Book excerpt: From woodgraining a small table to color-washing a wall to marbling a floor, Annie Sloan Decorative Paint Effects shows how to achieve professional looking surfaces and effects simply and inexpensively. With the help of easy-to-follow, step-by-step photography, Annie Sloan reveals the secrets of her trade, showing how you can manipulate decorative glaze with brushes, sponges, combs, and even everyday materials like rags and newspaper, to create a whole variety of different patterns and effects. The paint techniques demonstrated range from ragging, sponging, stippling, combing, patterning with cloth, and dragging and flogging to some more bravura finishes, such as woodgraining, decorative graining, and marbling. Each section includes a list of the necessary tools and materials, clear step-by-step instructions, and variations on the basic technique, making the book ideal for both the beginner, and the more experienced crafter. Inspirational photographs illustrate how the techniques can be adapted, and there are practical tips on working around corners, cornices, and dado rails, as well as what to do when things go wrong. The different paint effects are demonstrated on a wide variety of objects, from walls, doors, and cupboards to large pieces of furniture like tables, lamp stands, storage chests, and bedside cabinets, as well as very small items, such as candlesticks, frames, and letter racks.