Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Plaster effects used to be something you’d leave to the professionals because the original materials, marble dust and lime putty, were difficult to handle. However, with the newer acrylic plasters, you can create a wide variety of beautiful wall textures yourself.
Overlapping colors of Venetian plaster may seem complex—but it’s more forgiving than trying to cover a wall in just one color. You can use colors with high contrast or cover your walls in variations of the same color. Keep in mind that mixing colors on the opposite end of the color spectrum will create a muddy gray, so the higher the contrast between your colors, the less you should blend them.
Use a light touch, and be sure to step back once in a while so you can get an idea of the effect you’re creating.
Materials and tools you’ll need:
Acrylic Venetian plaster in three colors
Steel spatula or 6-inch drywall knife with corners that have been sanded round
Cotton rags
Disposable rubber gloves
1. Prepare the wall you’re painting as directed by the manufacturer of the Venetian plaster.
2. Spread one plaster color over random areas of the wall using the spatula or drywall knife.
3. Apply the second color the same way.
4. Cover the remaining bare areas with the third color.
5. Use the drywall knife or spatula to blend the colors together a little at the edges. Flatten thick areas so they won’t crack as they dry, but don’t smooth out the surface completely.
6. Pull excess material across corners to the adjacent wall and then smooth plaster into the corner with a finger of a gloved hand.
Plaster effects used to be something you’d leave to the professionals because the original materials, marble dust and lime putty, were difficult to handle. However, with the newer acrylic plasters, you can create a wide variety of beautiful wall textures yourself. 
