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You are here: Home / Painting / How You Can Make Paint Crackle With Glue

January 21, 2018 by Chris Butler

How You Can Make Paint Crackle With Glue

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I’ve been asked several times about how you can make paint crackle with glue.  I did this Wooden Rustic Christmas Gift Boxes tutorial a few months back with this technique, and have had some emails since then asking for more details.

There are several crackle glazes you can buy that range in price from $10-$25+ dollars, But all you really need is a bottle of glue.  Regular Elmer’s or Wood Glue will work.

This is the only technique I use to make crackle paint, it works every time without fail.  My favorite way to do it is with chalk paint.  However this works great with latex too.  The only paint I don’t like using it with is regular acrylic.  I’ll show you some pictures with acrylic further down.

Let’s get to it.

Secrets for crackle paint without using budget friendly methods.

 

Quick Links to Information in This Post

  • Supplies to Make Paint Crackle With Glue
  • How You Can Make Paint Crackle With Glue
      • Applying the Glue for Crackle Paint
      • Applying the Crackle Layer of Paint

Supplies to Make Paint Crackle With Glue

  • Chalk Paint (dark grey or black, plus your top color)
  • Glue (Elmers or Wood Glue)
  • Scrap Wood (for a practice run)
  • Paintbrush
  • Hair Dryer (optional but recommended)

How You Can Make Paint Crackle With Glue

I recommend starting with a scrap piece of wood to practice before you do that amazing piece of furniture you have.  So grab your scrap piece of wood and paint it with dark grey or black.  It doesn’t have to be perfect full coverage, but you need to paint the whole piece.  This is what will show through when your top coat crackles.

Dark base layer of paint for making crackle paint with glue

By the way, for this tutorial I am using Waverly Chalk Paint from Walmart.  My dark color is Elephant and my top color is Cashew.   So this technique works for both high end and cheap chalk paints.

make crackle paint with glue and waverly chalk paint

Applying the Glue for Crackle Paint

After your basecoat is good and dry we are going to paint on the glue.  I start with just squirting a good bit all over the board.  If you are doing a large piece of furniture you will want to do this part in manageable sections.  Timing is key.

applying glue to the baseboard to make paint crackle

Today I am using Gorilla Wood Glue.  I have also used Elmers many of times, I just happen to be out at the moment.  And wood glue tends to be a little bit easier to work with.

The next step is to take your paint brush and start smearing the glue all around.  You want the whole section covered with a relatively thick layer.  The thicker the glue the bigger the “crackle” and the thinner the glue the smaller the “crackle”  mkae crackle paint with glue, applying the glue layer

As you can see I have some thinner areas and some that are thicker.  This makes it look more realistic when it’s all done.

Now for the perfect timing and why I recommend a hair dryer.  We need a skin to form on top of the glue as it does when it’s starting to dry so we can apply the next layer of paint easily.  We don’t want the paint to mix with the glue, but the glue can’t completely dry or we won’t get any crackle.

A hair dryer easily manages this.  Just a minute or so with the hair dryer over the thicker areas will get that skin to form quickly.

Use a blow dryer on the glue to get perfect Crackle Paint

Applying the Crackle Layer of Paint

Now we get to paint our final color that will crackle!  I pour a bit of paint all over the board and lightly use my brush to drag the paint across.  You don’t want to apply a lot of pressure with your brush and break the skin of the glue.

 

applying paint over the glue to make crackle paint

As you can see the part I have painted doesn’t look all that great.  You can see the bumps of the glue and some brush strokes.  But all of that goes away once it’s dry.  That’s why I like using chalk paint the best.

Using glue to make crackle paint

You can break out the hair dryer again on a low setting if you want to speed up the drying time.  As the glue dries under the top coat of paint, it causes the paint to shrink and crackle.  It’s a beautiful thing!

The crackled paint after the glue dries

The thin layer of glue is those small lacy cracks spaced close together.  And the deep farther spaced cracks are where the glue was a really thick layer.

crackle paint after the glue dries

You can see on this section that some paint didn’t crackle, that is where the glue dried before I could get the paint on.   That’s why I think it’s important to do a practice piece.   You will get the feel for how the different thicknesses of glue will affect the crackle.

Acrylic Paint using the crackle paint with glue method.

Here is a sample I did with regular acrylic paint.  As you can see, it just doesn’t work as well.  You don’t get the lacy effect, and it just doesn’t look right in my opinion.

I have however used the glue method on latex paint and it worked just as beautifully as the chalk paint.

That’s it! Now you know the secret to getting perfect crackle paint.  Have fun practicing, I can’t wait to see some of your finished projects! Snap a pic and hit the tried it button on the Pinterest Pin to show off your work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tutorial for how you can make paint crackle with glue

Tutorial for how you can make paint crackle with glue
Chris Butler

Chris Butler has helped thousands of crafters learn how to use their Cricut machine without feeling overwhelmed.  She is a best selling author and an up and coming designer.    For fun Chris enjoys designing SVG Files, hanging out with her family (preferably at the lake), traveling,  and volunteering at her church.  She is a wife and mom of two crazy fun kids.

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Comments

  1. Mary Walkup says

    May 9, 2019 at 11:57 am

    This crackle method works ! I practiced on a small piece first and they both turned out great! I used the hair dryer and tried it outside when it was hot. The outside piece dried pretty quickly and I had to work quickly. The dryer method is more controlled. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
    • Chris says

      May 9, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      Glad to hear it Mary!

      Reply
      • Louise says

        May 2, 2020 at 10:49 pm

        Do you need to put polyurethane on top to keep it from chipping off?

        Reply
        • Chris Butler says

          May 9, 2020 at 12:06 pm

          No, you don’t have too

          Reply
  2. Jeff says

    August 5, 2019 at 10:24 pm

    Is there anything you can top coat with that will preserve cracked finish from wearing/chipping off? I want to use this technique for the edge trim on a stained wood bench top. It will receive a fair amount of wear (bumps/dings,etc). Thanks.

    Reply
    • Tammy says

      August 26, 2019 at 5:20 pm

      You can buy spray sealer in the can. It helps to stop wear and tear🤗

      Reply
  3. Suzie says

    August 9, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    I guess your Jesus doesn’t love me, I ended up with a hot mess and a ruined project.

    Reply
    • Chris says

      August 10, 2019 at 11:16 pm

      Jesus loves everyone! He never promised life would be easy tho. I’m sorry you ended up with a mess.

      Reply
      • Jo says

        June 24, 2020 at 8:11 am

        I have also had hot messes, if this is a practice piece, or a manageable piece try sanding with sander, or apply damp wet rags in spots allowing paint to soften, or running under water And peel it off in sections. It is easy to suggest ideas without seeing, I’m sure u solved the problem good luck.

        Reply
  4. Patsy says

    August 10, 2019 at 10:47 am

    I was wondering about top.coat too.
    Is.this just downloaded not used?
    Does.it chip off of jandled?

    Reply
    • Patsy says

      August 10, 2019 at 10:48 am

      I meant decoration
      Not downloaded

      Reply
  5. Delores Bacon says

    November 4, 2019 at 7:52 am

    This is absolutely gorgeous and sounds easy my question is….will it crackle enough to peel off or is it smooth despite the look?

    Reply
    • Chris Butler says

      November 8, 2019 at 10:07 am

      It’s still quite smooth. Some of the big cracks you might feel a bump, but it’s not really peeling.

      Reply
  6. Nichole Jones says

    November 10, 2019 at 8:31 pm

    Can I do this on canvas? Also can I put a resin top coat over it to seal and protect it?

    Reply
  7. Cathy Bain says

    November 18, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    Hi, I am doing a large wooden wardrobe that I want to distress. It is currently stained varnished wood that I have sanded to take away the sheen. Can I paint the Elmer’s glue over the original finish then top with latex glue to get the crackle without putting a coat of paint under the glue?
    I’m hoping to be able to let the dark original color to come through! Thanks

    Reply
    • Chris Butler says

      November 20, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      Hi Cathy! Yes if you sanded the sheen off it will work

      Reply
  8. Susan says

    January 13, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    Is there a way to consistently get small crackle that is less dramatic?

    Reply
    • Skye says

      April 16, 2020 at 10:09 pm

      Less glue. Thin layer. I don’t like it too dramatic either

      Reply
  9. Elżbieta Królikowska says

    January 29, 2020 at 7:50 am

    Hi Chris 🙂
    my name is Ela and I’m from Poland .
    I don’t speek english well but I want to THANK YOU for sharing this project!
    It’s really great!
    Now I’m going to try it.
    Thank you!
    Have a nice day 🙂
    Big kissssss
    Dziękuję 🙂
    Ela

    Reply
    • Chris Butler says

      February 2, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      Thanks Ella! Nice day to you too!

      Reply
  10. Gloria says

    February 1, 2020 at 11:06 am

    Okay, I have painted on the base coat, the glue, and the topcoat. I now have a lovely crackled finish. I want to decoupage a photo onto the wood, so will mod podge serve as a suitable finish for the photo and the crackle finish?

    Reply
    • Chris Butler says

      February 2, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      Yes, that should work great. Sounds like it’s going to be gorgeous!

      Reply
    • Diane says

      March 19, 2020 at 3:38 pm

      I have a mural on my stairway which I want to look old. I usually would just rub it down with a shoe polish as done in the past. But was thinking a crackle finish would be different. A coat of glue when finished then a light coat of a light brown should do right? I think maybe a trial run would be best. A lot of work in the mural.

      Reply
  11. Lisa says

    February 21, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    I would love to do this technique to an 18″ round plywood piece for a door hanger I have in mind. Once crackled, I’d like to glue a wooden cutout “hi” on it. Would the cutout stay on or would the peeling effect make the cutout fall off?
    Looks great by the way!

    Reply
    • Chris Butler says

      February 24, 2020 at 9:40 am

      It should stay, are you using wood glue or something else?

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        February 24, 2020 at 10:15 am

        I’m using wood glue. Just didn’t know if the “peeling” paint is so loose that the glue wouldn’t grab.

        Reply
  12. Jacqueline Gress says

    February 22, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    Hi! Does this crackle technique work with milk paint also?? Ready to try it soon on a piece my husband is building! 🔨 🖌️

    Reply
  13. Chellie says

    February 29, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    Hi

    I’ve just bought some lovely wooden shelves with but when I brought it home it looks more yellow than I hoped. It’s already been cackle painted with a metal under tone. I’d like to repaint it white but keep the cackled look revealing the metal colour underneath. Can I simply repaint it and hope that the cracks will show through?? Or do I have to start the whole process again? Many thanks

    Reply
  14. mj says

    April 4, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    What kind of spray sealer do you use? You would not use was over chalk paint?

    Reply
  15. mj says

    April 4, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    Sorry let me retype (should wear my glasses when I do this) Do you not use wax to finish on chalk paint? I am new to this and been reading some use wax and some prefer spray sealers – I would love to get your opinion specially for a piece that will be touched a lot (like a vanity).

    What is your preference of spray sealers?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  16. Sharon K. Godwin says

    April 7, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    I have old wood shutters that I want to put inside beside my double window in my den. The shutters are already an old light yellowish color and I wanted to use coffee bean chalk paint or I have a dark brown. Will dark over light look ok?

    Reply
    • Jim says

      May 3, 2020 at 11:06 pm

      Hi Sharon, my guess would be yes. but you might want to practice on a scrap piece of wood. maybe find a close yellow for the base. Make sure you are happy with the look before using your good shutters.

      Reply
  17. Christina Cordero says

    April 18, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    Hi can I use this technique on my cabinets in kitchen they are currently painted a bright white I wanted to use wood glue but did not sure if there’s a clear top coat I can use on top to crackle ?

    Reply
  18. Jackie B says

    April 30, 2020 at 8:31 am

    Does this only work on real wood items? I have some picture frames I’d like to do this to but they’re either plastic or some type of mdf board or resin.

    Reply
  19. RA says

    May 18, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    Will this wok with out the black base coat of paint?
    What I am trying to do is get the cracked look on a transparent material so light will shine through the cracks.

    Reply
  20. Rebecca Ross says

    May 23, 2020 at 11:27 pm

    Can you use this technique with chalk spray paint?

    Reply
    • Laura says

      October 19, 2020 at 12:31 am

      I’m going to try it I will let you know if it works!

      Reply
  21. Linda Hileman says

    July 14, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    Thanks for this great info. I guess I have to make a trip back to Michael’s to return that $24 bottle of crackle medium I bought today!!

    Reply
  22. Rosie Briggs says

    August 10, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    I have 2 old leaded glass window frames from my grandparent’s hunting lodge. they probably have 10 layers of paint on them. The paint itself is already crackled from age, however, they are not painted on the sides of the frame where they fit into the window. Should i remove all of the paint or just sand it down? i’m sure that it is leaded paint so i will need to be safe.
    I have tried a practice piece of wood in which this process worked beautifully.

    Thanks for your help in advance!
    Rosie

    Reply
  23. Nicole says

    October 4, 2020 at 2:36 pm

    So would it be ok if I use a cream color on bottom and my dark color in top?

    Reply
  24. Laura says

    October 19, 2020 at 12:30 am

    Can the top coat be sprayed on with a paint sprayer to help speed up larger pieces before the glue dries too much?

    Reply
  25. Stephanie says

    December 5, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    Absolutely loved this idea.!! Crackle medium is way to expensive .I was going to just distress to wood doors for head boards but tried this instead. For me it was really easy and quick! Thank you for sharing !!!

    Reply
  26. Kathy says

    May 29, 2021 at 8:59 pm

    Would this work with enamel paint?

    Thank!

    Reply
  27. tracey says

    July 6, 2021 at 7:51 pm

    i want to use this on dolls for a creepy look. will this work? i have plastic and Porcelain dolls. tanks!

    Reply

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