Faux-Leather Topped Desk {Step 1}

 

When we remodeled our kitchen, instead of throwing out the old cabinets, we installed a few of them in the laundry room so I would have a sewing desk. Since we didn’t have a counter top for it, my husband cut down an old door for the top.

It has looked this way for 2 years…

Until I could stand no more of it’s ugliness.

I was trying to decide what kind of treatment to do to the top. Several years ago, we covered our walls in pieces of torn brown paper and love the look of it. It reminds me of leather. I wondered if I could do the same process on my desktop.

I gathered my supplies and got to work.

What I used for Step 1:

• Brown contractor’s paper on a roll (found at Lowe’s in or near the paint section for about $8-$10 but it’s a HUGE roll and will last forever. It’s very heavy weight paper)
• Wallcovering Adhesive (this brand came from Wal-Mart)
• gloves (protect your fingers!)
• sponge brush
• wet rag (to clean up any spilled paste)

Tear up the paper.

I tore up piles of the brown paper. I reserved the straight-edged pieces for around the sides and front of the desk. All the center pieces were torn all the way around.

Get to gluing.

Using the foam brush, I dipped it in the wall paste and spread a layer directly on the desk.

Then I took my first piece of paper and brushed the paste on the back.  I adhered the paper to the desk then spread on another layer of paste over the paper.  

I had some bubbling and wrinkling going on so I did a patch then stopped to let it dry completely to see what it would do. After it dried, the bubbles and wrinkles were gone! I was thrilled! I just had to make sure my edges were sealed by pressing them down with my hands.

More gluing.

I continued gluing down the rest of my paper pieces, overlapping all of them. I even wrapped them around and under the sides of my desk.

This paste is extremely easy to use! It really isn’t that sticky at all, yet dries super strong! (note: this is NOT a sealer like Mod Podge.)

Here’s what it looks like now, completely done and dried!

I’m so pleased with the results!

But I’m not done yet! I have 2 more steps.

1. Stain it, to bring out the details.
2. Seal it, to ensure long-lasting durability.

I can’t wait to try this wall paste on other papers! I have a ton of it left!

I’m off to stain…results tomorrow!

Rebekah