How to add Venetian Plaster to a Wall

Give your room a sophisticated style by applying a Venetian plaster technique to the walls. A Venetian plaster technique can be used to add a decorative accent to walls or to cover walls with cracks or imperfections.

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Time
Weekend
Price Range
$50 - $100
Difficulty
Moderate

Step 1: Apply the First Coat of Plaster

First, prepare the room by taping around all the molding, mirrors and ceiling.
Wearing gloves, use the small trowel or putty knife to apply plaster to a section of wall.
Apply a thin layer of plaster with a small trowel or putty knife. Smooth it with a large trowel and let it dry. The layer should be very thin; remember that this process involves building up layers of plaster, and for the first layer it needs to be thin and smooth. Avoid any bulging or clumping at this step.
Let the plaster dry completely -- it must be very dry between steps.

Step 2: Apply the Second Coat of Plaster

Once again using the small trowel, begin applying a second thin coat of plaster, working in x-shaped motions and leaving the walls textured, not smooth. Let it dry completely.

Step 3: Apply the Final layer of Plaster

With the large trowel, apply a final thin layer of plaster, smoothing it over the second layer. It will help fill in the surface while maintaining the texture.
Finally, smooth the layers with the large trowel.

When the third layer has dried completely, use a hand sander and 100-grit sandpaper to sand the wall in an up-and-down motion. Use a very light touch, just enough pressure to polish the top coat. You should start to see a slight variation in the sheen of the plaster.

Safety tip: Wear a dust mask and eye protection when using a sander.