Wall Quick Fixes for Your Home
Old, faded paint might look bad now but when you add a border with an antique design it appears intentional. Some of those types of borders are rather expensive so make it look antique using a simple technique. Roll out the border, one section at a time, and paint it with a light coat of varnish. Choose a varnish that isn’t too dark. Allow to dry well before continuing to the next section. Hang border as directed on package.
A similar technique for borders is done to appear crackled. Use good quality masking tape to tape off the section you will be making into a border. Make sure the edge of the tape is straight and equal all the way around the room. Now tear off small bits of tape and stick them to the border area. This is time consuming but will look nice when finished and is very cheap. Don’t make the tape pieces all the same shapes and sizes. Make sure the torn pieces come all the way up to the edge of the straight pieces of tape and cover the border area completely. Now brush the varnish onto the taped area, keeping it from running or dripping. Allow to dry well. This will give the appearance of a border which is old and crackled.
There are several unique ways to cover holes in the walls. For a small wall section with a hole, use linoleum, wood flooring, or even press-on tiles to cover the entire section or to make a distinctive pattern. Or, purchase a larger mirror or mirror squares and mount them. Serious holes can be cut away and an aquarium installed into the wall. This is unique and inexpensive. Make sure the opposite wall can accommodate the removal of the section. Purchase an aquarium with pump and install it, but if you’re moving, don’t fill it. Aquariums are frequently found at yard sales and flea markets so you may be able to get a very good deal on one.
Another way to cover holes is to look around a craft store for wall mounts. They could be ceramic or brass designs, or something different. Try to find embellishments that are inexpensive and will lay virtually flat against the wall. Purchase enough to space them across the wall, in a unique design, rather than just mount one over the hole. These could be pieces of flat wood, painted a certain color, or brass emblems of some sort. The piece should be easily mounted to the wall, not just hung in place. You’ll come up with lots of ideas as you look around.
Maybe the paint job isn’t old but the room just looks too plain. Go to a dollar store or discount store to search for rub-on appliques. Usually there are several to a pack and are easy to apply. Simply rub them onto the walls, in random areas, and the room will have a complete make over in no time. An even easier way to jazz up the walls is to use cloth. Cut the material in any design them use decoupage glue to affix the cloth to the walls. You can purchase fabrics which have designs such as fruits and vegetables for the kitchen, or wolves and Indians for a den. Spread the glue onto the back of the fabric, place the material on the wall, then paint over the top of the design with the glue. Allow to dry well then use gentle steel wool to smooth.
You can fix splintered baseboards quickly with clay or wood bonding supplies. Or, you can remove the baseboards and put up something more unique. Press-on tile pieces, cut to size, make wonderfully unique baseboards. Sanding is time-consuming but cheap and after sanding you can put up borders rather than baseboards.
Look around craft stores and home improvement stores to get even more ideas for making quick repairs to the walls in your home. You’ll be surprised at how much you can do for mere pennies.
