One of today’s most popular faux finishes is the crackle finish. That look of age and character is used on a wide variety of pieces, everything from tiny picture frames to large china cabinets. So even if you don’t have any real antiques with authentic lines of broken paint, you can create your own with just a bit of time and effort.
Crackling is a technique that anyone can master, but there are some essential points to keep in mind, and with crackling, neatness counts and practice makes perfect. Start small.
There are several crackle finishing kits on the market, but I have found great success with Valspar Decorative Effects. As with most other products, the Valspar instructions include using a base coat, the weathered crackle glaze and then a flat latex paint for the top coat. There’s no sanding, mixing or special tools required. That’s the good news. It is, however, a delicate finish to perfect.
Each step is simple enough, but you can make it easy or hard on yourself by the type of piece you choose to recycle this way. Pieces with lots of carving detail and tight corners can be a real challenge. Choose something with simple, clean lines and flat surfaces.
The Materials
You can have a crackle finish in any color you want because the base coat and the top coat colors are entirely up to you. You select any paint chip you want and the paint-mixer-person at the paint or home improvement store will prepare the base coat for you, usually in a quart size. This is plenty to start with unless you plan to crackle your house.
You’ll also need a container of the weathered crackle glaze. It may be available in a couple of sizes, but the 16-ounce size should be plenty for several small pieces and at least one large one.
The final coat is ordinary flat latex paint, any color you want. The glaze is clear and will not alter your chosen colors, so the two colors that will show on your piece are the base coat and the latex paint. If you want high contrast, perhaps you’ll want something as opposite as black and white. If you want a more subtle look, consider two pale colors, such as white and gray.
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