Rustic Painting Tips

Faux Aged Leather

• To create a faux leather look on walls or furniture, choose two corresponding colors, one about three shades darker than the other. Apply a base coat of the darker color first, let dry and quickly paint a top coat of the lighter color. Apply a large piece of plastic over the wet top coat and twist and bend it to create patterns of creases and lines. Carefully peel off the plastic. If the creases are too harsh, lightly blend the paint with a large brush.

Faux Suede

• Add faux suede to walls or a tabletop. Choose a color of paint that mimics the color of suede and add sand to it, in a ratio of about 4 parts paint to 1 part sand. Add more or less sand depending on personal preference. Mix well. Use a large Bristol brush to apply the paint to the surface in "X" strokes. Work on one small area at a time, using strokes that look like swirls. The sand will rise to the top of the paint as it dries, creating a suedelike finish.

Aged Wood

• Make new furniture look rustic by painting it to look like aged wood. Choose two corresponding colors of paint to make wood look like it has been painted several times, or choose a dark stain and one color of paint. Paint the base coat or stain the wood and let dry. Apply the top coat and let dry. Use steel wood or sand paper to scratch and remove sections of the top coat. To make the wood appear even older, distress it by hitting it with a hammer to add dents and scratches.

Faux Stone

• Faux stone adds depth to walls. Select the color you want for your grout, or the lines between the stones, and paint the wall. Use painter's tape to tape off the lines between your "stones." Choose a darker shade of paint as your glaze color and apply by lightly dabbing a sea sponge on the wall. Pat down the texture with a cheese cloth to soften the texture. Once dry, remove the tape and use a small brush to outline your "stones" with your glaze color.