How to Repair Nicks & Scratches on Cherry Wood Furniture

Dip the corner of a cotton swab in cordovan shoe polish, and apply this sparingly in the direction of the cherry wood grain. Continue to apply the polish in light coats until the scratch or nick is covered. Allow the shoe polish to dry completely, then apply a coat of wood wax.

Use a scratch cover marker or crayon specifically made for cherry wood. Lightly color in the scratch or nick, building the color coat by coat until it matches your existing cherry finish. Scratch cover markers and crayons are available at hardware stores and home improvement stores.

Use a liquid cherry-colored scratch cover. Dip the corner of a soft rag like flannel into the liquid, and apply it lightly to cover scratches. Apply additional coats to deepen the color.

Match cherry-colored wood stain to the finish. Dip a clean, soft rag into the wood stain and apply this to the scratch in light coats to build the color to match the cherry finish. Allow the stain to dry thoroughly, and then apply a coat of wax.

For deeper scratches and nicks, use cherry wood putty. Apply the wood putty with a small, flexible putty knife to fill in scratches and nicks. Build wood putty in thin layers until the putty is flush with the surface.