Painting on furniture is nothing new. Neither is adding a mural to furniture. But what if you can't paint even a stick figure? Consider this beautiful and sometimes whimsical way to give old furniture new life! One of the most interesting and beautiful ways you can give new life to old furniture is to add a mural design. Offset by the wood of a piece of furniture, a mural can give the piece real drama and excitement.

Designs can range from very elegant backdrops of distant scenery to more whimsical designs such as hot
air balloon, sweet cartoon characters or lounging teddy bears. The fun is in deciding just what you want to add to your piece.

Instead of discarding your next piece of furniture, such as that old, plain dresser or grandmas tired buffet, consider giving it a new look instead.

Even very plain furniture, completely lacking in architectural interest, can become an extreme work of art, worthy of its old place in your home once more with this easy finish. But it's actually older pieces that I love doing most.

Pieces that have recessed panels, carved legs or ornamental moldings offer the most possibility for truly stunning results. These pieces create multiple surfaces for multiple murals.

Decorative artists or those who love to paint and have experience, can easily create murals on furniture with ease. But what about those of you whose interest doesn't lie in creating hand painted designs or you have just been too busy to take a class or develop the skill? The answer is easy as easy as a trip to your local wallpaper store!

Wallpapers today come in the most exquisite styles with what appear to be "hand painted" designs on them. Simply cut out the design area to fit the dimensions of the intended area on your furniture piece and apply!

Mural designs found in magazines, on the internet or in books can also be used by scanning, then print on high quality paper or transfer material and applied to individual panels or repeated across a large, solid surface.

Before beginning your project, ask yourself if the furniture piece might benefit with a coat of paint first. Many times, when murals are used on furniture, the surrounding wood is painted one of the more subtle colors found in the mural.

This new paint color allows the piece to not only get a new, more durable finish, but serves to add color to a room's décor as well.

For instance, let's say that you found a mural of a Tuscan village with soft browns, varying shades of green and a pale blue sky. You might consider painting the surrounding wood with a pale version of sage green to bring out the greens of the mural. Or paint it pale brown then use a color wash of darker brown to give it a more antiqued appearance.

Mind you, the wallpaper design that you choose doesn't necessarily have to be a mural pattern. Consider a damask design or repeated floral pattern. If you love it, then you can certainly use it in the same manner. For additional excitement, consider painting all of the delicate trim in pure gold craft paint to add even more elegance to the piece.

How to Apply Wallpaper to Furniture
1. Lightly sand the intended area to rough the surface. Clean the area of any dirt and dust particles.
2. Locate a full repeat of the mural design on the wallpaper, then cut out a section to fit the intended area on the furniture piece.
3. Spread a thin layer of white glue (such as Elmer's™) on to the back side of the wallpaper cut out and lay on to the intended area.
4. Use a window squeegee to smooth any air bubbles by placing the blade of the squeegee in the center of the pattern then smoothing outward toward the edges.
5. Let dry overnight.
6. To make the mural appear "antique", add a few drops of dark brown craft paint to translucent wall glade and rub over the surface of the wallpaper. Wipe off the excess in the middle only with a dry terry towel by working from the center toward the outside edges. Leaving the edges darker will make the mural stand out and create more depth.
7. Apply varnish over the surface and let dry 48 hours.

Other ideas for this treatment would be:
* Closet doors
* Bath or kitchen cabinet doors and side panels
* Interior Columns
* Inside architectural molding wall frames
* Wooden Planters (use exterior varnish)
This is a DIY project anyone can do! So with this new information, set out on a journey to find an old piece of furniture (check local thrift and salvage stores or even your own attic or basement!) and add a lovely new decorated item to your home today!

© Victoria Larsen 2009. All Rights Reserved