How to Crackle Paint on Wood ~ Nifty Thrifty DIYer

Yay for the weekend!!! The time I get to dive into unfinished craft projects…..my happy place. Today I’m so excited to show you how to crackle paint on wood . You won’t believe how EASY it is to get this stunning aged effect!! If you’re a crafting mom like me, then I guarantee you’ll even have the right supplies on hand. Craft paint and Elmer’s glue is all you need! Yep…..glue!!

How to Crackle Paint on Wood

What You Need

dark brown craft paint
accent color craft paint (optional ; I used Sage green)
Elmers glue
sponge brush

What To Do

Step 1:

Paint your project your desired color. Be sure to complete all coats, and distressing if that is part of the design.

Step 2:

With your dark brown craft paint and sponge brush, make several splotches all over your piece. Making them irregular shapes will give a more natural look. You can add an accent color with the brown for more dimension. This is where I added some of the sage green paint on top of the brown. Cream or gold would be nice accent colors too.

NOTE: If you want the entire piece to look crackled your technique will be slightly different. You will paint your entire project with the dark brown craft paint first, then proceed with steps 3 & 4.

Step 3:

When the paint is dry, take your sponge brush and paint a thick layer of glue on top of the paint. GLUE?!! Yeah glue!! Can you believe it? Wait til you see how beautiful it turns out.

If you’re working on a large piece of furniture, it’s really important to work in small sections. Once the glue is on, you only want it to dry for roughly 10 minutes or until a light film develops on top. If it dries too much, you’ll have to add more glue and try again. I worked on one side at a time for this project.

Step 4

When the glue has a slight film, take your original color of paint and paint over top of the glue.I found a sponge roller worked well for this step. It will look pretty scary. You’ll wonder if you’ve made a mistake, but trust me…..it will look perfect after a few minutes! Once the glue is painted, you can watch the magic happen! As the paint dries, it will begin to crackle where the glue was, and the brown and accent colors will show through.

How awesome is that?!! And how EASY is that?!! I LOVE easy DIY projects that make people think you spent a small fortune at some exclusive home decor shop! There’s something so satisfying about creating beautiful projects yourself!

So give this a try on your next furniture makeover. You won’t be disappointed! And be sure to snap a picture and post it under “tried it” on my pinterest page. I’d love to see your projects!

Until next time