DIY Faux Venetian Plaster

Bring a bit of the Italian countryside to your home with a faux Venetian plaster finish. You can achieve an Old World look by using plaster to dress up your walls, and it doesn't have to cost a lot. The following method is not difficult, but it may take several days. The basic concept is to plaster with a putty knife and then sand to achieve the shiny effect of plaster. The end result is to have a lot of texture and depth, with a smooth flat surface.

Plaster mix
Putty knife
Rubber gloves
Hand sander
100-grit sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Apply an even, thin layer plaster to the wall with a putty knife, without drastic bulges or clumps. Smooth the layer with a trowel, and let dry completely.
- 2
  Apply a second plaster layer, but instead of spreading it evenly, use the putty knife to create texture with short criss-crossing motions. Let dry completely. "You can use different colors for each coat; each additional layer will enhance the look," writes Anne Bold-Pryor in "The Naked Wall."
- 3
  Apply a third layer of plaster. This layer will be smooth and even like the first layer, to create depth without sacrificing the texture of the second layer. Apply this third layer with a large trowel and smooth.
- 4
  Sand the walls, as a final touch to bring out the noticeable shine of Venetian plaster. Take the hand sander and the sandpaper and sand the walls, being careful not to sand too heavily. Polish the uppermost layer of plaster to reveal the shine.

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