Scratches
You can rub a broken walnut, pecan, or Brazil nut over minor scratches in your wooden furniture; the oils from the nuts will darken the raw scratch.
If you have many minor scratches apply hard paste wax over the area and then rubbing with the grain use a #0000 steel wool to work it in, then buff the surface with cheesecloth or other soft cloth material.
For deep scratches pick up a wax filler stick in a shade that is closest to the furniture being repaired (These can usually be found at all hardware and big box stores, sometimes even grocery stores). Running the wax stick along the scratch with enough pressure to fill it you can then scrape off any excess with a plastic scraper or card. Once the wax has dried buff it out with a soft cloth.
While badly scratched surfaces should be refinished a couple deep scratches may be removed by finding the matching stain, applying it with an artisans brush to the raw scratch, filling with wax, and then buffing with a soft cloth.
Dings and Dents
A sharp blow to a piece of furniture can cause a ding. This “ding” usually does not affect the wood itself but instead damages only the finish.
To repair the ding start by using a sharp craft knife (like an Xacto knife) to remove any loose finish in or around the damaged area. You do not want to scratch the damaged spot while doing this so work carefully to scrape the area clean.
Next smooth out the area using #0000 steel wool you want to feather the edges of the damaged area out and away. Next you want to prep the area with a soft cloth moistened in mineral spirits. Clean the damaged area and then allow to completely dry.
Next using an artist brush apply a finish that matches the existing (enamel, varnish, shellac, lacquer etc.) and allow to dry. The spot will be fairly noticeable at first since it will be rather glossy compared to the rest, however let it dry and then buff it lightly with some #0000 steel wool.
Now you will want to wax and polish the entire piece of furniture. Once you have finished the job the “ding” should no longer be visible.