Paint Ragging Ideas

Leather Faux Finish

• If you plan to do all four walls, allow at least three days to finish. The color palette for a leather finish can range anywhere from light or deep browns, blues, greens and even a rich mahogany red. On the first day, cover walls with a semi-gloss base coat. Allow to dry thoroughly. Once you begin to glaze a wall, you need to finish that wall, or there may be noticeable spots where you stopped and started again. Pick a wall to start, and tape off windows, ceiling and floorboards. Begin in a top corner, spreading glaze in about a 2-foot column. Keep sections small and workable. Drying times are approximately 30 minutes. There are special brushes that can be used, but a rolled-up rag will work as well. The key is to strike the wall head on, and not to drag or twist the rag while removing glaze. Make sure to readjust the rag frequently so it will keep picking up the glaze.

Marble Faux Finish

• A marble finish can be overwhelming, and should mostly be used for accent walls. You will need a satin finish white base coat, and for the base color, use two paints of the same tonality, also in a satin finish. Paint the base coat and allow to dry. To apply the base color, you will need two separate 2-inch brushes to begin and cheesecloth for blending. Choose your starting point and work in a 3-foot-by-3-foot area. Apply colors in 2-foot-long squiggly lines, about 6 inches apart. Ball up the cheesecloth, keeping all edges tucked in, and lightly rub the paint into the surface, blending the two colors together. Once the entire wall is covered in this way, use a fine-pointed brush and paint in the marble veins. Use a dry brush to blur some of the lines, and do not make them too uniform or the effect will look unnatural. Finish off with a polyurethane to protect the finish and create a marble-like glossy appearance.

Parchment Faux Finish

• The parchment look offers an "old world" or "antique" appearance and works wonderfully in studies, libraries and even kitchens. The colors should be warm--a mixture of creams, light browns and sunny golds. If your walls are already an egg shell white, you don't need to paint a base coat. To begin the glazing, pick two colors with the same tonality. Using the same painting technique, paint the two squiggly lines and then blend with cheese cloth. Keep going until the wall is completely covered. If the rag gets sticky, simply rinse in warm water, squeeze out excess and continue as before.

Ragging Variations

• The most popular type of classic rag painting technique is to use some kind of cloth, usually cheesecloth. But, you can vary the textures by using materials such as plastic bags, paper towels and even bubble wrap. Experiment with different types of "rags" and find the right imprint for your desired finish. Experiment with old sheets and towels, lace, plastic bags, newspaper, burlap, carpet padding, chamois and canvas. Though the ragging finishes look great on their own, they are also a great background for stenciling or adding boarders. Have fun with the many ways you can apply this technique and make it truly your own one-of-a-kind creation.