Perfecting the Art of Upcycling!!!

I have been a little busy lately...I have been upcycling a lot of items. Upcycling is when you take something old and give it a new, exciting life. I love working with picture frames. I just upcycled my first piece of furniture. It was a plain white jewelry cabinet. (I forgot to get a before pic.)You can use paint but I LOVE patterned paper, so that is what I used. Some girls have an obsession for shoes or purses, but me, I have an obsession with patterned paper! I am sure I have over 1,000 sheets!

When you use paper, you will need to use an adhesive that also works as a sealer. My personal favorite is Mod Podge Matte waterbase sealer, glue and finish. I use at least a 1" wide paint brush to get maximum coverage. Make sure that your surface is clean. (I love magic erasers for this!) Lather on an even coat of Mod Podge to your item. Place your paper on top of adhesive. This part may be tricky because the paper will bubble up everywhere. You will need something rub out the bubbles. You can use a squeegee like you would use for applying wallpaper. I use an old credit card because it works just fine. I always pull the card in all directions to ensure the bubbles are removed.

The last step is applying an even coat of Mod Podge to the top of the paper. This may cause some bubbling as well. You may need to go over it with the card again. Make sure you get around the edges really good or they will peal back. I put three coats on the top of the cabinet to ensure the paper would not come off. I painted the knobs to coordinate with the paper and then finished them of with a clear gloss finish spray. Then I priced this item and it is in my booth, The Perfect Pair, waiting for a new owner!

Hopefully this gave you an idea of where to begin. Once you start upcycling, you will find your own technique!