If the question arose about the decoration of the walls, we can say with confidence: the repair is close to completion. But it’s too early to relax, because this is one of the most crucial stages, especially if the finishing will be done by hand. And here the question is not so much in the technical side as in the aesthetic! There are an infinite number of wall decor options, and everyone strives to be original in this matter, trying to embody their own ideas. Fortunately, today there is a wide choice of materials that allow you to realize the most daring ideas.
Decorative plaster made from ordinary putty, made by hand, can give the walls the most original look.
Plaster and putty as finishing materials
In general, plaster is a coarse coarse-grained material intended for primary wall cladding, but decorative plaster has practically nothing to do with this and may well be prepared from ordinaryputties. Putty, in turn, is just the material that is used to level the walls and hide minor defects. There are two types of putty:
- Starting - eliminates cracks, scratches and other small surface defects.
- Finishing - allows you to make the surface absolutely smooth. Prepares walls for painting, wallpapering, etc.
Decorative plaster is often created with finishing putty. Such a coating looks very impressive and allows you not to resort to expensive services of specialists in order to get rid of various defects. The decorative coating perfectly masks all the roughness.
Preparing for decorating
So, if you combine patience, diligence and your imagination, then the decorative plaster made from ordinary putty with your own hands will turn the walls into a work of design art.
Getting to work, you need to make sure that everything is prepared. Namely:
- materials for the preparation of decorative plaster;
- tools necessary to perform the work;
- the surface of the walls is prepared (levelled);
- paint, if you wish, give color to your creation.
Tools and textured rollers can be purchased at specialized stores, or you can use improvised tools, remove the old coating of an existing roller and paste it with large-pore foam rubber or make holes in ordinary foam rubber in a chaotic manner. An interesting result can be achieved using an ordinary sponge, brush, polyethylene, butfirst things first.
Before starting finishing work, you should decide not only what you want to do, but also how to do it. Recently, decorative putty plaster has often been used to implement the most daring ideas, but without certain skills it will be difficult. But if difficulties do not scare you, you can safely get down to business.
Mark the leveled and cleaned surface, and paste over the borders of the plots with masking tape. The decoration of the walls takes place gradually, section by section.
Preparing the mixture:
- putty, dry mix;
- grout;
- primer (white).
Mix putty and primer so that the composition was the consistency of sour cream. If desired, you can add paint of the desired shade to this mixture. In order not to make a mistake with the density, you can first apply the composition to a small piece of drywall. If the mixture does not spread and is not very hard, we can assume that the decorative plaster made from ordinary putty, made by hand, is ready for application. Nothing complicated, as you can see.
There is another recipe that can be used to prepare decorative plaster from gypsum putty:
- 6 kg gypsum mix (dry);
- 2 liters of water;
- 0.2L PVA glue.
Pour the gypsum mixture into the water and mix using a construction mixer until smooth, then add the glue and mix again. The mixture should be homogeneous and thick. To slightly change the consistency, if necessary, you can either dilute the mixture with water or add dryplaster.
Important! It is necessary to use the composition of gypsum putty within 20-30 minutes. Therefore, it is worth considering your capabilities and how much solution you need to prepare at a time.
How to make decorative plaster from ordinary putty
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to create complex textures and patterns on your own, without proper preparation, but everyone can reproduce simple reliefs, despite the fact that they look no less impressive and original. Decorative plaster will help with this. With your own hands, a solution is prepared from usually putty and applied to a section of the wall with a layer of no more than 10 mm. Then the mixture should be given a little time to grab, and start applying patterns.
Next, let's take a closer look at the various methods, techniques and types of putty.
Venetian decorative plaster
From ordinary putty, a solution is prepared with their own hands that can imitate valuable breeds of natural stones. And the walls finished with "Venetian" will look unforgettably beautiful, in the spirit of the Middle Ages.
Classic Venetian plaster is a mixture of sand made from natural stones (quartz, marble, malachite) and slaked lime with the addition of dyes.
You can take ready-made dry mix and add it to a container of water according to the manufacturer's instructions. Using a construction mixer, mix the mixture thoroughly. The solution should have the consistency of sour cream.
The application process is presentedin the photo below.
Venetian plaster can only be used on perfectly flat, dry and clean surfaces.
Putty is taken in small portions, strokes are made with a spatula. Strokes can be made sweeping and small, you can imitate any material or create a repeating pattern. After finishing the first layer, it is allowed to dry thoroughly, then they are taken for the next one. The first layer is made continuous, subsequent, finishing, are applied with a flexible spatula. The layers are lightly rubbed to avoid unevenness.
The next step in creating decor is sanding. The main thing here is not to overdo it and smooth out only the sharp protrusions so as not to damage the structure. Use a coarse skin or mesh for this.
Then the surface can be painted. This is a crucial stage in the creation of the Venetian attire of the walls. Paint is applied in layers, and subsequent layers should differ in saturation from the first. The paint is applied quickly to small areas. You should try to remove some of the color from the raised areas.
Finishing can be an acrylic lacquer on the walls or adding a gilding effect. But you can leave everything as it is, it's a matter of taste.
Creating Venetian plaster is not easy and has many nuances, but with due diligence it is subject to everyone.
Patterns, embossing, roller textures
To create beautiful patterns, embossing, textures,also decorative plaster from ordinary putty. A roller covered with large-pore foam rubber or steel mesh is used to treat the surface of the applied plaster. What does it have to do with imagination: use different rollers, combine directions of movement, use textured rollers. You can make a textured roller yourself using:
- Clothesline or cord to be wrapped around the roller. Will it be a smooth winding or with a lot of overlaps, the designer decides.
- Vegetable net or plastic bag. You need to wind them on the cylinder of the roller, leaving folds. Using such a tool, you can get a pattern that will not have a single repeating fragment.
- A piece of foam rubber that can be cut into your own exclusive pattern.
Let's look at textured surfaces created in other ways.
Decor with spatula
Creating textured surfaces is a creative matter. Using a shaped or regular spatula and applying the mortar in wide or small strokes, in undulating or arcuate movements, in a straight or chaotic way, you can create a unique pattern on the walls.
Decor trowel
Also, an interesting pattern can be achieved with a trowel. The first layer is applied, and then the solution is gradually distributed over the trowel and transferred to the base. The movements of the trowel will create an unusual surface.
Another pattern using a trowel can be obtained by simply applying it in different placesand pressing a little. The randomness of these movements will provide a non-repeating wall pattern.
Bark beetle
Using wood or plastic tools, you can recreate a common finish called bark beetle that looks like insect-eaten wood.
To do this, you need to apply the composition to the surface of the wall and give it some time to grab. Then they take the tool and perform horizontal, vertical or circular movements.
Sponge and washcloth patterns
Decorative plaster will decorate the walls in the most original way. With your own hands, you can create a grainy texture from ordinary putty and a sponge. To do this, simply walk the sponge over the entire surface, pressing it lightly against the wall.
Hatching
You can decorate the walls with a metal comb, “combing” freshly applied plaster in different directions. You can get interesting "wicker" patterns. The directions of movements can be wavy, and circular, and semicircular, and crosswise. The putty is allowed to dry and cleaned with a rag to get rid of small particles not associated with the surface. Decorative plaster applied in this way, made with your own hands from ordinary putty, allows you to get patterns that are unlike any other.
Snowball
The technique is very similar to the creation of Venetian plaster. However, contrasting colors are used. The darker one is put in the first layer. And light colors are madesplashes. To simulate snowfall, the top layers are best done in white.
Silk
Another easy way to create a decorative surface. Using plastic film, you can get a pattern that resembles compressed silk. So:
- First, apply putty to the surface with an even layer about 2 mm thick.
- Immediately after application, a plastic film is applied to the puttied area (this “cloth” does not need to be smoothed out, the more folds form, the more interesting the texture will be).
- After covering about a third of the surface, begin to tighten the folds, twisting slightly, so new patterns will form on the putty (repeat the action until the entire wall is covered).
- After 12-15 hours, remove the film. After that, let the walls dry for a while.
- After complete drying, the surface is slightly cleaned, removing break-off parts and smoothing out strongly protruding areas.
The next stage of work is painting the surface. Paint is applied with a roller or sponge. With a damp, clean sponge, some of the color is removed. To remove abundant accumulations of paint in the corners, they must be rubbed with a spatula wrapped in a clean rag. The finished surface is allowed to dry. Then, to enhance the effect of "silk", pearl paint is applied.
Ideas for patterns and textures
Having a good imagination and certain skills, you can create the most original patterns, decorative plaster from ordinary putty is very fertile in terms of creating new textures. Photos, videos, instructions will helpdeal with any difficulties. The main ways to create original textures are given in the article, but there are many variations.
Conclusion
It's safe to say that with patience and a good imagination, wall decoration can be done independently, minimizing material costs for repairs. On the surface of the walls, you can create and embody any ideas you like. If there is an artist’s talent, then the used decorative plaster, created from putty with your own hands, will even allow you to reproduce paintings. Of course, to implement the most grandiose ideas, it is better to turn to professional finishers. But if, nevertheless, a decision is made to decorate the surfaces on their own, and there is no special experience in this matter, it is worth practicing on a small piece of drywall and then feel free to take on the main decor.
