How to DIY Terrazzo with Acrylic Paint

This post was sponsored by Testors Craft. All ideas and opinions are my own.

Recreate the popular terrazzo look using paint and our technique outlined below. Keep scrolling for more photo inspiration and the painted terrazzo how-to.

Did you know that you can DIY terrazzo with just a few paint supplies? This iconic interior design trend became popular during the 1920’s, although its roots date back to ancient mosaics in Egypt. By definition, terrazzo is a composite material often consisting of chipped marble, quartz, granite or glass along with a cement binder. You may have seen this type of flooring while walking through modern airports, in art deco style homes or when visiting the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Today, we are sharing some simple tips for replicating this fun design trend onto common tabletop items. Keep reading for more fun photo inspiration and the how-to details.

DIY Terrazzo Supplies Needed

Testors Craft Acrylic Paint – (3-5 complementary colors)
Terrazzo Stencil
Paint Brushes
Raw Wooden Craft Pieces (i.e. coasters, planters, napkin rings)

How do you choose which acrylic paint colors for this DIY tabletop project? In many cases, walking down the paint aisle can seem overwhelming when you don’t know where to begin when it comes to color pairing.

Our eye is naturally attracted to particular color combinations and pairings. If you aren’t sure which colors to combine for the best terrazzo coloring result, consider the following suggestions:

Complementary Colors: Select colors that are opposite of one another on the standard color wheel, as they often provide the most dynamic combination result. Complementary color examples include blue and orange, green and purple, red and green or yellow and purple.
Monochromatic Palette: Select 3-5 colors from the same color palette for a stunning, yet soothing resulting combination. For example, shades of blue, or shades of black/grey.
Analogous Colors: Colors that sit next to one another on the color wheel are descibred as “analogous”. Some great analogous color combinations include pink and purple, red and purple, orange and yellow or blue and purple.

For our painted terrazzo pieces, we selected 2 complementary color shades (blue and orange) and 2 monochromatic colors (2 shades of pink) of Testors Craft Acrylic Paint. The vibrancy and opposition of orange and blue on the color wheel causes them to stand out the most in the final painted product. But, the shades of pink offer great contrast and a slight softening effect for the overall design. We cannot wait to see what color combination you choose to work with for your DIY tabletop pieces.

Painted Terrazzo Instructions

Now that you have selected your color palette, it’s time to start painting! Terrazzo patterns generally have a scattered appearance, as the original technique involved the addition of pieces of stone into a concrete type mixture. To achieve a similar look using paint, you will create a variety of shapes using paint.

Step 1: Start with a clean, white surface. If you are using raw wood pieces, coat them with white spray paint, using one or two coats for complete coverage. For our terrazzo pieces, we painted wooden napkin rings and raw wooden squares that we used as coasters.

Step 2: Using a terrazzo stencil, begin with one color at a time and begin to add your pattern with a medium size paint brush.

Step 3: After adding the larger stenciled components, work back through each painted piece, adding touches of various colors to any visible gaps. Keep in mind that the overall look won’t be uniform. Instead, you will have a variety of shapes and colors; each painted piece will also be unique.

While we chose to paint napkin rings and coasters, I think this DIY terrazzo technique would also be ideal for place cards, centerpiece containers or even plate chargers. Have fun and be creative with the items you customize using this colorful DIY technique!