How to Decoupage a Desk

Hey guys – today I’m sharing my favorite How to Decoupage a Desk project.

This desk came to me from a family friend who asked me to redo it for her teenage daughter’s birthday.  She had two requests: French-themed and decoupage.  Two of my favorite things!

Chalk Paint the Desk

I planned to do a couple layers and then distress it, so first I painted a layer of Chalk Paint in Old Ochre.  The water rings bled through this layer, but it was okay since I planned to paint the desk dark.  If I had wanted to keep the desk a light color I would’ve used a shellac primer before painting.

I sanded to smooth out the brushstrokes and then added two coats of Chalk Paint in Graphite.   Then I lightly sanded again- especially the edges to give it a distressed, naturally aged look.  Both clear and dark wax were used to make the desk look more black.  (Graphite with just clear wax looks like dark gray.)

Learn all about how to Chalk Paint furniture here – a beginner’s guide to Chalk Painting.

How to Decoupage a Desk

I used matte Mod Podge to glue French themed scrapbook paper on the drawer fronts.  One layer of Mod Podge underneath, a few minutes of smoothing out the paper to avoid wrinkles, and then another thin layer on top.

The hardware was also painted in Graphite and waxed.

I LOVE how the French decoupage desk turned out – but more importantly, my client and her daughter love it too!

You can download and print your own “I’d rather be in Paris” art (and another French-inspired art print) HERE.

The reddish book (second from the bottom) was one of my French textbooks from high school.  The others I’ve collected over time, and the top two I brought on our trips to Paris.   😉

Below you can see where some Old Ochre and also the wood underneath are peeking through.

Here’s another look at this painted decoupage desk:

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– Jen, Girl in the Garage