In this instructable I will demonstrate how I upgrade old or new furniture using Mod Podge!

Materials Needed:

-Rust-Oleum Zinsser Primer

-Spray Paint / Paint (determine the best paint to use for the surface of your furniture)

-Paint Brushes & Foam Brushes

-Mod Podge Matte Glue & Tool Set

-Clear acrylic sealer

-Sand Paper

-Decoupage material (paper, wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, fabric)

-Scissors

Step 1: Thoughly Clean Your Piece of Furniture!

Clean the piece of furniture you are using with warm water and soap. Make sure any residue is off before moving to the next step. Do not skip this step! Any surface needs to be clean and free of debris for the paint and mod podge to adhere.

Step 2: Sand (if Necessary) and Prime.

If you are not leaving the finish that your piece of furniture already has on it, sand the surface with a medium grit sandpaper. I have skipped this step in multiple projects and just used primer. This has worked so far and all my projects have held up fine.

Prime all areas that you are painting or using mod podge on. Rust-oleum Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer works well.

Step 3: Paint Your Furniture!

I was actually making this for someone who asked me and she wanted a silver and purple color scheme. I used Silver Spray Paint for the base of the desk and a Purple paint for the sides of the desk. Apply as many coats needed to achieve the look you want. Let each coat of paint fully dry (2 hours) before reapplying next coat.

Step 4: Gather the Art for Your Decoupage.

In this project I found pictures online of the specific artists she wanted on the desk's table top. I used regular printer paper and found this works just fine. Print with the highest quality setting. After collecting the images (all in various sizes) I cut them out so there was no white edges around each picture.

Step 5: Arrange Your Collage the Way You Want It to Look!

Before starting the process of actually using mod podge on the printed images and placing them on the desk, I arranged the photos on the desk in a pattern that worked well. I then took a picture of the arrangement with my cell phone so I can reference that to recreate the pattern with Mod Podge.

Step 6: Begin Mod Podging!

Start with the upper left corner of the desk. I applied the mod podge as needed, instead of applying the mod podge all over the desk top at first. This is due to the fact that it is a collage and you are applying pieces of printed papers one at a time, not a whole roll of paper in one shot. Using a foam brush apply a thin coat of mod podge in the area of your first image. Then apply another thin coat on the bottom side of the paper. Lightly press the paper to the desk top. Using a brayer, made by Mod Podge, smooth out any air bubbles and wrinkles. Apply another thin coat of mod podge on top of the image after it is placed on the desk top. Continue these steps to complete your collage. If some of your images are slightly over lapping the edge of the desk top you can lightly sand the edges of paper off to create a smooth line. Once complete allow your project to fully dry overnight.

Step 7: Apply a Seal

Once your piece of furniture is complete and fully dry apply a couple coats of a clear acrylic sealer over the entire piece of furniture. I used an aerosol spray that I find works well. Allow each coat to fully dry before applying your second coat and third coat. I used an epoxy finish since my customer is using it as her nightstand and I wanted it to be extra durable, but this is not necessary for all situations! :)