How to Make Denim Paint

Finished denim paint

Many people would be happy just to get a new coat of paint on the walls of a room, but some prefer an original, non-ordinary look. The "denim paint" look provides just that. Using a few products that can be found at a local painting store, you can have a beautiful bedroom with the look of denim.

Things You'll Need

• Paintbrushes Masking tape Wallpaper brush Denim glaze Paint roller with tray Base-coat paint Rubber gloves Dropcloth (optional) Check roller (optional)

Instructions

1. Put on rubber gloves to minimize the amount of cleanup you will have to do. Lay down a dropcloth if you have one. Use masking tape for protection on wood trim if you have a chair-rail or crown molding.

2. Paint your selected wall using the base coat paint. Use a pale yellow or semi-gloss ivory base, as the denim paint will need to be darker than the base coat. This will ultimately make the wall look as if it has a light underside stitching, which is characteristic of denim.

3. Allow the base coat to completely dry. Afterward, use your paint roller to paint the denim glaze on top of the lighter base coat.

4. Use a wallpaper brush (or a stiff-bristled paintbrush) to start the denim pattern as soon as you have applied the denim glaze. This is where a second person would come in handy: Having a helper start the pattern as soon as you apply the paint is ideal. This must be done while the glaze is still wet. The denim pattern is created by running the wallpaper brush down the wall to create vertical lines in the glaze.

5. Use the wallpaper brush to create horizontal lines once you are finished with the vertical lines. This gives the wall the true look of denim.

6. Carefully stipple or brush the area that is adjacent to your molding. Use a regular paintbrush to achieve this. If you are using a check roller, continue to Step 7. If not, skip to Step 8.

7. Use your check roller to give your denim a worn look. (This is completely optional.) To achieve this effect, move the check roller over all of the denim glaze after you've applied the wallpaper brush effect. Make sure to apply firm pressure while doing this. Also make sure to use the check roller before the glaze has dried.

8. Allow the denim glaze to completely dry. The drying time should be printed on the container your denim glaze came in.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint in a well-ventilated area to avoid any health risks.