Decorating Walls With Paper Bags

Preparation

• 1

  Cut open one paper bag. Cut out the bottom section of the bag and discard it.

• 2

  Measure the height and width of your bag, and multiply the two numbers for the total square inches. Convert the resultant number into square feet by dividing it by 144. For example, if your bag measures 24 inches high and 32 inches wide, it is a total of 5.3 square feet.

• 3

  Measure the square footage of your wall by multiplying the height of the wall by its width. For instance, if your wall is 8 feet high and 12 feet long, the total area is 96 square feet.

• 4

  Divide the total square footage of the wall by the square footage of the bag to figure out how many paper bags you need to cover the entire wall.

• 5

  Cut open the appropriate number of bags for your project.

Adhesion

• 6

  Cover your floor and work surface with protective tarps.

• 7

  Apply wallpaper paste to the back of the bags with a wallpaper brush as indicated by the product's directions. Paste only one bag at a time.

• 8

  Stick the bags around the edges of the wall, neatly aligning them along the baseboards and other molding. Wipe over the bag evenly with a smoothing tool or your clean hands to push out any air bubbles and make sure the entire surface of the bag makes contact with the wall.

• 9

  Overlap bags as you work to create a random pattern. Roll the seaming tool firmly against edges and seams for the best adhesion. Wipe off any paste that oozes out between seams with a lightly dampened cloth.

• 10

  Fill in the entire wall, overlapping the edges to create geometrical designs.

Painting or Sealing

• 11

  Allow the paper bag treatment to dry for at least 24 hours before painting or sealing. Both painting and sealing are optional steps that may make the paper bag treatment more durable, but are not necessary. Apply only paint, only sealant, or paint and then seal.

• 12

  Paint over the bags with a dry brush to add color highlights. Load a brush with paint and wipe off most of the paint with paper towels. Dab the brush into towels or unused portions of paper bag to blot more paint from the brush and test the "dryness." Lightly swipe the brush against the paper. Paint will accumulate in the wrinkles and creases of the paper treatment.

• 13

  Apply a polyurethane sealant according to the manufacturer's directions if you want a more durable, slightly hardened finish. Be aware that applying a sealant slightly darkens the natural color of the bags or paint.