How to Use a Sponge to Color Wash Walls

Place a plastic tarp against the wall to protect the floor.

Saturate a sponge in tap water and wring it so that it is damp.

Apply the edge of the sponge to the wall at its upper left corner.

Wash the wall with long, even strokes, starting at the upper left corner; move down the length of the wall and across the wall to the right side. Moisten the sponge as needed until the entire wall is damp.

Mix 2 cups acrylic glaze with 1/2 cup water in a paint tray. Stir the mixture with a wooden paint stick.

Dip an edge of a dry sponge into the paint tray to saturate half of the sponge.

Divide the wall into four sections - upper left, lower left, upper right and lower right - in your mind.

Apply the edge of the sponge to the wall as if you were washing it, starting at the upper left corner; move down the length and across the wall until you have applied glaze to the entire top left section. Use varied pressure and slow circular motions to apply the glaze to the wall.

Dab the surface of the painted top left section with the flat side of the bristles of a dry brush to create irregular marks in the paint.

Repeat this procedure with the bottom left section, the top right section and the bottom right section. Dab the edges between the sections with the brush to gently merge them.

Let the glaze dry for the amount of time needed as indicated on its instructions before removing the tarp.