How to Apply Texture by Hand to Plaster Walls

Practice on plywood. Mix up a small amount of Venetian plaster. Apply it to the plywood with a sweeping motion. Make crosshatches -- go one way, and then over it, another direction. Once you feel comfortable with your technique, you can move to the wall.

Protect the flooring. Once plaster hardens, it is very hard to remove it from floors. Place drop cloths underneath your work area. Tape them to the baseboards with masking tape to hold them in place.

Mix more venetian plaster. This will be your main batch. Remember that plaster can set within 45 minutes, so it is better to make several small batches of plaster if you don't want to end with a bucket full of hardened, unusable material. If you want a grainy effect on the wall, add sand to your plaster mix once it's ready.

Apply your texture. Use the same crosshatch method and scrape the plaster onto the wall. Use the edge of your trowel to create lines and valleys in your plaster. Remember that it doesn't have to be perfect or uniform. A random pattern is perfectly fine. Use your creativity, and create thick and thin areas to give the wall more dimension. Let the plaster set until hard.

Sand over any areas you do not like. If you find you used too much plaster in an area, smooth it out with a fine-grade sandpaper until you are happy with it.