While the most popular paint technique is sponging, ragging is the easiest technique for anyone to master.
Tools and materials
• blue painter’s tape, buckets (for water and clean-up)
• gloves
• lint-free rags (or old T-shirts)
• paint roller and cover
• paint tray, plastic liner, plastic tray liner
• paper towels
• two tones of interior latex satin paint
NOTE: Use a premade glaze and tint it with one tone of the paint, mixing in a few paint drops at a time to achieve a four-to-one ratio and a translucent quality.
1. Before applying the first coat, make sure that walls are clean and free of holes. Use an interior latex satin paint as your base coat. Once it dries, mask off the trim, the ceiling, and the baseboards with blue painter’s tape.
2. Gather the rags and cut them into large pieces that can be bunched up but still nestle comfortably in your hand.
3. To apply the glaze, line your paint tray with a plastic liner. Pour a small amount of paint into the tray. Keep paper towels handy to dab off any unwanted paint during the glazing process.
4. Practice makes perfect. Dampen the rag to remove any remaining lint, then wring it out well. Bunch it into random folds—the fewer flat areas, the better. Dip it into the top-coat color, blotting off excess on the liner and then on paper towels.
5. Start on a wall. Begin at a center point, gently pressing the rag to leave an impression. Work on a 45-degree angle in a space about 2 feet square. Since the first impressions will be heavier, space them out a bit and fill in the spaces between the heavier spots for a soft blending effect. When you rag, rotate your wrist to vary the pattern. Bunch the rag periodically to create different textures and shapes.
6. Rinse the rag often for a crisp crushed design. Work your way around the room, in 45-degree-angle puzzle shapes, until the job is done.
Ragging with a rich hue has transformed this bedroom into an elegant retreat.
Painted border
Stenciling a simple repeating pattern will dramatically change the look of a room and establish a theme that can be echoed in decorative accessories. Paint the floor with earth tones to complement wood; for a bolder statement, try a bright blue.
For best results, start with a new floor or one that’s been sanded to the bare wood. For faded or stained
hardwood floors, consider painting the floor prior to stenciling with two coats of a solid color paint. Or create an impressive “inlaid” border by using wood stain in lieu of paint: apply an overall wood stain in a lighter color, then block out a border design with painter’s tape and blot on a darker wood stain with a rag. To seal and protect any creation, apply several coats of polyurethane or varnish.
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