Preparing to Paint

• Before beginning to paint, always wipe down the walls using a mild soap mixture, which removes dirt, grime, grease, dust and cobwebs. All existing holes should be filled, allowed to dry fully and sanded down and primed to match the rest of the existing wall. Also sand down any existing imperfections as these too can have an unwanted effect when combined with a texturizing paint technique.
  
  

Crinkle Paper

• The crinkle paper technique is less commonly seen than other texturizing techniques, making it all the more visually unusual. To start, an area of the wall that is larger than the tissue paper piece is painted with the chosen color. A piece of tissue paper is then crinkled up, uncrinkled and applied to the wet paint. Paint is then applied over the tissue paper to create the final product. Excess paper should be removed around corners and edges of the wall.
  
  

Grass Cloth

• This technique mimics the look of grass cloth or grass cloth wallpapers. With this texture, the seams should and will be visible as the look is made to mimic the look of actual grass cloth. First, walls must be primed with a latex-based paint. Tint-able glaze is applied to the wall using a brush, then a dragging brush is pulled through, which can be done either horizontally or vertically but never both as this can create an effect similar to strie. Repeat until each wall is complete.
  
  

Sand Paint

• Sand can be added to paint for an effortless texture. When adding sand to paint, use silica sand, which is specially made for use with paints and is carried at many home improvement stores. Sand should be added to latex paint of any glass as other types of paint will not yield the same results. When applying sand paint to the walls, use a low pile roller or sponge roller and apply as normal.
  
  

Sponging

• Sponging is relatively self explanatory. A sponge in whatever size, shape or consistency desired is used to sponge paint onto the wall, which can be done over a base coat of the same or a different color. Sponging can create many different textures and patterns, depending on the sponge itself.
  
  

Stippling

• A more difficult and time consuming method of creating texture on walls is through stippling. Stipple brushes can be expensive, so cleaning them thoroughly is a must if they are to last. With stippling, a base color is applied to the wall and allowed to dry. A secondary color in a shade or two lighter or darker than the original is then stippled onto the walls using the stipple brush to create an attractive finished product.
  
  

Strie

• Strie is used to mimic the look of fabric on walls. For strie painting, the walls must be in good condition or the effect will not work. First, a base coat is applied. A second color that consists of part glaze is used and should only be one or two shades lighter or darker than the original color. Using a paint pad, apply a small amount of paint, and spray with water before pulling the pad along the length of the wall. Using a dry brush, pull through the wet paint and glaze mixture, which is repeated until the horizontal length is complete. The same technique is then used vertically to create the strie effect.
  
  

Stripes

• Any size stripes will create visual texture. They can be done either vertically or horizontally. When painting stripes, use painter's tape and, using a small brush, apply a thin layer of clear glaze to both sides of the tape, which ensures a smooth, perfect line when the tape is removed. Also, when painting stripes, always remove the painter's tape immediately after each stripe to ensure the tape does not stick and cause visual mistakes in the stripes.