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Faux finish Leather or elephant Skin Look
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Faux Finishing..The Leather Look


This is a fun finish that is great for walls that are less than perfect, it hides a lot of defects. I have also used this finish on old lampshades and damaged table tops.

You will need:
Lightweight brown kraft paper, large rolls are available at most bldg centers like Home Depot or Lowes.
Wallpaper adhesive and paste-brush, I prefer the clear ready mixed cellulose paste.
Wallpaper smoothing tool
Polyurethane varnish for your top coat.
A medium to dard brown acrylic paint, this can be a flat or a satin finish.
Paint brush

Procedure:
Tear off pieces of kraft paper, varying the pieces in size and shape, a good size is 10"-12"
Using a paste-brush, apply a base of wallpaper adhesive to an area of the wall about two feet square. (It's best to work on one small area at a time to avoid the adhesive drying as you work.)
Lay torn pieces of paper in a random mosaic pattern, piecing them together like a puzzle to cover most of the surface.
With most of the area covered, add more adhesive over the first layer then add more pieces of paper.
Using a plastic smoother, eliminate wrinkles and make sure that the edges and corners are all adhered and flat. Continue adding layers of paper until the wall surface is completely concealed.
Once you've covered the entire wall, allow it to dry thourghly. Normally 2-3 days.
Prepare a glaze by mixing a small amount of brown acrylic paint into a can of polyurethane finish (figure D). Make certain that the ingredients are mixed thoroughly
Apply a thick coat of the polyurethane glaze over the wallcovering.
The variation in shades resulting from the layering of paper makes for a nice effect.



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