Glitter Paint for Walls: Would You Go There?

By Hannah Louise, The Family Handyman

In every group of friends, there’s at least one person who loves sparkle. When it’s their birthday, you wrap their gift in a shimmering bag and decorate with glittery balloons…which likely means you’ll also be finding glitter in your hair and on your clothes for days. If you are this sparkle lover or if you live with one, then maybe it’s time to take that affection to the next level with glitter paint! Nervous about jumping on this bedazzling paint trend? Have no fear! We’ll do our best to answer your sparkle-related questions about glitter paint for walls.

Glitter painting…what is it?

This is not the adult version of smearing Elmer’s glue on your walls and shaking a bottle of “galaxy purple” craft glitter on it. Instead, it’s a trendy new way to add some glitz to your bathroom or glam up your bedroom. Most people opt for an accent wall or painted patterns because an entire room of sparkle can be overwhelming.

What’s the best way to glitter paint a room?

It all depends on how long you want the process to take, how challenging you want it to be and how much money you want to spend. For the sake of ease, we’ll roughly list the different glitter painting methods from easiest to most difficult:

• Pre-glittered paint: You can buy interior paint that already has glitter mixed into it. This is definitely the easiest way to add shimmer to your room but also the most expensive and most limited in color options. Once you decide on a color, you just grab a paint roller and go! Be sure your paint roller technique is top notch before you begin.
• Paint additive: Unlike the pre-glittered paint, this option allows you to add glitter to any regular paint. Purchase glitter additives at your local hardware or paint store (craft glitter won’t work!), stir the glitter into your paint and start rolling. If you don’t stir in the glitter completely, inconsistent sparkle is possible. And some products may require a glaze to seal in the glitter. Another option is to add the glitter to the glaze instead of the paint.
• Direct application: DIYers have found their own way to glitter walls for years, and it’s more akin to Elmer’s glue crafting than than you might think. You can either smear a home-made glitter glue on the wall with a brush or putty knife, or paint the wall and blow glitter onto it when it’s about 50% dry. These are definitely the messier approaches and require you to have a knack for evenly spreading glitter or not worrying about things being perfect.

So…what happens if I hate it?

Or, what if your princess-child decides they are now a Jedi Knight? The good news is that removing glitter paint from walls is not nearly as annoying as removing wallpaper (here’s how to do that). The bad news is that it’s still messy and time-consuming. If you have glittery walls, then you’re likely going to need to sand off the glitter before repainting.

Ultimately, the choice is yours! If you’re feeling bold, then paint some sparkle onto your walls. If you’re feeling timid, then maybe it’s best to stick with normal paint… but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with the color you choose.