How to Apply Wallpaper to a File Cabinet With Mod Podge

Empty everything from your filing cabinet and place it on a surface covered with newspaper or a dropcloth.

Use a screwdriver to remove the hardware from the drawer fronts and lay them aside for later.

Sand the whole piece with medium-grit sandpaper. Wipe the cabinet with a soft, damp cloth to remove the dust. Allow it to dry completely.

Prime the filing cabinet and apply one to two coats of spray paint in a color to coordinate with your wallpaper choices. This step eliminates having to decoupage around corners and the tops and bottoms of drawers.

Tear lengths of wallpaper into large, medium and small pieces and place them nearby. Use pieces from the same roll or from coordinating rolls.

Coat a small area of your filing cabinet with a layer of the decoupage medium or Mod Podge by applying it with a soft paintbrush or foam brush. Press a piece of wallpaper onto the glue and smooth it with a wallpaper smoother or brayer. Continue this process until you have covered a medium-sized area of your cabinet.

Paint a thin coat of decoupage medium over the surface of the wallpaper. Repeat the process from Step 5 until you have covered all of the intended surfaces on your filing cabinet. Allow the project to dry completely according to the instructions on the bottle.

Apply one or more coats of decoupage medium over all the papered surfaces, allowing adequate drying time between each coat.

Reattach the hardware to the drawer fronts.