Are you a beach bum? Whether you live on an island or inland, bring your love of the sea into your home with this project for walls and furniture.
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The use of shells is very whimsical and creates an instant feeling of being down at the beach, even in the middle of winter. I've got a great wall technique using the old standby — Fixall — for bringing the seashore into your rooms. You can also use this technique on furniture, too.
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Materials:
- fixall (or QuickFix)
- water
- mixing bucket
- mixing stick
- rubber gloves
- seashells
- trowel
- universal tint
- spray bottle with water
- spray bottle for mixing tint and water
- liquid hand soap
- sponge brush
Instructions:
- Wear rubber gloves to protect hands. Pour a little Fixall powder into a bucket and add a small amount of water. Mix with a stick or your hands until the Fixall is a soupy consistency. (Don't add Fixall to water or you'll have more Fixall than you'll ever use before it hardens.)
- Using a trowel to apply a thin (1/4-inch) layer to the walls. Skim coat the wall surface, leaving uneven stroke in the Fixall mixture. This is great for old basement walls that may be costly to fix.
- If desired, tint the Fixall mixture with Universal tint. You can get a marbleized effect if you don't stir it completely. Or mix well for an overall solid color.
- While the Fixall is still wet, embed seashells into the mixture, spacing them apart, and let them dry in place. The skim coat will hold the shells onto the wall.
- When completely dry, spritz the surface with water. If working on a large surface, use a large garden sprayer.
- Add a little tint to water in a spray bottle and mix well. Add a little hand soap to make the color move easily on the surface. Spray onto the wall surface.
- Drag a sponge brush in one direction through the sprayed tint to produce an aged look. Spritz the surface again with water to break up the tint a little. Be careful when working on a vertical surface so the water doesn't run down the wall.
- When dry, the surface will have a textured, antique look. The shells embedded in the wall makes it look like the tide has come in and gone out, leaving a wonderful display of seashells. It's a great look. Have some fun and add a whimsical touch to a room in your home or a fabulous flea market find. YOU CAN DO IT!
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