Crackle Painting

If you think you'd like to try crackle painting, but the cost of supplies has you thinkiIng twice about whether you want to do it, I have an easy, low-cost alternative you should try. Plain old white glue mixed with some water is going to give you that great crackle finish for next to nothing. The first step is to paint a base coat on the piece that you want crackled and then let it dry completely. Mix your glue and water. I use ten parts glue to one part water. Use an inexpensive brush to apply a thick coat of glue to the surface of the piece, the thicker the coat, the bigger the cracks. Put some thinner coats in some areas, this will make the piece look like it has aged over time rather than looking newer. Let the glue set up, you want it to start drying but still be tacky to the touch. It usually takes about an hour, if the glue dries completely it won't crack. For more of an aged look, you can apply a coat of wax when it dries. What a fun and inexpensive project - try it!