Adding
a crackled look to an old or new piece of furniture is easy.
-
Clean the piece.
-
If you want the current finish to show through, coat with a thinned
shellac. Thin with 2-3 parts of shellac thinner before
you begin.
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Sand with a very fine sandpaper to dull any gloss. Use a tack
cloth to remove any dust.
If you want a different color to show through, strip
off any old finish. Once the piece is stripped, sand it and prime
with an oil-based primer. Allow the primer to dry. Brush on a base
coat of latex paint.
Now you're ready to crackle.
1. Apply a thick coat of white glue to the painted surface.
2. While glue is still sticky, apply a coat of latex paint. The thicker
the coat, the wider the cracks will be. Brush on the
top coat in one direction only. Do not brush back and forth. Crackling
will begin slowly. To speed it up, use a hair dryer.
3. Let the piece dry.
4. To give it a real antique or distressed look, rough up the finish
with steel wool. You can even rub in a dark stain with
the steel wool.
5. If you want to go even further, try distressing
the piece before you start crackling.
Don't limit crackling to furniture. It works on walls and just about anything
— get creative! However, don't get carried away. As with any
faux finish, a little goes a long way.
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