How to Cover Furniture with Wallpaper: DIY Furniture Makeover Tips

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Adding some wallpaper to surfaces can give new life to an old set of drawers, a nightstand, a desk, or pretty much any other piece of furniture you want to rejuvenate or update to match your decor. This custom update doesn’t take a lot of materials or time to do. Depending on the size of the furniture you want to cover with wallpaper and how many surfaces you actually want to cover, you can probably get the job done on a rainy Saturday afternoon and have your furniture ready to use by Sunday morning!

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Prep Work

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  1. Get a clean sponge wet and wring out the excess water. Use it to clean off the piece of furniture you want to cover with wallpaper, paying special attention to the surfaces you plan to actually stick wallpaper onto. Wait for the furniture to air dry. [1]
    • Any dirt or grit on the surfaces of your furniture interferes with the wallpaper’s adherence and can ruin a smooth finish, so that’s why it’s important to clean off the furniture first.
    • There’s no limit to the types of furniture you can update with wallpaper. Try wallpapering bookshelves, nightstands, dressers, cabinets, coffee tables, and anything else you think is in need of a new look!
    • Note that you can wallpaper furniture made out of pretty much any material. However, if you want to stick wallpaper to glass, you must use peel-and-stick wallpaper because traditional wallpaper and glue won’t stick well to glass. Wood is the best surface for using regular wallpaper and glue.
  2. Pull out drawers that you want to cover in wallpaper or that may get in the way of you covering other surfaces. Unscrew any doors and take them off their hinges if you want to cover them or if they’re in the way as well. [2]
    • For example, you could take all the drawers out of your old, dingy dresser and cover the front of each drawer with a fun, brightly colored, patterned wallpaper. You could also cover the top of the dresser with the same wallpaper to make it match.
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  3. Unscrew and remove handles from any drawers and doors you’re planning to cover in wallpaper. Unscrew and remove other hardware, such as hinges, if it is in the way of surfaces you’re covering with wallpaper. [3]
    • For example, if you’re covering the door of a kitchen sideboard with wallpaper, take the handle off the door. If you’re going to cover the outside or inside of the cabinet as well, remove the hinges from the sideboard so they don’t get in the way.
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Part 2
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Wallpaper

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  1. Line up a piece of wallpaper on top of the surface you want to stick it to. Fold over the edges and use your fingers to firmly crease the wallpaper where you fold it to make your cut lines.
    • If you want to cover the edges of a surface as well, just fold the wallpaper over and under the edge and make 2 crease lines. The second crease is your cut line.
    • You can use either peel-and-stick wallpaper or regular wallpaper to cover your furniture.
  2. Place the piece of wallpaper print-side-down on a piece of cardboard. Slice very carefully straight along the creases you made using a sharp craft knife. [4]
    • You can also use a utility knife or box cutter instead of a craft knife.
    • You can use a cutting mat instead of cardboard if you have one.
  3. Just pull the backing off the adhesive side of the wallpaper if you’re using peel-and-stick wallpaper. Use a sponge brush to apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the backside of the wallpaper if you’re using regular wallpaper. [5]
    • If you’re using Mod Podge to stick regular wallpaper to your piece of furniture, you could also apply a thin coat of glue to the surface you’re covering instead of to the back of the wallpaper.
  4. Carefully position the wallpaper where you want to stick it. Press it down firmly against the surface when you’re sure it’s oriented correctly and smooth it out using your hands. [6]
    • If you’re wrapping wallpaper around the edges of a surface, the corners can be tricky. Use your craft knife to carefully make a horizontal cut in the wallpaper, parallel to the edge of the surface, in each corner. Fold the flap you create neatly over the edge at the corner.
    • If you’re covering multiple surfaces next to one another, such as several consecutive drawers, use consecutive smaller pieces of wallpaper from the larger roll so the wallpaper’s pattern lines up from one drawer to the next.
  5. A brayer is a small hand roller made of rubber or another similar material that is typically used to apply ink in printing. Start at one end of the surface you just covered in wallpaper and roll a brayer firmly along the wallpaper all the way to the other end to smooth out the wallpaper. Go back to the side you started from and repeat the process, working your way down the surface and from side to side, until you get rid of all the bubbles. [7]
    • If you don’t have a brayer, you could use something with a hard flat edge, such as a plastic ruler, spatula, or a plastic putty knife, to smooth out the wallpaper.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Reassembly

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  1. Leave the piece of furniture disassembled if you covered it in regular wallpaper using Mod Podge to stick it on. This allows the glue plenty of time to cure. [8]
    • If you try to put your furniture back together right away, you might accidentally unstick some of the wallpaper, so it’s best to let the glue cure all the way.
    • This isn’t necessary if you used peel-and-stick wallpaper.
  2. Screw handles back into drawers and doors. Put any hinges and other hardware you removed back on as well. [9]
    • You can use all the old hardware or replace the hardware with different varieties that go with the new wallpaper you applied to your furniture if you want to.
  3. Put any doors you removed back on the hinges. Slide any drawers back into the slots they belong in. [10]
    • Keep in mind that wallpaper can get damaged by heat and liquids, so exercise caution if you’re using the surface you covered in wallpaper to set things like mugs on. You can use coasters or even get a piece of glass or plexiglass cut to set on top of the wallpaper and protect it.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What should I do if the wallpaper is not sticking properly?
    Diane Henkler
    Crafting and Home DIY Specialist
    Diane Henkler is a Crafting and Home DIY Specialist based in Lexington, South Carolina. She is the owner and creator of InMyOwnStyle.com, a crafting, DIY, and home design blog. She started her blog in 2009, and has now been blogging about affordable decorating, creative DIYs, and lifestyle tips for 15 years. Her career background was in retail display curation, which led her into the world of DIY decorating and home design. In her blog, she features pieces on decorating inspiration, seasonal holiday decor projects, organization strategies, room makeover guides, painting tutorials, furniture restoration tips, and more. Diane’s blog demonstrates how decorating a home does not have to be hard, expensive or time consuming. Through her posts, she shares decorating advice, ideas, project how-to’s, and more, furthering her mission to help her readers create beautiful homes, especially on a budget. She also creates tutorials and educates followers on her social media crafting channels.
    Diane Henkler
    Crafting and Home DIY Specialist
    Expert Answer
    First, make sure that your wood surface is clean and free from oils, dust, and dirt. Start with a damp cloth, wiping it down, letting it dry thoroughly, and then lightly sanding the surface with 100 to 160 grit sandpaper. This scuffs up the surface just enough to help the wallpaper adhere better, but be careful and don't overdo it. After sanding, wipe away any dust with a tack cloth so the surface is completely smooth. When applying the wallpaper, start at one end and press it down firmly, smoothing it with your hand or a flat tool to push out any air bubbles. If you’re using peel-and-stick wallpaper, this prep will make a big difference to make your wallpaper stay put and look neat on your wood surface.
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      Tips

      • If you don’t want to worry about matching wallpaper patterns between consecutive drawers and the like, choose a wallpaper that has an allover print that doesn’t require close matching to look great.
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      Warnings

      • Be careful when you’re using a sharp craft knife to cut wallpaper. Keep your fingers and hands away from the cut line and don’t cut on top of any surfaces that you don’t want to damage.
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      Things You’ll Need

      • Piece of furniture
      • Sponge
      • Water
      • Screwdriver
      • Craft knife
      • Cardboard
      • Wallpaper
      • Mod Podge
      • Sponge brush
      • Brayer

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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about crafting, check out our in-depth interview with Diane Henkler .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRfZRYU9JYk&feature=youtu.be&t=25
      2. ↑ https://thehomesihavemade.com/2018/06/how-to-update-furniture-with-wallpape
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=459OSMwOj78&feature=youtu.be&t=25
      4. ↑ https://www.redbookmag.com/home/decor/how-to/g426/decorate-an-old-dresser/?slide=6
      5. ↑ https://www.redbookmag.com/home/decor/how-to/g426/decorate-an-old-dresser/?slide=7
      6. ↑ https://thehomesihavemade.com/2018/06/how-to-update-furniture-with-wallpaper/
      7. ↑ https://modpodgerocksblog.com/vintage-wallpaper-magnetic-chalkboard/
      8. ↑ https://www.redbookmag.com/home/decor/how-to/g426/decorate-an-old-dresser/?slide=8
      9. ↑ https://www.redbookmag.com/home/decor/how-to/g426/decorate-an-old-dresser/?slide=9
      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRfZRYU9JYk&feature=youtu.be&t=137

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