The find
Plain institutional chairs for $15 each.

The transformation
Découpage (the art of cutting and pasting paper) turns these plywood and-metal chairs into pretty, one-of-a-kind seats.


Getting started
Lightly sand chair seat and back; wipe clean. Prime using white latex primer.

Sand frame, spray-paint with rust paint in colour that coordinates with découpage materials. (We used Krylon Satin in white).

Découpage basics
All it takes is paper, waterbased sealant glue (Mod Podge) and a few finish coats of polyurethane.

Use foam paintbrush to coat back of paper with Mod Podge, which goes on milky but dries clear.

Place paper on chair. Use foam brush and old credit card to smooth out bubbles.

Glue down loose edges by coating with Mod Podge.

Allow glued paper to extend past chair edges slightly as you go.

Once chair is covered, let glue dry, about 24 hours.

Use craft knife to trim along chair edges so paper is flush with edges.

Protect chair with multiple coats of Minwax Polycrylic water-based protective finish in clear satin; brush along edges to seal. Allow two hours between coats.