crackle paint

Footstool/Child’s Chair

I’ve had this little stool for quite a while, but I haven’t really used it since our first move. This finish just didn’t seem to fit with my decor. In my house if it sticks around long enough it will probably be repainted.

I started out with a couple coats of white paint, thinking I would probably distress it with sanding. Since I have a couple of other projects planned with the same distressing technique and color, I decided to give this stool a crackle finish instead.

I no longer purchase expensive crackle mediums for this technique. Cheap white glue is my medium of choice. It is thickly applied over the base color and the top color is painted over the glue while it is still wet. A hair dryer is then used to quickly crackle and dry the layers. FYI, the thicker the glue the bigger the cracks.

When crackling, I do one surface at a time, always with that surface flat and facing up. This prevents the wet layers from sliding and sagging. Let’s face it, nobody likes saggy cracks.

Glue crackling takes a little bit more time, but the finished results and the cash in my pocket makes it worth while.

Enjoy!