shoestrings

In this issue ...

The many uses of craft paper

Creating an inexpensive faux leather floor



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The many uses of craft paper

When you renovate four old houses on a budget, you learn some pretty nifty tricks, not the least of which is how to get a custom look without breaking the bank. That's how I stumbled onto the many uses of craft paper.

Decorating With Paper by Donna Lang

For those of you unfamiliar with this most humble material, think brown paper bag, without the bag part. Craft paper comes on rolls--usually big rolls--and costs next to nothing. It's tough, remarkably durable, and easy to work with. You can paint it, stain it, or varnish it and come up with dozens of different looks.

I first got the idea for covering a floor with this stuff from a book I bought some years back, Decorating With Paper by Donna Lang (Random House Value Publishing, 1997). In it, the author had papered the walls of a foyer with brown paper bags in a pattern that looked like weathered stone. Since we now live in the era of plastic instead of paper, bags are somewhat difficult to come by, so I wandered into my neighborhood Walmart and picked up a couple of rolls of craft paper in the shipping supplies aisle.

All you need for this project, aside from the paper itself, is some glue and a can of polyurethane. For floors, I would recommend the oil-based poly. It stinks and you need mineral spirits or turpentine for clean up, but it's more durable for foot traffic. If you're papering a wall, water-based poly will be fine.

As far as the glue goes, you can find pre-pasted wallpaper paste in most home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowes, or in the paint department at Walmart for around $6 to $8 for a gallon jug.

How it's done

papering

For floor use, the most important step is to prep your floor. That means stripping off any wax, oils, or sealers. If you have a shiny vinyl floor, you might want to scuff it up a bit, just to make sure your glue adheres well. Sweep the floor well to remove any dust or loose dirt, then mop with a solution of vinegar and water for a squeaky clean finish.

Tear--DO NOT CUT--your craft paper into pieces roughly a foot or less in width. Tearing creates a smoother edge so the paper will lay flatter. Once you have all your pieces torn, you're ready to start gluing.

I always find it easier to spread a large piece of cardboard or plastic over the area where you do your gluing. Apply glue to one side of the paper, then lay it carefully on the floor, smoothing out any bubbles or wrinkles as you go. You can use a wallpaper brush for this, but I find an old towel works just as well. Just be careful not to tear the wet paper.

craft paper walls

Work you way across the floor, overlapping the paper so that you get a nice pattern going. When you reach the walls, trim off any excess with a utility knife.

Let the paper dry overnight, then seal it with two to three coats of polyurethane.

For more ...

For anyone who has ever dealt with that old 70s wall paneling, craft paper could be your answer. Because it's fairly thick and stiff, it holds its shape well, effectively bridging the grooves in the paneling. I once papered such a room with pieces of craft paper I'd painted first with three colors of similar hue. Painting the individual pieces before gluing them up is more time-consuming, as you have to spread the pieces out and let them dry before gluing them to the wall, but the patchwork effect I achieved was well worth the effort. I finished the room off by cutting out diamond shapes in cardboard, wrapping them with more craft paper, painting them metallic colors, and gluing them randomly on the wall.

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