How to Paint Faux Marble on Wood

If you like shiny objects, today’s post is for you!  I wanted to experiment with Dixie Belle Moonshine Metallics and Crackle medium, and this little end table is the result.  I accidentally discovered how to paint faux marble on wood the easy way, and the result is classy and a bit glam too.

At first I tried to use the Crackle in the traditional way by painting one color, then the Crackle, allowing it to dry and then painting another color (Silver Bullet in this case).  But it didn’t “crack” as expected.  So this new technique was born!  If you’d like to see a demonstration, I did this piece in a Facebook Live video here.

Before we jump into it, here are all the products I used.

Resource List:

(Note: These are affiliate links for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for your support!)

• End table (thrifted)
• White Lightning
• In the Navy
• Crackle Medium
• Moonshine Metallics in Silver Bullet, Steel Magnolia, Pacific & Gold Digger
• Doily Stencil (Michael’s)
• Satin Clear Coat

If you want tons of information on Dixie Belle paint and products, you can check out this Comprehensive Guide post, and you can download it free here by clicking the picture:

How to Paint Faux Marble on Wood Using Moonshine Metalics

To get started, I cleaned the table really well with White Lightning.  Then I painted a base coat of In the Navy and allowed it to dry.  Full coverage isn’t a concern, since there are multiple more layers.

The next layer was a mix of Silver Bullet and Pacific, just dipping my brush in either paint and blending them on the surface for more color variation.  This was the final look for the legs.

I’d definitely recommend saving the crackle technique for the larger flat areas.  I don’t think it would work as well on the fluted legs. But the Moonshine Metalics are pretty enough on their own here.

How to Paint Marble Effect on Wood Using Crackle Medium  

When that was dry, I painted on the clear Crackle medium on the flat sides with a cheap chip brush.  Usually Crackle is used to get an old weathered look, but I wanted to see what it would do with metallic paint on top. 

The crackle ended up being a way to add texture and the faux marble effect without the fussiness of hand painting veining.  Super easy beginner level here!

I let the Crackle dry for about 10 minutes, so it was still wet when I started the next step.  I stippled and cross-hatched on more In the Navy paint with Silver Bullet and Pacific randomly.  I do think some diagonals are good for achieving a more authentic marble look.

As an accent, I added in some Steel Magnolia and Gold Digger with the same technique.  You can totally use whatever colors you like.

Wouldn’t it be beautiful with whites, grays and silvers?

Stenciling the Top

A viewer of the video made a comment that I should add a lacy detail to the top.  Great suggestion!  Using this Doily stencil I got from Michael’s craft store, I stenciled with In the Navy randomly over the top.  Then I sealed it with Clear Coat in Satin.

For the finishing touches, I painted the drawer pull and metal accent piece at the bottom with Silver Bullet.

If you enjoyed learning how to paint faux marble on wood, you may enjoy these projects as well:

Antique Deconstructed Chair

Bunker Hill Blue MCM Credenza

How to Update your Old Oak Furniture

As always, if you learned anything or were inspired here, Please Pin!