Using shoe polish to create a antique, distressed look is easy and fun and less toxic than some of the other alternatives.
My most recent projects I have just used brown, but you can use pretty much any color you want.
It is easy to apply, just rub it on with a cloth, let it dry a bit and then buff it out with a cloth.
Brown Shoe Polish
Buff it on with cloth
Go with the grain
Finished panel
Tales from a female woodworker 