Just finished texturing a wall in my spare bedroom, and I stumbled onto something pretty handy I thought I'd share. Wanted that subtle, professional-looking texture without renting any special sprayers or gear. Turns out, a regular paint roller wrapped loosely with plastic grocery bags does the trick surprisingly well. You just roll it lightly over the joint compound, and it leaves this nice random pattern that's not too heavy or obvious. Took me a couple tries to get the hang of it, but after a bit of practice, it looked pretty legit.
I mean, it's not gonna replace a real pro job if you're picky, but for a quick DIY fix-up, it's honestly pretty great. Saved me some cash and hassle anyway. Curious if anyone else has tried something similar or has another cheap trick up their sleeve for wall textures?
"Turns out, a regular paint roller wrapped loosely with plastic grocery bags does the trick surprisingly well."
Good tip—I've seen something similar done with crumpled newspaper or even old rags. Key is keeping the pressure light and random. Cheap, easy, and looks decent enough for rentals or quick flips.
Nice ideas here—I usually prefer a more polished finish myself, but honestly, I've seen some surprisingly classy results from these DIY texture hacks. A friend of mine did something similar with an old sponge and leftover paint, and it turned out looking pretty upscale... fooled me at first glance. Goes to show you don't always need fancy gear to get a nice effect.
I've definitely seen some sponge techniques that turned out surprisingly good, even though I'm usually a fan of more refined finishes too. It's funny how often these DIY approaches can end up looking intentional and stylish, rather than just makeshift. A client of mine recently tried something similar using crumpled newspaper and paint glaze—honestly, I was skeptical at first, but the final look really grew on me. It had this subtle depth and warmth that you'd normally pay quite a bit for. Makes me wonder, has anyone experimented with other household items or unconventional materials to achieve different textures? Curious to hear what else people have tried...
Title: Tried the plastic bag trick—worked pretty well
Gave your plastic bag roller method a shot yesterday on a small hallway wall. Took a bit of experimenting to get the pressure right, but once I got the hang of it, the texture turned out pretty nice. Definitely agree it's not pro-level perfect, but it blends nicely and adds some subtle character. Might try the newspaper glaze idea next time—sounds interesting and I have plenty lying around anyway.
