How to Crackle Paint with Elmer’s Glue

Are you mesmerized by crackle paint like I am (yes, I’ve crackle painted my fingernails – haven’t we all?!) Well today I’m exploring a cool and thrifty technique that just uses Elmer’s Glue – How to Crackle Paint with Elmer’s Glue.  All three of these jars were made with the same technique, just different alterations and I’ll walk you through it.

I love how it makes these Milk Jars look – have you heard that milk jars are “the next mason jar craze” and I can totally see that coming into play.

So, back to the crackle.  It all hinges on one secret ingredient that I’m betting most of you have in your home…..

This tutorial is sponsored by Elmer’s as part of their Craft It but all opinions are my own, and I love this stuff!

Let’s get started.  You’ll need:

–Surface to crackle – I used milk jars I found at Michael’s.  It can be a frame, box, even a chicken (yep, I tried that too).

–Base paint color – this is the color that will be under your main color – like when the main color cracks, this is the color you will see in those cracks.  I used brown for my fall palette.

–Paint color – I chose fall colors.  I just used craft paints, but I’m sure any would work.

–Foam Brush (or maybe a regular one?  foam is what I used because it’s what I had on hand)

–Elmer’s Glue – I used the basic Glue-All.  Also, I’ve heard great things about using wood glue too, so you can also give that a try.

First you’ll want to paint a coat of your base color on and let it dry completely.  I only used one coat.  I let the jars dry overnight but I don’t think that was necessary.

Now, next I’ll have to talk you through the steps – I was busying making sure the glue didn’t try and I didn’t assign a child photographer to catch my every move like I should have.  Anyways, using the foam brush, paint on a layer of Elmer’s Glue.  While it’s still wet, brush on the paint.  That’s it!  As it dries, the glue kind of “shrinks” and so it pulls together and creates cracks.  Since the paint is on top of the glue, it’s forced to crackle.

Try it out and experiment – have fun with it!  The thickness of your glue layer will make a difference in your end result.  In the picture below I tested this – the jar on the left had a thick layer of glue, the one in the middle was average, and the one on the right was a thin layer of glue.  As you can see, the thicker the glue, the more crackle you’ll get.  I actually like all the looks, so it’s whichever is your personal preference.

Then just make a quick stop at the grocery store and grab some fall flowers and you’re good to go – – fill your jars and enjoy the awesomeness – –

 

If you like projects with Elmer’s products, you’ll want to check out these as well:

Paper Beads | Foam Frames | Mini Photo Banner