How to Decoupage Furniture with Wallpaper (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

Wallpaper probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about refinishing furniture. But it’s a surprisingly easy way to add detailed patterns and prints to a piece. Flat cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and side panels are ideal for this, as the paper sits smoothly and can completely change the look and feel of your furniture.

Inspired by other refinishers’ wallpaper decoupage projects, I wanted to try it myself. Unlike painting on details, wallpaper provides instant patterns, opening a whole new set of creative options for furniture.

With the right prep and a good seal, wallpaper can look like it was always meant to be there, not just something stuck on top.

Can You Decoupage Furniture with Wallpaper?

Most of the time, decoupage uses thin papers like tissue or special decoupage sheets. So it’s completely normal to wonder if thicker wallpaper will work just as well.

The answer is yes. Standard wallpaper works well on furniture panels and cabinet doors, as long as your surface is smooth and prepped.

The key consideration is wallpaper thickness. Standard wallpapers tend to lie flat and blend with the furniture, while thicker, padded, or heavily textured options are harder to smooth and may show edges or get damaged more easily.

If you’re still exploring decorative options for your piece, you can browse furniture refinishing techniques to compare other creative approaches.

Original marble top cabinet prior to refinishing

How to Decoupage Furniture with Wallpaper

The process is simple: prep your surface, glue on the wallpaper, smooth it out, and seal it. I’ll walk you through each step so your wallpaper looks like it truly belongs on your furniture.

Step 1 – Clean and Lightly Sand the Surface

As with most furniture refinishing projects, the surface should be clean and lightly sanded before wallpaper is applied. Dirt, oils, or a glossy finish can prevent the glue from bonding properly, which may cause the paper to lift or bubble later. If you’re unsure how to prepare furniture before refinishing, I walk through the process in my guides on cleaning furniture before painting and sanding wood furniture.

After sanding, make sure to remove all the dust so the glue can sit evenly across the surface. I share the safest ways to do this in my guide on cleaning wood after sanding.

Can You Decoupage Over Paint?

You can decoupage wallpaper over paint, but only if the paint is solid. If it’s peeling or chipping, the wallpaper will only be as strong as what’s underneath. A clean, lightly sanded, painted surface works well, but make sure to fix any failing finish before you start.

Step 2 – Cut the Wallpaper to Size

Measure your panel and cut the wallpaper slightly larger than you need. Leaving a small border helps you line up the pattern and makes sure you cover the whole panel once it’s smoothed down.

Before you cut, take a moment to see how the pattern will sit on your panel. With bold or repeating prints, even a small misalignment can ruin the pattern. Once you’re happy, cut the wallpaper and set it aside until you’re ready to glue. You’ll trim any extra paper along the edges after the glue dries.

I played around with paint options for awhile. Due to the vibrant colours in the wallpaper, I knew I could go with blues, greens or even coral colours.

I opted for a yellow which matched the flowers and butterfly wings. This colour was chosen as I wanted a colour that was limited on the wallpaper to ensure that the colour popped on the cabinet!

Step 3 – Apply PVA Glue

PVA glue (regular white glue) works well for this. I find it easiest to brush a thin, even coat straight onto the furniture panel, not the back of the wallpaper. This gives you more control when lining up the paper.

TIP: When you lay the paper onto the glue, try to do it in one go. Avoid shifting it around too much, as this can cause the paper to tear.

A small paintbrush or foam brush is great for spreading glue right up to the edges without leaving thick spots. Aim for even coverage, not a heavy layer. Too much glue can leave ridges, and any dust or stray brush hairs will show through once the paper is smoothed down.

For thinner papers, such as tissue paper used in traditional decoupage, some people dilute PVA glue with water to create a lighter adhesive. Elmer’s provides instructions for making a simple decoupage medium if you’re working with very thin papers: make your own decoupage medium.

Step 4 – Smooth the Wallpaper

Start by placing the wallpaper at one edge of the glued panel, then slowly lay it down across the surface. Working from one side helps you avoid trapping air bubbles underneath. If you’re using more than one piece of wallpaper, line up the next piece right against the previous one so the pattern matches.

Once the paper is in place, gently smooth it out with a wallpaper scraper, plastic card, or any flat tool you have. Work from the centre toward the edges to push out air bubbles and help the paper lie flat. Take your time with this step. Careful smoothing makes all the difference and helps prevent wrinkles as the glue dries.

close up of decoupaging with wallpaper on furniture

Step 5 – Trim the Edges

Let the glue dry completely before trimming off any extra wallpaper. If you cut while it’s still wet, the paper can tear or shift, and it’s much harder to get a clean edge.

Once the glue is dry, use a sharp craft knife to trim the wallpaper right along the panel edge. A ruler or straight edge helps keep your cut neat. Use light, careful passes with the knife instead of pressing hard. This helps prevent the paper from pulling or tearing.

Step 6 – Seal the Wallpaper

Once the wallpaper is dry and trimmed, seal it with a clear protective finish. This protects the print from wear and makes the furniture much easier to clean down the line.

For this cabinet, I used Polyvine Decorators Varnish, which is made for wallpaper and painted finishes. Apply it in thin coats with a clean brush or sponge, letting each coat dry before adding the next. Two or three thin coats are usually enough for a durable, wipeable finish.

polyvine decorators varnish for topcoating wallpaper decoupage

Wallpaper Decoupage Cabinet Makeover

This marble-top cabinet was the perfect candidate for wallpaper decoupage. It was solid but felt outdated and neglected when I found it at a local second-hand shop. The flat panels on the doors and sides stood out right away. They were just asking for a bold pattern to bring them to life.

Choosing the Wallpaper

It took a bit of searching to find the right wallpaper. I wanted something playful and bold enough to carry the whole piece. When I found Hide and Seek by Harlequin, with its colourful fox illustrations, I knew it was the one.

As soon as I saw it, I knew it would change the cabinet’s personality. The pattern was perfect for the door panels and sides, where it could shine without being broken up by hardware or moulding.

Hide and seek wallpaper from harlequin with a foxy fox

Paint Colour Choice

With such bold, colourful wallpaper, I wanted the paint colour to support the pattern, not compete with it. I decided to pick up the yellow from the flowers and butterfly wings, which was a less dominant colour in the wallpaper.After testing a few yellow options, I landed on Souq from Boost Paint. The mustard yellow brought out the colours in the wallpaper but still let the pattern stay centre stage.e.

If you ever find yourself trying to match paint to a bold wallpaper pattern, my guide on choosing furniture paint colours walks through how to make that decision more easily.

furniture makeover with wallpaper decoupage

Structural Changes

Luckily, the cabinet didn’t need much repair. The structure was solid, and the drawers and doors worked well. The only real update was swapping out the hardware. The original handles were dated, and the holes didn’t match modern hardware, so I filled the old holes with wood filler, sanded them smooth, and drilled new ones in the right spot.

A hardware jig is a handy tool for marking and drilling holes at precise, even spots. It makes it much easier to get the new holes level and evenly spaced before adding the new handles. If you don’t have a hardware jig yet, it’s worth looking into this inexpensive tool.

The Finished Cabinet

Once the wallpaper was sealed and the cabinet put back together, it looked like a completely different piece. The fox wallpaper brought colour and movement to the doors and sides, and the mustard paint picked up tones from the pattern to tie everything together.What started as a plain cabinet turned into something playful and unique. The finished piece went to a family expecting their second child. They planned to use it as a changing station at first, then as toy storage later on.r.

A Creative Way to Transform Furniture

Wallpaper decoupage is one of those techniques that can completely transform a piece of furniture without needing complicated painting skills. Adding detailed prints and patterns opens up design options you’d never be able to recreate by hand.This cabinet was a great reminder that the right wallpaper can do most of the design work for you. With a smooth panel, careful prep, and a good seal, the paper becomes part of the piece instead of just sitting on top.t.

If you enjoy experimenting with decorative finishes on furniture, there are plenty of other creative techniques worth exploring as well. You might enjoy trying easy tape paint designs for furniture or learning how to acrylic paint pour on furniture.

And if you’re still deciding which direction to take with your next piece, you can browse the full collection of furniture refinishing techniques to see different ways furniture can be transformed.

How to Decoupage Furniture with Wallpaper for a Unique Cabinet Makeover