Joint compound is thinned with water to create a plaster paste.
Crow's foot texture remains a common ceiling plaster technique used to disguise imperfections in drywall installation. Joint compound thinned to a fine paste is commonly used to create crow's foot texture. Once applied, the plaster is very difficult to remove and considered a permanent application. A variety of common household tools are pressed into the wet plaster to create texture.
Plaster
Use joint compound when creating crow's foot texture. The material can be found at almost any hardware store and is one of the least expensive plasters available. According to Home Depot.com's 2011 pricing, a 5-gallon bucket of premixed joint compound generally costs about $12. Joint compound is made of gypsum plaster mixed with water.
Tools
Traditionally, bristle brushes are pressed into the wet plaster to create an indentation. The brush can be swirled around to create a different look. The large brushes resemble large, round cleaning brushes, with the bristles flattened and spread out. Other tools used to create texture in wet plaster, similar to the crow's foot texture, include old paintbrushes slapped into the wet brush or even crumpled-up garbage bags. The texture created may be smoothed down with a drywall trowel to soften any harsh edges.
Application
Roll on the joint compound with a small 3-inch mini roller, or apply it with a drywall trowel. Cover an approximately 4-foot by 4-foot area, and then use your selected tool to manipulate the texture. Each tool is used in a slightly different way. Press a brush into the plaster to create a stamp effect. You can then lift out the brush or swirl it with your wrist for different looks. Crumpled plastic bags and paintbrushes are additional tools you can press into the wet plaster. Each one will create its own unique effect and version of crow's foot texture. Repeat the process until the entire ceiling has been covered with the crow's foot design. Allow the plaster to dry for about 24 hours, and then add a primer, along with two coats of paint.
Extra Decorating Ideas
Add more depth to your crow's foot textured ceiling by applying a color wash technique over the last layer of latex paint. The latex paint base coat must have a satin sheen or more. Mix together one part chocolate brown paint with translucent glaze. Stir the ingredients until they are blended into one solid color. Roll the glaze onto the ceiling in small sections. While each section is still wet, blot the glaze with a terrycloth towel. The towel will push the glaze into the crevices, but absorb glaze on the surface of the ceiling. The finished look is an overall aged and distressed plastered ceiling.
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