One of the easiest finishes you can do is to invest in a can of chalkboard paint and do a wall in your child's room or in the rec room. Paint it up as high as you find necessary, let it dry and let the kid go at it! This will satisfy even the youngest budding artist, and will hopefully spare all your other walls from your artist's masterpieces!
There is a wonderful product put out by Plasti-Kote, called Fleck Stone. It is an aerosol spray which lets you achieve the look of tiny stones ("faux granite"), and it can be used on a multitude of surfaces. Try using it on primed terra cotta pots, candlesticks or even to breathe new life into an old wooden end table. Check out the vendor's site regarding this product: http://www.plasti-kote.com/homefash/temp... .
Perhaps you've seen the finishing technique called crackling, which creates an a weathered or antiqued finish. Basically, it is the application of a base color to a surface, then covering it with another color. Then the top coat is crackled to expose veins of the underlying color. There are a few different ways to achieve this look. The first way is to use another product by Plasti-Kote, called Cracklin', which can be used in a simple 2-step process. Here is where you can find information regarding this product: http://www.plasti-kote.com/homefash/temp... . I have used this product to create uniformity in some room accessories, such as a coat rack, candlesticks and switch plate covers. Another way to achieve this crackled look is by using white glue and a blow dryer! Check this out: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/past-projec... . Now THAT is creative and very inexpensive! (Right up my alley!)
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Christine Barron's Crafting Ideas topic, please visit the Discussions page.