How to Make a Crackle Finish With Latex Paint

Preparation

• 1

  If you will be painting indoors, cover the floors and furniture near your project with drop cloths, sheets of painter's plastic or old bedsheets. According to the EPA, most latex paint is not highly toxic, but it may have an irritating odor. Open windows for ventilation, and read the instructions and warnings on the labels of any products you use.

• 2

  If you are painting over laminate, finished wood or another glossy surface, lightly and evenly scuff the surface with medium-grit sandpaper to allow the paint to adhere better. Apply a coat of primer to your project, according to the type of surface:
  Use a shellac-based primer on hard, nonporous surfaces like Formica, metal and glossy, oil-based finishes (even if you just sanded the surface).
  Use a stain-blocker primer for unfinished wood and for items previously water-damaged or painted with craft paint.
  Use any available water-based primer for semi-porous surfaces and items previously painted with matte, water-based paint.
  Allow the primer to dry completely.

• 3

  Choose latex paint in two colors. The base color is the color that will appear through the cracks in the treatment and should be in a flat finish. The second color is the main color of the treatment and can be in any finish. Thinning the main color by stirring in about 1 part water to 3 or 4 parts paint is optional but will make application easier. The base color does not need to be thinned.

Painting

• 4

  Apply a coat of paint in your base color, using a brush or a paint roller. Allow this coat to dry fully.

• 5

  Brush a coat of wood glue over the base coat. A thin coat will yield small cracks in the finished treatment, and a heavy coat will make fewer but larger cracks. If you want all the cracks to be similar in size, take care to apply the glue coat evenly.

• 6

  Allow the glue to dry just enough to be tacky in most places. Don't let it become hard and transparent. The surface should still be mostly glossy.

• 7

  Use a large, flat paintbrush to apply the main color of paint over the glue. Always brush in the direction you want most of the cracks to run. Use as few strokes as possible, and avoid brushing the same area repeatedly. Your aim is to lay the paint on top of the glue, without allowing the two to blend together. A wide, flat paintbrush that holds a lot of paint will make this easier. Don't worry if the paint is slightly heavier in some places, as long as the entire surface is covered.

• 8

  Cracks will begin forming in seconds or minutes. Allow both the paint and the glue to dry completely before handling your project.