfaces. The base coat color will peek through the cracks of the top paint. This is a warm, inviting finish for rustic furniture.
  
  

Buy New, Finish Old

• Use two colors of paint and coarse sandpaper to finish new furniture with an old look.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Another way to create rustic furniture without carpentry skills is to take new, unfinished wood and apply primitive or shabby chic finishes. This is an easy way to make new furniture look old and rustic.
  
  Use at least two different colors of paint. Lay down a base coat of your first color and then brush on your second color with a dry paintbrush. Create a weathered look by scuffing the top paint in random places and on the corners of the piece with coarse sandpaper to expose the base coat color.