Kitchen Wall Tutorial

As promised I am sharing a tutorial with you on how I did my kitchen wall in the previous post and as usual I did not think to take a photo of all the supplies needed...so here is a list:

1. white tissue paper
2. assorted rubber stamps
3. black rubber stamp ink pad
4. paint
5. paint brushes
6. wall sizing
7. old rags
8. ladder {just don't miss the last step on your ladder and fall off like I did a couple
times...I have the bruises to prove it. ha!}
9..the will to actually take the time to get this project done

First, I took several pieces of white tissue paper and stamped the images on them that I had chosen.( I stamped them on the dull side of the paper and not the shiny)

This is what mine looked like and no two were alike believe me. That is the beauty of this project...you can't mess it up no matter how hard you try. 

After stamping several sheets I ripped them in four strips and then ripped the strips into pieces. All sizes and all shapes. Every now and then I would run out of pieces so had to get more tissue paper out and stamp, stamp, stamp. :) I also made sure and ripped off all the straight edges that were along the outside of the paper.

Next, I added some drizzle gray paint to the walls ...Ceramacoat brand . I used it out of a 2 ounce bottle and I still have a lot left. {the walls were already primed with rustoleum white painters touch paint, but I would call it a light gray instead of white} I just squirted a little on my paintbrush like the photo above shows.|

Then I smeared the paint on the wall. There is no right or wrong way to do this at all. Just slap some paint on your wall.
As you can see this shade is a  tad bit darker than the previous shade that is painted on the wall.

Next, I took a wet rag and wiped it in swirly motions to spread the paint around and to give it a "mottled" look.

The above photo is what it looked like when I was done. Again, you can't mess this up! A lot of this will be covered by the tissue paper pieces, so a little of the darker paint will show up between the pieces and it will be just perfect.

After smearing the wall with the darker paint {confession time here...I did small areas of the wall as I went along} I mixed up some wall sizing {you can find this in the wallpaper section of a home improvement store} and painted a little on the wall where I was going to attach one of the tissue paper pieces.

Then I took a piece of stamped tissue paper and put it on the wall.

Like the photo above...it does not matter if it has a few bubbles, but mine rarely did.

With the paper being so thin, you can dab the bubbles out with a dry brush or...

...with your finger...this part may seem a tad daunting but it is not. I didn't rip one piece of paper while doing this. It went up so fast and so smooth.

I will say also that if you get a piece up that you don't like or if part of it messes up just take a dry paper towel and carefully wipe it of the wall.  Being thin tissue paper, it will ball up and come right off.

This will be your finished project!! 

I really do love how it turned out. Up close it literally looks like old stone and with the applied paper being so thin, it just looks like part of the wall.  My son and daughter-in-law came over a day or so after I finished this up. As soon as they walked in the kitchen they noticed the wall right away and went right over to it. My son could not believe it was tissue paper because it seriously looks and even feels like a stone surface! {I am sure it helped that I have old uneven walls to start with lol}  He kept saying, "NO, it is not tissue paper....NOPE it can't be"...lol. 

I haven't sealed it. Still thinking that over. I am not sure if it would smear the stamped part or not. Probably not because I used archival ink , but I am not sure. Will have to test it first on a piece that isn't on the wall. I hope some of you give this a try and if you do please let me know how yours turned out. I did get a new window treatment partially finished so will show you that next. I do love simple projects even though this one took a few days. What can I start next...hmm...:)

Happy Sunday!!

Upstairs Wall Progress ~

This is what I have done so far on the upstairs wall that I wrote about a few posts back. I am not sure that I will leave the greenery swag up, but until I figure out what else I am going to do for sure I will leave it there. What do you think? Leave the swag up or take it down? I am also going to put up some empty antique frames with fabric or tulle swagged ...that is the plan anyways. I am in the process of painting the frames an antique cream color. I do love this mirror up there. Progressing slowly but surely ~ Blessings!