Purple Rag Roll Ideas

Traditional Look

• For the traditional rag rolling technique, apply a base coat of latex paint to the walls. Opt for a lighter shade of purple, such as lavender or lilac. Pick a darker shade of purple, like royal purple for the top coat. Mix one part latex paint of this shade with three parts glaze style paint. The transparent glaze dilutes the paint, keeping it from overpowering the walls. Apply the diluted paint to the walls with a paint roller. While the paint is still wet, gently dab across the wall with a crumbled rag, removing some of the top paint. To make things easier, ask someone else to dab the paint, or work in small areas at a time. The lighter color peeks through the darker shade, creating an intriguing look.

Ragging On

• The ragging on technique is similar to the traditional method, but is easier to accomplish by yourself. Paint the walls with a darker shade of purple and let the paint dry. Pick a second shade of purple, using a lighter color. Mix one part paint with two parts water and one part glaze. Dip a crumbled rag into the paint mixture and rag it on the walls by lightly dabbing it across the surface of the original paint color. Keep dipping the rag into the paint and dabbing against the wall, until you've reached all areas.

Leather Look

• Create the look of leather on your walls with two shades of purple paint. Use one shade all over the walls and let it dry completely. Use a purple glaze style paint or dilute latex paint as described in the earlier sections. Apply the glaze to the walls using a paintbrush. Roll a rag into a long, thin tube. Gently roll the tube across the wall, letting it naturally remove some of the paint glaze. Move the tube down and roll it again. Repeat the process, moving down the wall. Use a paintbrush to blend the different areas together.

Lizard Skin Technique

• Give your walls the look of purple suede, by painting the walls with a dark purple color. Apply a lighter purple color with crumbled up plastic bags. Tear the bags into long strips and wrap the strips around your hands. Dip the strips into the lighter purple paint color and dab it against the wall. The plastic bags give the wall the look of alligator or lizard skin.