Follow along today as Amy teaches you how to achieve this cracked and grody furniture finish. It's perfect for consoles, nightstands, and all textured pieces. You'll have so much fun Getting This Look!

Your Shopping List

English Walnut Gel Stain

Cracked Patina

One Step Paint (Bauhaus Buff, Atelier, Good Man Is Hard To Find)

Light Wax

Dark Wax

Dust of Ages

Start With Stain

If you already have a stained piece, just clean it with Clean Slate. Amy used English Walnut Gel Stain and applied it with a rag. Allow to dry one hour.

Apply Cracked Patina

If you apply this on thick - your cracks will be thicker. If you apply it thinly then you will have thin cracks. Add a little water to your Cracked Patina to thin it up for this finish. Apply with a sponge or chip brush. Be sure to fully cover the carvings of your piece and you don't have any holidays. It's going to be shiny - this is how you know you have it everywhere. Let it dry for one hour.

Time To Paint

We are using Bauhaus Buff today and applying it with a Chip Brush. You want to work fairly quickly here because when you start painting the Cracked Patina will start to activate. Always start in the top left corner and down as quickly as you can. The first color will take off the most. You will see the paint start to crack.

Using Your Hands

Time to use your hands for this finish! Start with pressing your fingers into the paint and removing some of the paint. You want to be very strategic with your placement and that you are taking off the most this first time. Be careful to not make your hands a positive tool, you will want to occasionally wipe them. Lightly sand once dried with 220 grit. 

Second Coat Of Cracked Patina

Apply a second coat of Cracked Patina. 

Apply Your Second Paint Color & Lift

We used Atelier for our second color. Apply it starting at the top and working your way across fairly quickly. Let the paint dry and come to tack. You will see the sheen go away and know it's time to lift! Make sure your hands are completely dry and then start lifting the paint. Lightly sand once dried.

One Last Layer!

Add another layer of Cracked Patina and let it dry about 45 mins to an hour. Apply a coat of Good Man Is Hard To Find One Step quickly to your piece. Let it come to tack. Let this dry completely and then sand! You want your finish to feel as good as it looks.

Time To Seal

You want to seal with Light Wax, Dark Wax, and Dust of Ages. Load up your Chip Brush with Light Wax, offload, and apply all over the piece making sure you get in the crevices too. Apply some Dark Wax around the edges and a little on the piece. Allow this to come to tack and it's time for Dust of Ages. Your wax will be cool to the touch when it's ready and not greasy. Pounce your Dust of Ages on to the piece. Then take a lint free rag and buff your piece with the dust.

ENJOY THE BRAGGING RIGHTS!!!

 What is glazing and how can I use it on my furniture? Watch Amy's video and follow the steps below to learn about this technique. Glazing is so great because you get a beautiful finish and you don't need to seal it with wax! 

Start By Painting Your Board With The One Step Paint Of Your Choice

Mix Your Glaze

One part Glazed Over, One part Paint, One part Water

Use a sponge brush to apply your glaze to a small section of your furniture

Bunch up a lint-free rag and pat your glaze

To Add Something Extra - Apply A Mesh Stencil To Your Finish

We used the A Makers' Studio Motif Stencil

We used Gold ChalkArt to take it to the next level

Amy showed you a number of color options in this video - check them out below!

Italian Silver With Palace Gray Glaze

Vintage Affliction With Kensington Black Gel Stain

Shaw Red With Kensington Black Gel Stain

Bauhaus Buff With Ambala Blue Glaze

English Boxwood With A Glaze Made Of More English Boxwood, Glazed Over, and a Tablespoon of Kensington Black Gel Stain

This finish is stunning and so fun to do. Use this finish on artwork, furniture, wallpaper, and so much more. The depth you'll get my following these techniques are divine. 

Supplies You Need

Venetian Damask Mesh Stencil

One Step Paint in colors: Vintage Affliction, Easy Street, Brooks Grey, Black, Lady Singing The Blues

Gel Art Inks in colors: Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Hush Your Mouth

Glazed Over

Sponge Brush

Lint-Free Rag

ChalkArt Spreader 

Paint Roller

Artist Brush

How To

Step 1: Mix Your Paints

Mix three parts Easy Street, one part Vintage Affliction, and one part Brooks Grey One Step Paint. 

Step 2: Paint Your Surface

Using your custom color and a high density paint roller to paint your surface. Allow it to dry 20-30 minutes.

Step 3: Make Your Glaze

Remember your ratios for a glaze - one part glaze, one part water, one part paint. For this glaze we are going to mix one part Glazed Over, one part water, one part of our paint we mixed in the first step but we will also add a little Lady Singing The Blue Ones Step Paint and Black One Step Paint. We wanted to have a bit of a darker color for this glaze.

Step 4: Paint Your Glaze On

Paint your glaze on using a sponge brush or a roller. Apply it in all different motions - circular, organic squiggles, etc. Work in sections so you have complete control over your areas - you want to work fairly quickly so it does not dry. After applying your glaze to a section, bunch up a lint-free rag and pounce it on to the section. We don't want it to be too crunchy or to look like leather. Allow your glaze to dry. 

Step 5: Lay Your Stencil Down + Mix Your Gel Art Inks

Lay your stencil down on your piece and press it down so that it sticks. These stencils are great because they will hold in place on your surface and then you can easily remove it. Wash your stencils in water, let them dry, and use it over and over!

Time to mix your Gel Art Ink - mix Metallic Gold, Metallic Silver, and Hush Your Mouth Gel Art Ink. 

Step 6: Apply Your Gel Art Ink To Your Stencil

Apply your mixture in sections to your stencil using an artist brush. 

Mix more blue into your other mixture and apply is here and there.

Use a ChalkArt spreader to start blending your inks around.

Add some Metallic Silver Ink and work that around the stencil. 

Keep adding more gold and silver and blending until your stencil is covered.

Step 7: Remove Your Stencil

Remove your stencil and see your gorgeous design! Be sure to wash your stencil as soon as you can. 

Love the look of Carrara Marble? Create this beautiful finish on your countertops, floors, the tops of furniture, and more with Amy's tutorial! 

Supplies Needed:

Ballet White One Step Paint

Luxe Grey One Step Paint

Good Man is Hard to Find One Step Paint

Glazed Over

Wax

Turkey Feather

Instructions:

1. Start with Ballet White as your base. Using a foam roller feather out the paint so you don't see any seams. You want to do about two coats. 

2. Now we are going to create various mixtures for our scumble:

• Mix one part Glazed Over, one part Ballet White, and one part water
• Mix one part Glazed Over, one part Luxe Grey, and one part water
• Mix one part Glazed Over, one part Good Man is Hard to Find, and one part water
• Mix some of your Glazed Over/Luxe Grey/Water with your Glazed Over/Good Man/Water

You are creating three colors which will end up being your scumble. 

3. Take your sea sponge (a sponge the size of the palm of your hand is ideal) with your Luxe Grey/Glazed Over/Water mixture. Start by taking your sponge and working in a 45 degree angle on your surface, from upper left to lower right. You want to be using a hit drag motion. 

4. Take a lint-free rag and start blending your negative space. This is softening the Luxe Grey paint, use a patting motion. This will make it so you can't see what tool you used for your scumble. Let this dry for about 20 minutes.

5. Now it's time to incorporate your Good Man is Hard to Find/Glazed Over/Water mixture. Take your sponge and create your organic patterns, be sure to leave open areas. Make a pad using your lint-free rag and blend the edges of your pattern. Leave some patches darker than others. 

6. Now it's time to take your Ballet White/Glazed Over/Water mixture. This will give you a sheerness. Take a foam brush and put your glaze completely over your scumble. Take a lint-free rag and pat your Ballet White glaze, make sure to pat organically. 

7. It's time for some veining! When you are doing veining, you want your veins to be sheer. For this you will create a mixture of 3 parts water, 1 part paint, and 1 part glaze. Pour your mixture onto a plate so it's easy to load up your veining tool, a turkey feather! Load up your turkey feather and offload it onto another plate. You are going to follow the line of your scumble to create your veins, starting in the left going to the lower right. Continue creating organic lines with your feather. Be careful to not create squiggles. 

8. Use your Chip Brush to tap some of your veins so they are not so pronounced. Let your veins dry.

9. Take your Ballet White/Glazed Over/Water Mixture and your foam brush, glaze most of your area. Leave some of your darker lines without glaze. Blend with a lint-free rag in areas you want darker. 

10. Time to seal! You have so many options for this. You could use Bright Idea Lacquer for a shiny finish, you could seal with Matte Sealer then wax it. These will give you a stone like finish. Enjoy The Bragging Rights!

Our new Color of the Month, Hunt and Polo, is here! This deep green would look gorgeous on kitchen cabinets, in a bathroom, on your front door, or on a piece of furniture. Watch as we paint a piece and add Glaze, the color completely transforms! 

Join Color of the Month Club HERE.

When you join our Color of the Month Club you receive a 32oz can of our NEW monthly color, FREE shipping, a 10% off coupon code, and training with an interior designer on how to use the color in your home. You will love it!

How to glaze with our Hunt and Polo One Step Paint:

Shop Kensington Black Gel Stain Here

4. Take your finesser and start brushing out the stain. Then take a lint-free rag and start pouncing the piece. Use your finesser to pick up puddles down in the crevices. This is all adding a gorgeous texture.

5. ENJOY THE BRAGGING RIGHTS! 

Our color crush this week is Ambala Blue! This soft blue pairs perfectly with other blues, grays, and natural woods. 

Watch as Amy shows you this gorgeous color on a cabinet paired with our Light and Dark Waxes.

Shop Ambala Blue here.

We recommend pairing this color with Lakai Blue, Weybridge Classic, Spa White, and Vanderbilt Gray. If you decide to go with Ambala Blue for your cabinets, paint the inside of the cabinets with one of these complementary colors for a fun surprise!

Shop Clean Slate here.

Shop Waxes here.

On this #FinishFriday Amy sat down to go over Toscana Milk Paint, which is also her favorite finish! This video is great for beginners to learn what you can do with this amazing product.

Shop Milk Paint

Shop Waxes

Shop One Step Paint

Toscana Milk Paint allows you to easily recreate the iconic historic patina found on European antiques. Each carefully curated pigment is sourced from Italy and the South of France to provide superior finish, color, and vibrancy. Whether you are a beginner or an expert purist, you are sure to fall in love with Amy’s favorite finish!

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Use this technique to paint your own Geometric Nightstand. Choose any color from our collection of One Step Paint for this fun design. 

Supplies (click below to shop): 

• Nightstand
• Clean Slate
• Cranley Garden - One Step Paint 
• Wedge Specialty Brush
• Painters’ Tape
• Lint Free Cloth

Instructions: 

1. Begin by cleaning the top and sides of the nightstand using a lint free cloth and Clean Slate. 

2. Then use the Wedge Specialty Brush to apply Cranley Garden One Step Paint, using nice long stokes and always painting into a wet edge.  Be sure to paint in the direction of the grain as well. 

3. Once dry apply a second coat of paint. 

4. Next, add painters’ tape to the front of the dresser at an angle.  If it crosses over a handle you can tape it off to paint partially as well. 

5. Then continue the angle below to any crossbars but also taping off the legs. Be sure to burnish the tape (rub firmly) so that the paint doesn’t leak underneath it. 

6. Use your cloth and Clean Slate again to wipe down the area you will be painting.

7. Then paint those areas using the same method as in steps 2-3.

8. Lastly, carefully remove the Painters’ Tape and allow paint to cure. 

9. Optional, you can seal using one of the Amy Howard At Home Waxes or Sealants if you would like for added protection, durability, and sheen, but it is not necessary. 

10. ENJOY THE BRAGGING RIGHTS!

This Cracked Patina Vase is so chic and would be the perfect addition to your home. You'll be able to enjoy fresh flowers and plants in this beautiful vase while enjoying the bragging rights! 

Supplies: 

• Vase
• Clean Slate
• Toscana Sage – One Step Paint
• Parisian Gray – One Step Paint
• Serengeti Gray – One Step Paint
• Cracked Patina
• Dust of Ages
• Light Antique Wax
• Chip Brushes
• 1.5” Nylon Tapered Brush
• Lint Free Cloth
• Fine Sandpaper

Instructions:

1. Begin by cleaning the vase using a lint free cloth and Clean Slate.

2. Then use your Nylon Brush to apply one coat of Toscana Sage One Step Paint.

3. Once dry, use a Chip Brush to apply a thin layer of Cracked Patina, making sure the entire surface is covered but that it is not too thick anywhere. 

4. Let that dry and then use another Chip Brush to apply a layer of Parisian Gray.  Be sure to go over the surface only once or twice and no more.  You want to avoid holidays yet not go over an area too much or leave it too thick. If working with a larger vase, work in sections.

5. Once the paint begins to crack, use a clean Chip Brush on its side to begin moving and lifting off the paint. 

6. Next, go back with your fingers to further manipulate the textured surface. 

7. Allow to dry and then use a fine sandpaper to smooth any rough spots. 

8. Now repeat steps 3-7 using the last paint color, Serengeti Gray.

9. Once dry, use a Chip Brush to apply the Light Antiquing Wax.

10. Then, once the wax has come to tack, apply the Dust of Ages allowing it to sit on the wax as the wax completely hardens. After that you can gently remove the excess dust. 

Amy answers all of your burning questions about Glazing on today's Finish Friday! What is glazing? When would I use glazing? Do I have to wax after glazing? Watch today's video to get all of those questions answered. 

Shop today's video below:

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