Scott first tried to peel his paint swatches an hour after applying them and found that although they were dry to the touch, they weren’t dry enough to keep going with the project. “I decided to wait a full 24 hours, and in the morning they cracked apart really easily,” he says.
Start by painting on wax paper.
Once dry, peel the paint off and rip it into small pieces.
Apply using Mod Podge.
Drew Scott’s step-by-step instructions:
1. Using acrylic paint, dab even swatches of the colors you want to use on wax paper.
2. Allow to dry overnight. This is crucial as you want the paint to fully cure so it easily breaks apart.
3. Once dry, carefully peel the “terrazzo” swatches off the wax paper and rip into different-sized pieces.
4. Take the vase or object you want to decorate and apply two coats of white paint or whatever base color you want.
5. Once your vase is dry, use Mod Podge to apply the swatches to the vase/object.
6. Allow to dry, then apply a final coat of Mod Podge over the swatches to seal.
Ta-da!
“Leather” Chair
If your étagère is adorned with bits and baubles aplenty, and your shelfies are styled just so, you may be looking for a bigger project. Scott’s painted “leather” chair uses three shades of paint to mimic the highlights and lowlights of a leather’s patina.
Mixing fabric softener with the paint keeps the mixture from drying too quickly. “The layers each took around 24 hours to dry, so you have a lot of time to fix any mistakes, which is really nice,” says Scott. The wait is worth it, though. Once your chair is dry, you shouldn’t have to worry about color transfer or flaky paint. “That’s the chair that I use at my desk whenever I’m doing DIY projects or filming videos, and I haven’t had any problems with it yet,” Scott says.
Before.
Paint using a combination of latex paint and fabric softener.
Drew Scott’s step-by-step instructions:
1. Start by cleaning and prepping your furniture for the painting process. Add painter’s tape to any areas you don’t want to paint and remove any pilling on the fabric.
2. For each color you want to use, mix equal parts latex paint and fabric softener for about 30 seconds until well combined, and then add to a separate spray bottle. (Scott opted for three different shades of Valspar paint—Cafe Miel, Cowboy Boots, and Natural Cork.) This mixture will be your blending agent and allow the paint to smoothly glide over the surface.
3. Apply one even coat of your lightest color to the chair. Then go back in with your darker shades and blending agent to add shadows and depth where you see fit. Let this first coat dry for a complete 24 hours.
4. If your fabric has quite a bit of texture, you may want to lightly sand in between layers of paint.
5. Apply a second coat the same way you did the first and let dry for another 24 hours.
6. Repeat the previous steps until you have your desired finish. The rougher your fabric is, the more coats of paint you will need to create a smoother final texture.
The final leather-like appearance.