Wallpaper is not only for walls. Anything that can possibly be wrapped with these decorative papers can get instant make-over. Furniture pieces are among these lucky things. So, if your furniture is damaged or you simply want to redesign it, better consider using wallpaper instead of paint. The latter can never replace the beauty that wallpaper decoration will bring to your furniture.
Below are the steps to follow when using wallpaper to decorate furniture:
- Plan the wallpaper decoration. Look at the furniture piece you want to be decorated with wallpaper. How do you plan to put the wallpaper on that furniture? The wallpaper can be wrapped to totally cover the furniture or it can be cut into pieces and scatter the wallpaper on certain areas of the furniture. The last choice is great for hiding imperfections or damages on the piece. Scattered pieces on the furniture give a different beauty, too. Meanwhile, entirely covering the furniture with wallpaper is ideal to achieve uniformity. Wallpapers without distinctive illustrations are best used for this.
- Clean the furniture. Wipe any dust off the furniture, hammer any nails coming out, and remove anything pasted on the piece. Sand down the furniture in a well-ventilated area. Wear something to cover your nose and mouth. You don’t want to inhale the sand dust from the furniture. Wipe any left dust on the furniture. Some people use damped cloth to remove the dust. If you do this, too, you need to let the furniture dry before proceeding to the next step.
- Paint or refinish the furniture also if you plan to change its color before putting on the cutout wallpaper. This is not necessary if you’ll be covering the entire piece.
- Apply wallpaper sizing. Advanced wallpapers today are self-adhesive. That means you don’t have to apply wallpaper sizing anymore. This wallpaper sizing is a sticky coat applied on the wall before putting the wallpaper on. Sizing is usually recommended for heavy wallpapers or for textured walls. It’s best that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendation on this. You can also try the adhesive on the wallpaper if it’s sticky enough for the furniture. If not, then better apply wallpaper sizing.
- Sizing is not necessary for cutouts. The adhesive should be applied on the cutout, not on the furniture.
- Paste the wallpaper on. Start with the corners if you will cover the entire furniture. For cutouts, simply put them on your planned locations. Make sure to remove any air bubbles by smoothing the paper out. Let the wallpaper to thoroughly dry.
- Apply a clear acrylic. Brushing a thin coat of a clear acrylic over the wallpaper will protect your design from immediate damages. The acrylic helps to easily clean the furniture, too.
You don’t have to learn the art of painting realism pieces just to get your desired pattern or design for the furniture piece. With wallpaper, you won’t only have an interesting furniture finish, you can also hide any nasty imperfections on the piece, too.
