Faux is more popular then ever and gives you ways to make a room created with your design and personality. Of course; some finishes are more difficult then others; but there is an easy way to figure out which ones you are capable of doing by experimenting.

Experimenting gives you control over excessive spending and experience before attempting to do the finish on a wall. Using oaktag is a good base for practicing faux finishes. Paint both sides (one at a time and because painting only one side will cause the oaktag to curl) with a latex primer. Once the primer is dry; paint one side with the wall color where you will be painting your finish. This is done so you will get a realistic idea of how the finish will look on that particular base color.

The next part is simple if you focus your mind on the fact that these finishes can be done by anyone who really wants to learn them. There are loads of books on faux how-to’s and you can find them in your local library, used bookstores, or at your local book retailer.

Now you can start being creative and have fun at the same time. Assemble all the items you need in one area such as your oaktag boards, paints, faux materials, drop cloths, etc. Mix a small amount of glaze (if you are using glaze) because it dries quickly. If not, prepare your sponge or rags and start working.

Look around your home and find some utensils, special cleaning brushes or whatever. Now; put some paint on a piece of oak tag and experiment. Swirl each item through the glaze (or paint) and see what happens. Let yourself loose and enjoy. This is your time to be creative and make he finish your own. Sure you can do the sponging and rag rolling; but you want to do something that only you have created. So…be creative.

Once you get the hang of it don’t just go and do it on the walls. Try other finishes and see which one you really like. You should not be in a rush to get it completed; because rushing will only give you a mediocre job. Now you will want to tape (blue masking) the oaktag to the wall in the room where it will eventually be painted. This will give you a view of your work during the day and at night. It will also give you a good idea of how the finish will look each time you walk into that room.

Depending on what you are trying to accomplish you can use paint instead of a glaze. But; if you are using a base color and top color - the base color must be subtle or dramatically different so you can see it through the topcoat color. For example; you could use a medium blue base and a light green topcoat. You color choices are unlimited. Make sure the faux colors coordinate with your room décor and colors.

Faux finishing is about being creative. You can copy what is in the books; but it is always better to come up with your own ideas. Or; you can alter the ones in the book by using different tools to ‘work’ the glaze (or paint).