Have you ever been inspired by a creative idea that you really loved and you wanted to try for yourself, but it took ages to decide on the right piece to use? Meet this little crate that I recently found secondhand for today’s project: How to decoupage napkins onto wood.
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I’m no stranger to decoupage, but this certain kind I hadn’t tried before. And I knew this would be a perfect makeover for Trash to Treasure Tuesday with my creative blogging friends (you can visit their makeovers at the end of this post).
First I painted the wooden crate in Pure White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. (I left it rustic and distressed on purpose… you’ll see why soon.)
Then it was time for some fun.
How to Decoupage Napkins onto Wood
These napkins have been in my possession for almost a year, and I have been dying to decoupage them onto a piece! Aren’t the colors bright and gorgeous?? (Find these and other colorful napkins on Amazon HERE.)
Click here for a more comprehensive guide on How to Decoupage Furniture of all types.
White and neutral are usually my thang but I could not resist these pretties.
When you decoupage napkins, the first step is to remove the two layers of white tissue paper from the back, if they’re 3-ply. It may seem like there’s only one white layer at first – the second layer will be trickier to get off.
Once you have just the top layer, place it over one side of the crate and cut or rip it to the right size. It doesn’t need to be perfectly lined up – we are going for imperfect anyway. 🙂
Next dip a small foam brush into matte Mod Podge and cover the entire side… don’t skimp, but don’t puddle it either.
Press the napkin onto the wood, lightly rubbing and pushing the tissue into the woodgrain. Also, don’t worry if edges overlap or hang over – you’ll fix those later.
Yes, your fingers will get messy! Take a break once in a while and go wash them to make sure they stay clean and the ink doesn’t spread over the white areas.
Would you like a free printable tutorial of this project for easy reference? Click Here.
For the sides with the slats, I centered the napkin and glued it on like this (below), with smaller pieces on either side.
Update: I no longer glue the entire napkin onto the slatted sides like below. I cut the napkin into strips first so there’s not so much waste to throw away.
Note: If your napkins have a distinct pattern and you have to use more than one piece on a larger area, stagger the pattern so it’s not completely obvious and looks sort of weird.
How to Distress the Decoupage Napkins
Let the glue sit until dry, probably overnight. Then you can use an electric hand sander, a sanding sponge block, or any sandpaper you have already.
I grabbed the closest to me which was 320 grit by 3M, usually used to create a soft, smooth finish on pieces you’re almost done with. (Next time I do this type of project I’ll probably use a grit in the 200 range so it will rough up a little more quickly.)
Sand away till your heart’s content. You want to wipe away the excess tissue between the slats, over the handles, near the edges, and anywhere else to give it a distressed, worn look.
Again – you will definitely make a big mess when sanding. You might want to go outdoors or have paper or cardboard underneath for easier cleanup.
When you’re all finished, the decoupage napkins on wood will look something like this:
You don’t need to worry about sealing the napkins.
Finally, here’s a closeup so you can see the imperfect edges and the woodgrain peeking through.
I could’ve easily done this without painting the crate first, but I think the white background really makes the flowers pop even more. For a more subtle look you could leave the wood unfinished or stain it a darker color first.
The side is a little more distressed, since a couple chunks came off during sanding. The Mod Podge must’ve missed those areas. Oops.
Another closeup of the decoupage wood crate:
If you like this decoupage napkins crate project, here’s a handy before-and-after collage to Pin and save for easy access later:
I love to decoupage the outside of furniture, inside drawers, on crates, little wooden boxes from Goodwill, and I’ve even decoupaged glass bottles and artwork. There’s so much you can do with decoupage and napkins, paper, wrapping paper, maps, book pages, etc.!
Would you like a free printable tutorial of this project for easy reference? Click Here.
Here are a few more crates I’ve since decoupaged napkins onto:
And some painted holiday crates:
Annnnnnd now it’s Trash to Treasure Tuesday with my friends!
This is seriously one of my most favorite days every month. I love seeing everyone’s creative transformations and being inspired, and I know you will too. (You can view my T2T makeovers from other months HERE.)
Below are the Before photos – click the links below to see the After pics and the full tutorial on their blog.
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Lastly, if you liked this project then don’t miss my epic guide full of advice for how to decoupage furniture:
You might also like: How to Decoupage Fabric onto Books
Talk soon, friend! – Jen
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
Love me some decoupage! Endless uses for tissue paper and napkins. I love the fun print you chose. It really livened up that crate. So fun!
Yvonne says
Hi Jen-love your work! One question: how come you didn’t apply a coat of Mod Podge over the top of the napkins? Did you seal it with anything at all? If not, do you find that it’s okay not to seal Mod Podge projects? Sorry for all the questions, it’s just that I’m working on something now and I’m not sure if I should add Mod Podge on top. It’s paper and I sweat to get it wrinkle free when applying it-now I’m scared it will wrinkle up when I seal it. But at the same time, I’m afraid to leave it unsealed. Thanks!
Susan says
I don’t usually like the distressed or floral look, but Jen, you’ve hooked me with this project. I can’t tell you how charmed I am by it. Luckily I have one of these boring wood crates and gallons of Mod Podge. Guess what I’ll be doing this weekend?
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
So pretty Jen!! Love the napkins you chose too! xo
Jen says
Thanks Yvonne! I didn’t use Mod Podge over the top of the napkins because it wouldn’t have been so easy to sand and distress it. Since this is just a crate, I didn’t seal it with anything. When I decoupage furniture, I usually do apply Mod Podge over the front of the paper also (but not always, if it’s not an area that won’t see a lot of wear and tear). Typically if I want an almost-perfect smooth look I will use thick scrapbook paper to avoid wrinkles and rips. Thin paper is just harder to work with. Here’s one of my popular decoupage projects, a desk I did a few years ago that might help you out more: https://girlinthegarage.net/2014/08/french-decoupage-desk-themed-furniture-makeover-day Good luck!
Christy@Confessions of Serial Do-it-Yourselfer says
That turned out so cute, Jen!! I have been wanting to try that for forever as well! Those napkins were the perfect choice! XO
Yvonne says
Jen, thanks for your insight! That desk was absolutely gorgeous!! The paper I’m working with is on the thin side, and I (somehow!) managed to get it on my project wrinkle-free – and now, thanks to your advice, I feel completely confident not sealing it because it’s not going to be subject to any wear and tear at all. Thanks for your help!
Karla Rogers says
Love, love, love this! I have done decoupaged lampshades with napkins before and they are beautifully semi transparent. This project is awesome and I love the sanded down look. It is perfect for the crate and the napkins were just the right happy floral pattern! Napkins are so easy to find and the colors, patterns, varieties and ease to work with make each project so much fun. I’m going to try your technique as soon as I find “just the right piece!”
Eileen says
A hint! Use saran wrap to press the paper in place. It works well.
Evija says
Absolutely beautiful crate!! I have a little obsession with napkins and can’t seem to pass the cute ones in the shop.. so many projects to do!!
Marie from The Interior Frugalista says
I love the pretty napkins you used on the crate, Jen. Pinned to share.
Rose Arroyo says
I love the way this turned out.
Stefanie says
This is amazing! I love that look! I’ve been dying to try that technique on something and you’ve inspired me! Your rock!!
Jen says
Aww thanks so much, Stefanie! I’d love to see how it turns out for you! 🙂
Jessica | Petal + Ply says
This is one of my favorite techniques. So many napkins, so many design possibilities. I don’t use Mod Podge though because I’m not a huge fan of the tackiness. I tried using water based polycrylic and it works fabulously. I use the same polycrylic as the top coat too!
Jen says
Thank you Jessica! I haven’t had good experience with polycrylic over anything white (every type I’ve tried has yellowed, even water-based), but it might work fine over other colors. Thanks for sharing your experience using it.
Jessica | Petal + Ply says
🙁 bummer. I haven’t noticed any yellowing with the water-based myself but white is always tricky.
Deborah says
Once you put the napkins on the glue do you leave them on until the glue dries? I can’t wait to try this!
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Deborah,
Yes! Let the glue dry completely and then lightly sand all the edges of the wood slats. I don’t sand as heavily as I used to. This updated post explains it a little better: https://girlinthegarage.net/2017/05/decoupage-crates-framed-cork-boards-drawer-shelves Hope you have fun with the project! 🙂
Marian says
There are lots of good napkin designs for $1 at… guess where?? Dollar Tree!! ☺️
phyllis grace says
Can I use paper napkins to wallpaper a wall ? If so how would I do it. Thank you.
Jen, Girl in the Garage says
Hi Phyllis, I wouldn’t decoupage napkins directly onto a wall because that could get quite messy when you’re gluing them on or if you decide to someday remove them. Instead I’d decoupage napkins onto long wood planks (have you ever seen a wood plank wall?) and then attach the wood to the wall. Kind of like the crate but on a much bigger scale. I think it could be a beautiful focal wall! I hope that helps 🙂