Painting Furniture Designs with a Sponge

Test two or more paint colors for the paint layers. Paint complementary colors on scrap paper to ensure you like how they look together. Use colors with high contrast if you want a pattern that is more visible, and use colors with less contrast for a more subtle pattern. Decide which color you want as the base and which color or colors you want as the partial top coat or top coats. If you use more than one top coat, decide which color will look better on top of the other in your design.

Apply two coats of the base paint color on the furniture with a paintbrush. Let the first coat of paint dry fully according to the paint manufacturer's instructions before you apply the second coat.

Moisten a kitchen sponge with water. Squeeze the sponge to wring out as much water as possible. Very slight dampness will keep the sponge flexible and supple, but dripping water will mix with and thin the paint.

Place the second color of paint on a large tray or plate, pouring enough paint to coat the entire wide, flat side of the sponge.

Dip the flat side of the sponge in the second color of paint, and coat it thoroughly.

Scrape the sponge against the side of the tray or plate to remove as much paint as possible. Blot the sponge against scrap paper to remove a little more of the paint; do that a couple of times, or until the paint application is splotchy and uneven, allowing some of the paper to show through the paint.

Apply the second color of paint to the furniture by using a light, blotting touch with the sponge. Dip, scrape and blot the sponge on scrap paper before each new application of paint.

Put a second coat of paint spots on the furniture using the sponge, but only over the first coat's areas on which you want fuller paint coverage. The effect can create subtle patterns and lines in the paint. Wait for the paint to dry.

Apply another layer of top-coat paint using either a fresh sponge or the first sponge that was thoroughly rinsed and wrung.