Make The Best of Things: DIY crackle finish with Elmer's Glue and paint

via makethebestofthings.blogspot.com

I've always used fish glue (from Lee Valley Tools) or 'mucilage' - the paper glue we used in kindergarten with the little slitted pink rubber top - to create crackled and crazed paint effects.  

The minor aesthetic problem with mucilage and fish glue (which, just FYI, smells like dead fish) is that they both give a very glossy effect to the cracks, which looks sort of cheesy on some projects.

Using white glue or carpenter's glue offers a much softer matte finish, as detailed on this lovely blog, Make the Best of Things. I love this girl's work and I never thought of doing a crackle finish on cloth. How cool. She gives lots of detail about her experiments in creating crackle finishes with different base coats and degrees of thinning (both glue and top coat). Give 'er a click, eh.

Comments

[Jack D]

I just read your article re panel glues in the Toronto Sun Apr 29/12
What in the world are you talking about Liquid nail not available north of the 49th?? My brother introduced me to this product back in the 70's when he pannelled his basement. All major hdw stores carry it, Rona,lowes,Cashway, CTC, Homedepot, etc. maybe people who have their head in the sand would read, believe your article and be impressed. Terrible to write articles without searching the facts.
Have a nice day, maybe go back to Ca.
Cheers

[ToolGirl]

Hi Jack,
I believe you're thinking of No More Nails, a LePage/Henckel product. Liquid Nails has only been in Canada since last summer and if you check out liquid nails.ca you'll see that it's on the shelves at only a few places including Dulux stores and some independent hardware stores.
Mag