Enamel crafts paints give these
dated wall tiles a fresh look.

Tile Turnaround

Give outdated ceramic tile walls a new look by decoratively painting them in colors you love.

Enamel crafts paint (available at crafts stores and discount stores that carry crafts supplies) covers well on most tiles, but to be certain it will work on yours, brush a small amount on a spare tile or in a discreet spot and allow it to dry before completing this painting project.

The treatment works in a kitchen or other rooms as well as in a bath.

 

• Nonsoapy detergent
• Denatured alcohol
• Wide painter's tape
• Plaid FolkArt enamel crafts paints: Blue Hydrangea 4024 (BH), Fresh Foliage 4019 (FF)
• Plastic-foam or plastic plates
• Trim brush
• Plastic wrap
• Clean, lint-free rags

 

1. Clean tile with a nonsoapy detergent; let dry. Remove any remaining surface residue with denatured alcohol.
2. Use wide painter's tape to mask off the border area and around doors, windows, the ceiling, and the floor.
3. Squirt a few tablespoons of FF onto a plate.
4. Working in approximately 4-foot lengths along the border (to prevent the paint from drying before you create the pattern) and using a trim brush, brush the paint into the grout and over the tile.
5. Working quickly, gently lay squares of plastic wrap over the painted tiles, pressing the wrap flat with the palm of your hand. (Running your fingers over the wrap can create streaks). Remove the plastic wrap, above right.
6. To create more textural variation in the painted design, pounce another bunched-up sheet of wrap over the painted area.
7. Repeat the brushing-on-and-lifting-off process until you have finished an entire wall, then move to the opposite wall, and finally, to the walls in between.
8. Repeat the process on the walls, using BH and working in sections approximately 3 feet square. Let the paint dry for at least three weeks before cleaning.