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Faux Painting Finishes |
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Faux Painting Finishes |
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Faux and Decorative Painting Sponge painting is great because it is easy, fast, requires little paint and materials, and did I mention it was easy? It can be used on walls, furniture, and accessories, and can give instant facelift to dull objects. Don’t let anyone convince you that you have to go buy an expensive sea sponge to do this. I’ve used plastic grocery bags, cloth diapers, even old clothing…(Ok, now it’s called ragging, same technique, more subtle look.) But you can use a plain old kitchen sponge, and here’s the secret….tear away all the hard edges of the sponge, even tear chunks from the center to give it an irregular appearance. Now choose your paint, and sponge! Remember to sponge sparingly at first, you can always add more later. Also, dab the paint off on your plate first, you only need a little paint on the sponge, or it will be too gloppy. Practice first on a paper bag, and remember to change the direction of your hand occasionally, the idea is not to get a pattern going. Try combining sponge painting with stenciling or decorative painting, tape off a border and use it just there, you can even sponge paint over glassware with the new glass paints available at your craft store. Marbelizing There is a very simple technique to marbleizing that is popular in the home decorating world today, and you won’t believe how easy it is until you try it. Using a regular paintbrush, dip the brush into all the colors. Now simply pounce the paintbrush over the surface to get a mottled effect. It might help to keep a picture of a piece of marble nearby to refer to. Use the different colors to add shading, or tone down an area you think is too bright. Crackling Crackling is very popular as aged finishes have become so much a part of showcasing warmth and history in our homes. It can be done without purchasing expensive crackling kits. if you really want a subtle effect, try sponging or ragging on the final coat. Allow to dry overnight. Kathleen Wilson is the Editor of a free ezine called The Budget Decorator, dedicated to the "budget impaired" home decorator. Visit her at http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com for more free projects and ideas, and for info on her workshop. Written by: Kathleen Wilson |
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