Leather-Look Painting Technique

Accent Wall

• A faux leather wall is easy to create with latex paint, glaze, latex gloves, plastic shopping bags, a sponge roller and an empty plastic bucket.

  Paint the accent wall in a medium brown or a deep gold, depending upon the depth of the leather look you want to achieve. It will darken as the glazes are added.

  Mix a glaze mixture using one part paint, one part water and one part glaze in a bucket, stirring until the ingredients are combined. The paint choice for the glaze should be a shade darker than the base wall color to create the accents for a leather look.

  Transfer the glaze mixture with a foam roller to a crumpled plastic bag and gently imprint the wall with the glaze mixture, taking care not to use too heavy a hand, or it may appear solid, rather than showing the accent needed to achieve the look of faux leather. If the glaze builds up too heavily, dab it with a dry paintbrush. Once the wall is complete, let it dry.

  Make a final, darker glaze mixture that is one shade darker than the first in the same portions as the first: one part paint, one part water and one part glaze. Apply with a foam roller, blotting any edges the roller creates with moistened cheesecloth. This will add depth to your work. Let it dry thoroughly.

Tabletop

• Add life to an old tabletop with a faux leather technique which does not have to be limited to brown leather. You might prefer a rich burgundy – just remember, as with creating the faux leather wall, to start with a lighter red and follow it with a deeper reddish-brown for the glaze mixture. Use one part paint, one part glaze and one part water to make the glaze. Sand the tabletop before starting this project. If the tabletop gets regular use, top your work with water-based varnish in the sheen you prefer.

Lampshade

• Paint a lampshade with a leather look achieved with an alternate method that uses indoor/outdoor spray paint in a lighter color than you wish the final project to be. This method will become darker when adding the accent paint for a leather look. In a plastic container, spray two additional colors into a plastic bucket in darker shades than the base coat. For a rich brown shade, recommended colors are black and a deep brown. If you are using oil-based spray paint, work in a well-ventilated area. Dab a crumbled plastic bag lightly into the puddles of spray paint in the bucket and dab the mixture of colors on the lampshade in a random pattern until you've achieved a leather look. Spray with a clear coat if desired.

Wooden Box or Humidor

• Painting a humidor makes for a handsome gift, or it can be kept on a desktop to hide clutter. Follow the same steps as the lampshade, keeping in mind that a leather look can be in any color you might desire.