Snap, Crackle, Recycle!
to get any crackle at all. It will run if you apply it to a vertical surface, and that will affect your finished look. As much as possible, lay the parts of your piece flat to work on them. Even if it means doing only one side of a chest at a time, for example, you'll be glad you did.
Step by Step
1. Apply the base coat with either a bristle brush or a foam brush, whichever you have. Let it dry at least 4 hours, and be sure that it isn't tacky before you move on.
2. Apply the crackle glaze. The thickness of the glaze will determine the size of the crackles you get. It's hard for me to tell you how much glaze to apply, but I'm going to guess that you should almost double what you think is a fair amount. It's difficult to add more glaze a little at a time, so load your brush pretty well and cover the piece thoroughly.
The instructions recommend allowing 1 to 4 hours for the glaze to dry. I recommend a bit longer, overnight if you can wait that long. The thicker the coat of glaze, the longer it remains tacky. Be sure that it is thoroughly dry before you continue.
3. You have one shot at the final step, and here is where you'll need to be speedy and thorough at the same time. Apply the final top coat of latex paint with single, one-directional strokes. The chemical reaction starts immediately, so you can't go back over areas you've just painted. If you do, it will keep the paint from adhering to the glaze and you'll get a an uneven finish with a big patch of your base coat showing through. This step simply cannot be done without the utmost concentration and attention. So load your brush well and don't be timid. Use firm, even strokes and resist the temptation to paint over the same area twice. Your crackles will appear almost instantly. Enjoy!
Bending the Rules
Being one to always challenge the instructions, I tried crackling some test boards with just paint for the base coat instead of the proper mixture. I had to know if it would work. Here's what I found out: yes and no.
With flat paint used for the base coat, a very generous coat of glaze, and flat paint used for the top coat, I got tiny crackles that I suppose would work in a pinch. With the amount of glaze I used, I would have gotten much larger crackles with the
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