Adhering fabric to wood furniture is only another kind of decoupage, however, rather than using paper, you use fabric. Drawer fronts, panels on cabinet doors along with the vertical spaces between shelves at a bookcase are spaces ripe for a decorative fabric upgrade. Pair patterned fabrics with fresh paint colors for an entire furniture update.
Selecting and Preparing the perfect Surface
Decoupaging fabric onto wood furniture demands a smooth wood surface. Skip wood with a great deal of splinters or chips or exposed screws and nails, as these flaws will likely probably be noticeable under the fabric. If necessary, fill in chips or holes with wood putty; then sand the wood smooth and wipe the dust away. Ideal decoupage surfaces include an inset section such as a cabinet door with decorative trim around its perimeter, which will hide the exposed edges of the material.
Fiddling With Fabric
Pick a fabric that matches nicely with the furniture, such as an ombre or chevron print in colors of blue against a cobalt blue chest of drawers. Cover the job surface with the fabric, marking the edges of the fabric in which you wish to cut it with a bit of chalk or with inconspicuous pencil dots every couple of inches. Trim the fabric beyond the chalk dots or lines to account for minor mistakes. If cutting numerous pieces of fabric to use on several areas on the job piece, write down the locations of every piece of fabric onto a bit of masking tape or use sticky notes, then adhering the information to its respective bit of cut fabric. Choose durable, unadorned fabrics such as cotton rather than satiny or decorated fabrics which may demonstrate the glue.
The Application Process
Brush the wood job surface with decoupage medium using a foam brush. Apply the medium at a thin, even layer, quickly aligning the fabric over it and smoothing it into place. Decoupage medium dries fast, so keep the material on hand, ready to go once the medium was applied to the wood. Smooth the fabric down with your hands, removing wrinkles and air bubbles, which might otherwise dry in place. Use a plastic gift card to smooth it down even more. Trim excess pieces of fabric, if it’s stretched in any way, using a craft knife. Apply another coat of decoupage medium over the surface of the fabric to seal it.
Finishing Touches
If you are covering an area such as a camel, then apply additional coats of decoupage medium to get a more durable surface, or use polyurethane once the decoupage medium dries for more protection. If the edges of the fabric are exposed, hide them by hot gluing decorative cording or roping above the edges, or use thin wooden trim strips to cover the edges.