How to Do Sponge and Ragging Effects on Walls

Ragging On Technique and Positive Sponging

• 1

  Paint the wall with a semi-gloss, latex paint in the color of your choice. Allow it to dry thoroughly.

• 2

  Apply the faux technique glaze to a damp rag, ensuring the rag is not completely saturated, then bunch the rag into a ball.

• 3

  Blot the rag all over the wall, creating random patterns. Work on a small area at a time, apply more glaze when necessary and ensure the entire wall is covered.

• 4

  Use this exact same technique for the "positive sponging," simply swapping a sponge for the rag.

Ragging Off Technique and Negative Sponging

• 5

  Apply a base coat to the wall in the same way required for the "ragging on" technique.

• 6

  Paint the faux technique glaze onto a small section of the wall, starting in the corner.

• 7

  Screw a rag into a ball, and blot the glazed area while it is still wet. Continue in this way until the entire wall is covered, and remove the excess glaze as it collects on the rag by either rinsing the rag or replacing it with a new one.

• 8

  Use this same technique for the "negative sponging" effect. Again, simply exchange a sponge for the rag.

Opaque Sponging Technique

• 9

  Apply a base coat to the wall and allow it to dry.

• 10

  Dip the sponge in the glaze, remove any excess and begin blotting the sponge onto the wall. This technique uses more than one color of glaze to really build up the effect, so ensure the first coat of glaze is the thickest coat in the darkest shade. Allow it to dry.

• 11

  Repeat the process with the next, lighter shade of glaze. Stop whenever you like the effect you have created. If you want to continue building depth and texture, continue adding progressively thinner coats of glaze.