How to Do the Spanish Lace Wall Texture

Pour 2 gallons of drywall compound into a 5-gallon bucket. Add 1 cup of water and blend the mix with a ribbon mixer attached to a drill. Pour in 1 gallon of No. 30 white quartz sand and mix again to make the mud for the texture application.

Place a cup of mud on a plasterer's hawk. Tap a trowel onto the mud, forming peaks of mud on the face of the trowel. Now tap the trowel onto your wall or ceiling, so that peaks form there. Work in a 12-inch square area until you get used to the technique, so that the mud doesn't dry too quickly.

Smooth the peaks on the wall with a clean trowel. The result is flat texture with open spaces that resembles Spanish lace. Do not attempt to smooth the mud to completely cover the wall.

An alternative is to pour some mud into a painter's tray and apply it to the wall with a dry roller. With a trowel, flatten the peaks formed by the roller nap. This technique is quicker than using a trowel but is less precise, and the Spanish lace appearance will be more subtle.

Paint the wall as desired, after the texture mud is dry.