6 Creative Ways to Use Leftover Wallpaper for Dramatic Effect

Savvy DIY-ers and crafters hang onto their leftover materials. They know they'll find a use for that half-empty jar of paint or remnant of ribbon. Leftover wallpaper deserves a spot in your storage closet, too. Sally Smallwood, of Toronto-based Studio Smallwood, is an interior decorator and a furniture, decoupage and collage artist. For the projects shown here, she used leftover wallpapers and smallpapers (miniature, scaled versions of wallpapers that can also be used for model scale homes and dollhouses) from wallpaper company Fine & Dandy Co.

Fine & Dandy Co. wallpapers draw from historical architecture and feature a cheeky, whimsical sensibility. Custom-made and commercial collections reimagine Victorian, midcentury, Art Deco and gothic designs. Sally hand paints, distresses, decoupages, waxes or lacquers furniture and other objects to give new life to old pieces and add character to newer ones. For these projects, she used wallpapers and smallpapers with a commercial-grade substrate, or backing, so they did not need a sealant or topcoat. If you use papers without this kind of substrate, you will need a sealant or topcoat unless Sally's instructions indicate otherwise.

For a quick and easy introduction to wallpapering, use small scraps of your favorites to cover coasters. You don't need decoupage experience, and you don't have to worry about glue and bubbles. Two designs from Fine & Dandy Co., Paradis - Orchid with Patina and Serpentine - Boa, were used here.

You'll need these materials and supplies to make the coasters.

• 1. Wallpaper scraps
• 2. Self-adhesive cork coaster backing
• 3. Cutting mat (optional)
• 4. Pencil
• 5. Nylon craft brush or sponge brush
• 6. Clear topcoat (optional)

Scraps of Vapour - Dawn were used for these coasters.

Begin by placing your wallpaper with the design-side up. Put a coaster backing on top of it. Trace around the coaster with a pencil to make your template and cut out the shape. The finished coasters shown here are covered with Fine & Dandy's Midnight in the Garden collection.

After all the coaster pieces are cut, peel the protective backing away from the adhesive and apply the wallpaper, design-side up. Press down and smooth it from the center out. These completed coasters are covered with Daybreak in the Garden.

Wallpaper can turn an ordinary wooden box into an elegant place to keep your jewelry or a special keepsake holder. If you don't have a box you want to modify, look for an unfinished one at a craft or hobby store. Sally used Depression Era - Valium inside the box.

The materials and supplies you'll need for this project are:

• 1. Wood box
• 2. Leftover wallpaper
• 3. Chalk or mineral paint
• 4. Natural or synthetic brush for painting
• 5. Flat synthetic brushes for the glue and topcoat
• 6. Cutting mat
• 7. X-Acto or craft knife
• 8. Ruler
• 9. Pencil
• 10. PVA white glue or Mod Podge
• 11. Squeegee or credit card for removing bubbles
• 12. Paper towels or rag for clean-up
• 13. Clear topcoat (optional)

Paint the box inside and out or anywhere you don’t plan to apply wallpaper. Let the paint dry between coats. Sally used two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Athenian Black and sealed it with clear wax.

Measure the box lid and any other parts you want to decoupage. Draw the measurements on the back of your wallpaper. Lay it design-side down on a cutting mat. Place the knife against the edge of your ruler, press down firmly and cut along your pencil lines. Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the back of the wallpaper.

Use a brush to spread the glue evenly over each piece. Carefully lay the pieces into position on the box. Starting in the center, use the squeegee or credit card to smooth out any bubbles. Use a damp rag or paper towel to remove excess glue.

A smallpaper in a slightly different colorway, Depression Era - Opium, was used on top of the closed box. “Classic Art Deco design and high contrast metallics give this small project a big impact," Sally says.

For a completely different look, paint an unfinished wooden box in pastel shades. This time, Sally used a box with a latch and decorative element on the front. The materials and supplies needed are the same as for the Depression Era box, except for the paint colors and papers.

Paint the exterior of the box with pale green chalk paint and paint the interior pale pink. Then follow the steps for the Depression Era Box. Sally glued Mon Dieu! Empyrean smallpaper under the lid.

For the top of the box, Sally used Mon Dieu! - Heavenly smallpaper.

The wallcovering shown behind the box is Vapour - Storm.

Don't toss that old photo album when you can give it new life with one or more leftover wallpapers. Sally used two kinds for this makeover, Obscura in Gothic and Obscura in Flora.

The materials and supplies needed for this project are:

• 1. Wallpaper
• 2. Old photo album or recipe binder
• 3. Ruler
• 4. Pencil
• 5. Scissors or craft knife
• 6. Cutting mat (optional)
• 7. Flat nylon brush for glue
• 8. PVA white glue or Mod Podge
• 9. Squeegee or credit card for removing bubbles
• 10. Paper towels or rag for clean-up
• 11. Ribbon for closure (optional)
• 12. Low-tack tape (optional)

Begin by placing your paper on the cutting mat, design-side down. Open the binder and lay it flat over the top. Measure an additional two inches on all sides, then cut your wallpaper with scissors or a craft knife. Fold the top edge down two inches and cut two narrow “V” shapes where the front and back covers meet the spine. Do the same for the bottom edge, folding upward two inches.

Using a brush, apply glue in an even layer on the front of your binder. Carefully place the front cover down on the wallpaper. Turn it over so the design is facing up. Using a squeegee or credit card, start in the center and press the wallpaper outward to remove any air bubbles.

Open the binder and glue the front inside flaps, squeegeeing again to remove any bubbles. Sally used low-tack tape to hold the flaps in place while they dried. Use a damp rag or paper towel to remove excess glue. Glue the spine, following the same steps as before.

Trim the center flaps, if necessary, around the binder rings. Repeat the steps for the back cover.

Line the interior with the same or a coordinating wallpaper. Measure the inside covers and cut your paper 1/4-inch smaller to create a border with the first wallpaper.

Sally added a ribbon closure by tucking a small section of ribbon between the inner and outer wallpapers and gluing it. Be sure to do this before you glue down your inside panels.

Transform a piece of old furniture from “meh” to marvelous with leftover wallpaper. Sally refinished two bookcases with different papers. The steps for each are the same. This piece was lined with Obscura - Flora wallpaper.

For this DIY, you'll need these materials and supplies:

• 1. Wallpaper
• 2. Wood bookcase
• 3. Chalk or mineral paint
• 4. Natural or synthetic brush for painting
• 5. Flat nylon brush for glue
• 6. Clear topcoat
• 7. Cutting mat
• 8. Ruler and tape measure
• 9. Pencil
• 10. X-Acto or craft knife
• 11. PVA white glue or Mod Podge
• 12. Squeegee or credit card for removing bubbles
• 13. Paper towels or rags for clean-up

Optional:

• 1. Clear wax, if using chalk paint
• 2. WoodUBend mouldings
• 3. Titebond wood glue for moldings
• 4. Gilding wax
• 5. Wood filler, if needed

If your bookcase is old, clean it with warm soapy water and a slightly damp cloth. Fill any missing veneer or cracks with wood filler and allow to dry. If you’re going to paint your bookcase, decide where you want your wallpaper to go and leave those areas unpainted. Sally applied two coats of chalk paint inside and out and then sealed it with clear wax.

If your bookcase has removable shelves, remove them before measuring where the wallpaper will go. Sketch a rough diagram of the bookcase and write down the measurements for each section.

Turn your wallpaper over and draw the measurements for each piece on the back. Number each one so you know the correct order, especially if you have a repeating pattern.

If the shelves can’t be removed, measure the thickness of each one and include that measurement between each piece of wallpaper you cut. Removing those sections tricks the eye into thinking the pattern continues behind the shelves.

Lay your wallpaper design-side down on a cutting mat. Placing your knife against the edge of a ruler, press down firmly and cut along the pencil lines.

Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the first section of your bookcase. Use a craft brush to ensure the entire surface is covered. Carefully lay the wallpaper in place. Using a squeegee or credit card, start in the center and press the wallpaper outward to remove any air bubbles. Use a damp rag or paper towel to remove excess glue.

The paper used to line this bookcase is Obscura - Flora.

This Trianon wallpaper makes a bookcase worthy of Versailles. To duplicate it, repeat the steps for the first bookcase.

Sally added WoodUBend mouldings and gold leaf to the sides of the bookcase, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Not everyone has a home office or hobby room, but sometimes we need a separate space for work, crafts or other uses. A trifold divider lets you create that space, and a beautiful wallpaper transforms it into something both decorative and functional. Like the coasters, this room divider uses Paradis - Orchid with Patina wallcovering.

The materials and supplies needed to make a wallpapered room divider are:

• 1. IKEA RISOR room divider
• 2. Wallpaper
• 3. Primer suitable for plastic surfaces
• 4. Small sponge roller
• 5. Cutting mat
• 6. Ruler
• 7. Pencil
• 8. X-Acto or craft knife
• 9. PVA white glue
• 10. Flat nylon brush for the glue
• 11. Squeegee or credit card for removing bubbles
• 12. Paper towels or rag for clean-up

Optional:

• 1. Paint suitable for wood and plastic surfaces (Sally used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint)
• 2. Lacquer or wax for sealing
• 3. Natural or synthetic brushes for painting and sealing

This IKEA RISOR room divider is especially useful because it's portable. The translucent, trifold panels let in light but they're easily covered with wallpaper to break up a space or simply accent your decor.

Prime the panels with a primer suitable for slick surfaces. Sally used Fusion Ultra Grip. Follow the instructions on the label and let the primer dry for 12 hours. Because the plastic panels are translucent, she painted them black to ensure they wouldn’t look blotchy from the other side. If you can’t see both sides of your divider, you can skip this step.

Leave the frame as-is or paint it to match your wallpaper. Sally used Chalk Paint in Athenian Black. Depending on the type of paint you use, you may need to use a light scuff sandpaper or primer to help "de-slick" the frame's shiny finish. You can seal the paint with lacquer or wax for added protection, but Sally didn’t, since the original finish was black.

Measure the surfaces to be wallpapered and draw the measurements in pencil on the back of the wallpaper. Number each piece so you’ll know the correct order, especially if the pattern repeats. It also helps to draw a rough diagram on a separate piece of paper so you can refer to it.

The wood bars between the panels on this divider are almost 1/2 inch wide, so Sally included those measurements between each piece of wallpaper. Removing those sections tricks the eye into thinking the pattern continues beneath the bars.

After you’ve drawn the measurements, lay the wallpaper design-side down on a cutting mat. Place your knife against the edge of the ruler, press down firmly and cut along the pencil lines. Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the first panel. Use a craft brush to smooth it out until the entire surface is covered, including the corners.

Carefully lay the wallpaper in place. Start in the center and use a squeegee or credit card to press the wallpaper outward and remove any air bubbles. Use a damp rag or paper towel to remove excess glue.

Sally used Orchid with Patina, in the Paradis collection, for the screen. After the glue dries, move your new room divider into place and enjoy it.

This small chest of drawers got a rustic-glam makeover with new moldings and delightful drawer liners. Sally used Obscura paper in Gothic and Flora. The mural behind the chest is from the Imaginarium collection in the color Mystic.

You'll need these supplies and materials for the DIY chest:

• 1. Wallpaper
• 2. Chest of drawers (Sally used a small chest)
• 3. Chalk paint or mineral paint
• 4. Natural or synthetic brush for painting (and wax, if you're using chalk paint)
• 5. Flat synthetic brushes for glue and topcoat
• 6. Cutting mat
• 7. X-Acto or craft knife
• 8. Ruler
• 9. Pencil
• 10. PVA white glue or Mod Podge
• 11. Squeegee or credit card for removing bubbles
• 12. Paper towels or rag for clean-up
• 13. Clear topcoat
• 
  Optional:
  • Clear wax (if using chalk paint)
  • WoodUBend moulding
  • Titebond wood glue for moldings
  • Gilding wax

If the piece you're using is old, clean it with warm soapy water and a damp cloth that has been wrung out. Allow the chest to dry.

Paint the exterior. Sally used two coats of chalk paint and sealed it with clear wax, allowing each coat to dry in between.

Remove the drawers and measure the interior of each one. Draw the measurements in pencil on the back of your wallpaper. Number each piece so you know the correct order, especially if you have a repeating pattern.

Optional: Sally added WoodUBend lion’s head mouldings to cover the keyholes, which no longer had keys. She painted them and added gilding wax, following the manufacturer’s directions.

Lay the wallpaper design-side down on a cutting mat. Placing your knife against the edge of the ruler, press down firmly and cut along your pencil lines. Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the bottom of the first drawer. Using a craft brush, smooth the glue until the entire surface is covered, including the corners. Carefully lay your wallpaper into position. Starting from the center, use a squeegee or credit card to smooth out any bubbles. Use a damp rag or paper towel to remove excess glue. Repeat with each drawer.