My new glittered floor. Yes! It is all sealed in!
Mi Vida Loca: How To Glitter A Concrete Floor by Kathy Cano-Murillo
In the process of redoing our art studio,
I wanted to go big and sparkly. We ripped up the icky carpet and found smooth concrete underneath. We went to Home Depot and bought a garage floor epoxy coating kit. I saw that it came with black and white decorative flecks, and instantly thought— “why not glitter?” We bought the sandstone color and I bought 6 jars of chunky gold glitter at Michaels (I was going to use my Crafty Chica Goddess Gold Glitter, but I didn’t have enough to cover the room). Here’s how I covered and sealed my floor in glitter.
You’ll need: • 1 garage floor coating kit (found at home improvement stores) • 2 paint rollers, handle, 2 trays • 1 scrub brush for cleaning the floor before you start • 1 bucket and mop • 6-8 jars of chunky glitter, bowl • 1 brush for edging • 1 gallon of water-based polyurethane varnish, high gloss • Fans, open windows!
DIRECTIONS: 1. Use the cleaner in the kit to fully clean your floor. Mix it in the bucket, scrub, rinse with mop. 2. Scrape off any glue, patch holes, let dry. 3. Mix the two parts of paint mixture according to package directions. Stir vigorously. Seriously, this stuff is just like resin, you have to mix it really good or it won’t work! 4. Pour into one paint tray, use a brush to paint the edges of the room. 5. Now use one of the rollers to paint a section of the room. 6. Throw handfuls of glitter in the air so it lands evenly. Don’t throw or toss it like chicken feed or it will land in piles or splotches. 7. Keep working section by section, make sure to add glitter to cover the section lines so it will all blend. 8. If you want light glitter, just lightly toss. If you want heavy glitter, spread generously (like mine!). 9. Let dry over night, extra if you live in a humid climate. Use push broom to sweep off excess glitter. Scrub away areas that are too thick, you want it to all be even. Sweep up extra and toss it. 10. Open can of varnish, pour in the second paint tray and use second roller to apply an even coat. Let dry and add another coat. Repeat four or five times. You want the floor to be smooth so you can wipe up any spills. 11. Let dry for 2-3 days before moving in furniture or walking on it. TIPS: • If you use the flakes that come with the kit, toss those first and then add the glitter. • Keep the window open in the room, keep the fans going. It’s stinky! • If you miss a spot, don’t try to backtrack while the paint is wet, your feet will stick to the floor. I know from experience! Below is a link to a video tutorial I made of the process! Enjoy! (And psst...if you like glitter, you may like my novel about a girl who accidentally buys 350 pounds of green glass glitter and has to figure out what to make with it!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOWLFhTXRQ4&feature=youtu.be