I found this plain small bookshelf on the curb and thought that it had some potential. This is a great way to change up the look of your place without having to buy new furniture.
I will post a picture of the finished work once I am completed.
How did I do it?
It's actually very easy. Decoupage and latex paint
1. Sand any rough surfaces and fill in holes or chips with wood filler if you need (the parts you plan to put paper over need to be pretty smooth).
2. Prime the surface with a spray white primer.
3. Select the paper you'd like to use to decorate your furniture. Cut into the desired shape by taking measurements of the furniture or just cutting pieces into interesting shapes. You can also layer pieces over each other and fold them over the edges of the furniture, which I did not do with this piece.
4. Make sure the furniture is free of debris.
5. Decoupage: Use Modge Podge or use wallpaper paste mixed with some water and Elmer's glue.
Paint the surface and the back of the paper with this. Then smooth out the paper onto the furniture using your hands, a roller, and a rubber squigy type of tool. Make sure to get all of the edges firmly down and roll out any creases or bubbles.
6. Paint whichever parts you want if you don't want to decoupage the whole thing. You can paint two coats of different colors and sand off the top layer to give a distressed look (what I like to do). Make sure you let it dry thoroughly between coats and before sanding!
7. Use a finish to protect the paper. I like polycrylic because it doesn't have a strong smell and it's easy to work with. You can use modge podge as a finish, but in my opinion it looks crappy and feels kind of sticky.
