Unusual Wall Painting Techniques to Dress Up Your Walls

Have you ever walked into a home that had a textured pattern on the wall that kept drawing your attention?  Maybe you took the time to ask what wall painting techniques were used to achieve the result.  Whether you asked or not, we are going to cover some simple, yet unusual, wall painting techniques that will have others soon asking you how you got such a great look on your walls.

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to freshen up a room is with paint.  All those wall painting techniques that look so complicated are actually easy to achieve with just a bit of time.  There is no way to get a “wrong” pattern with these because every time they are done, the pattern is different. 

The most popular medium used in these wall painting techniques is a simple sea sponge.  You can invest in a sponge at a craft store, but a simple sea sponge from the corner drugstore will work just as well.  Once you decide on a color, wet your sponge and wring out the excess water.  Now the fun part—start pressing the sponge on your wall wherever you want.  Eventually, your goal is to cover the entire wall, but, unlike using a roller, you can skip from here to there with the sponge.  Once the first coat is dry, you may want to touch up with a second coat.

Did you know that feather dusters can be used for painting?  This wall painting technique is not only fun but also very beautiful when done.  Start by applying a coat of paint on a small area of wall.  You don’t want to work with too large of an area or the paint will dry too quickly.  Now, grab that feather duster and start making sweeping strokes with it in the wet paint.  You can vary this wall painting technique by using different strokes or different kinds of feather dusters. As you finish each section, move onto the next. 

Try different wall painting techniques with different objects—plastic bags that are all crumbled, material dipped in paint, screens or just about any material that will hold paint and make a pattern.  Paint is so easily covered up if you do not like the results of one wall painting technique. 

Another wall painting technique that will make your room unique is to combine two, or even three, different colored paints.  Choose colors that go well together and see what you can come up with.  Blend the colors well where they meet.  This wall painting technique works especially well with the feather duster, as you can “sweep” one color into the other to blend them. 

< Go back to interior decorating articles