Inspiration, Projects, Tutorials

Use MudPaint Clay Paint to Paint Books

how to use mudpaint to paint books

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

How to paint books! We love books. There is something about a stack of books on a shelf, fireplace mantel, tabletop, piano… they make us feel at home. When books are used simply for decorating, why not add an extra element of interest by painting them for a more unique look? Painting them a solid color or adding a design makes for a one-of-a-kind decorating piece. The great thing about painting books – just like lamps, scales, lampshades and even small clocks! – is that it’s easy and inexpensive to do with MudPaint . Follow these steps to learn how.

Learn how to paint book with MudPaint Clay furniture paint.
Learn how to paint books – these in Deep Navy – with MudPaint!

Materials Needed:

Begin by deciding the look you want. What MudPaint color do you love? Do you want a distressed look, or a solid color, or a special design?

If you want a distressed look, do you want the original book cover to show or not? If not, paint two coats. Paint the first coat a darker shade like MudPaint’s Charcoal. After it dries, apply vaseline to the areas you don’t want the second coat to adhere too and paint the second coat a lighter shade. When slightly dry, wipe with a damp rag over the areas that you applied Vaseline too. You can also skip the Vaseline and lightly sand with our Rad Pad Sander, once the second coat is dry to reveal the darker first coat in areas.

If you want a design, pick out a couple colors of MudPaint and then decide if you want to use a stencil or freehand paint.

Now that you have decided on the look you’re aiming for and have your MudPaint color, here is how you paint a book!

  1. Prep your book by cleaning it with a rag. Remove dust, grease, and dirt.
  2. Open the book and lay it down on newspaper so that the cover side is up.
  3. If you desire a distressed look, apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the areas you don’t want paint to adhere too.
  4. Apply MudPaint with a brush. If distressing, allow to dry slightly (MudPaint dries quickly. So check in about 10 – 15 minutes.) Then use a damp rag to wipe over the areas where you applied Vaseline to.
  5. If adding a design, allow the first coat to dry before painting a design.
  6. If you want a rustic chippy look, use a blow dryer over the areas you want to chip. It will only take a few minutes to see the paint bubbling.
  7. Allow to dry. Then you are ready to display them!
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About Kara

MudPaint Clay Furniture Paint is eco-friendly, LEED-compliant and it's unique, clay-based formula with natural earthen materials requires little prep work and no waxing for a smooth coat.