Furniture Makeover: No Paint Needed
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You know that I enjoy transforming furniture and decorative accessories with paint, right? I sometimes feel like a paint brush is attached to my hand like Inspector Gadget – always ready and instantly accessible to put my style on everything with the swish of my brush.
My twin sister, Carol (yes, I am an identical twin) on the other hand, is not a DIYer. She enjoys reading my blog, but asked me to post an easy project that a non-DIYer like herself could do.
Today I have such a project…1..2…3… easy. It is an easy furniture makeover that doesn’t require you to pick up a paint brush and that requires no prep work or mess, just a pair of scissors and the skills you learned in kindergarten.
Do you remember this pair of metal accent tables that I found at a thrift shop back in the fall?
I removed the crystals and then placed the tables in a tight spot next to a big chair in my family room, that is how I left them.
Accent Tables BEFORE Getting Made Over
They make a perfect pair – one holds a light to read by, the other a drink. I eventually do want to paint them, but am not sure what color yet.
Until I decide what color to paint them, I found a fun, temporary, and non-damaging way to give them a little bit of color and pattern without using paint.
Accent Tables AFTER Makeover
I covered the tops and scalloped sides with removable wallpaper. All that is required for you to do is: trace, cut and apply. The paper can be applied on most surfaces and any shape or size object.
Unlike regular wallpaper that becomes permanent and is hard to remove, this wallpaper made by Chasing Paper can be permanent or as temporary as you want. It is like thick contact paper that you peel and stick, but with a bit more style.
The pretty paper comes in 2 x 4 foot panels, so you don’t need to buy an entire roll to tackle a small project.
It can transform or be used to accent just about anything –walls, cabinet doors, drawer liners – whatever you want. You are only limited by your imagination.
How to Add Decorative Paper to Accent Tables
supplies needed:
- Wallpaper – I used the pattern called, Squiggle & Pop in the color Mustard
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Craft knife
1. Lay paper right side up. Place table on paper upside down. Trace around the table top. Cut out with scissors.
2. Peel the paper backing off and stick it on the table top.
- To smooth and remove air bubbles from the paper: Place the paper-backing, shiny side down on wallpaper. Gently rub a spatula or the side of a credit card over the paper from the center out to the sides. The paper backing will protect you from damaging the paper while smoothing.
3. If trimming is needed, place the table upside down on a cutting surface. Run a craft knife around the table edge to remove excess paper.
4. To make the scallop edge. Wrap another piece of the wallpaper around the table. Use tape to hold it in place. Trace the scallops with a pencil on the wrong side of the wallpaper.
5. Remove and cut out the scallops. Peel wallpaper backing and wrap around scalloped edge on the table.
This paper is much thicker than most wallpaper and has a slight vinyl feel to it, which makes it easy to wipe clean. No coaster needed.
Working with removable wall paper is easily done by just about anyone and adds a decorative color punch almost instantly.
So, the next time you want to transform a thrift store find, a hand-me down, or even something you already own and don’t want to make it permanent or you just need to change things up a bit, think beyond paint and try using some decorative paper.
If you have some time and want to create a one-of-a-kind look, use both paint and add the paper as a decorative accent. The possibilities are endless.
Diane, I love these little tables and it gives me some ideas too. I enjoy my “Finds” more than what I’ve bought retail. You are my absolute favorite blogger.
Very Cute! The idea really amazed me. Really, your DIY ideas are always very great. This idea of using removable wallpapers to give the furniture a trendy and new look is unique. The best part of this idea is that you can get the result instantly. A cost-saving, colorful, and beautiful decorative idea.
Great tutorial, I would never have known about this product! Thanks!
Great idea and lovely execution. You’ve made quite an upgrade. So nice to have a replacement for the limited designs and over-sticky Contact Paper. I like using wallpaper for crafts, but it doesn’t always do what you want it to do, so I’m glad to learn about the removable kind. Thanks so much.
Thanks Barbara –
It’s main purpose is for renters in NYC -so apartment dwellers could infuse a little color and style on the walls. I love it to decorate everything else. I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned ahead. Enjoy.
What a great and easy way to upgrade furniture, I love it.
What a great, quick and fantastic way to make a change!
Diane, I have been a follower for at least a year but have never left a comment. You amaze me. You come up with the neatest DIY’s. I have to cover something with this removable wallpaper! Also, thank you so much for the heads up about bloglovin’. I was upset to hear that Google Reader is going away and as a matter of fact it is no longer available as a drop down menu selection. I’m getting used to bloglovin and I’m so glad to have this option. Thanks again…Vikki in Virginia.
Love it. Great if you renters. And you can change it every season:)
I have the exact table – Love how it looks after the redo!
Now that’s a project even I could handle ;)
I love it. I think even I could do this one.
And it brought back so many memories of my dad getting an orange crate and my mother covering it with contact paper for a small bookcase to match my newly decorated bedroom. I made lime green, polished cotton side panels with yellow & green plaid sheers (think they were voile) in between the panels and saved my money to buy a summery white with bright pink medium sized flowers with green leaves for a bedspread……. sigh….. miss my parents.
Cute, cute, cute! Love that is removable. Fantastic job.