How to Faux Finish Leather Walls With Brown Paper Bags

A real leather wall treatment in a cozy den would be cost-prohibitive today, but the look of leather is easy to create using a material that is readily available and inexpensive--brown paper bags. In fact, the older and more worn the paper bags are, the better the final result. Creating a faux leather look takes some time to achieve, but the end product will be stunning and affordable.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Brown paper bags (large)
• Wallpaper paste
• Wallpaper brush or 4-inch painter brush
• Wallpaper squeegee
• Faux leather paint
• Water-based, clear sealant

Instructions

1. Estimate the number of plain, brown paper bags you will need for the project. Cut apart a representative "grocery store" sized bag and set aside the bottom panel. Measure the two sides of the flattened bag to determine the number of square inches per bag. Measure your walls to derive the square inches of the surface. Divide the square inches of room by the bag square inches to estimate the number of bags needed. Gather enough bags for the project. You will need bags without printing on them. Old, wrinkled bags are desirable.

2. Tear the bags into sections about the size of a dinner plate. Don't use scissors to cut the bags: the rougher torn edges are desirable. Have several people help you tear the bags so you will end up with a variety of "tear patterns" and shapes. Wad each torn section into a tight ball, perhaps more than once, and then flatten it against your leg. Stack all the torn sections, flat, in a box or a laundry basket.

3. Brush the wall with wallpaper paste, covering a section approximately 36 square inches. Use a liberal amount of paste on a 4-inch paint brush or a wallpaper brush. Take one section of bag and firmly press it against the wall. If the bag flutters off the wall, you have not used enough paste. Once the bag sticks to the wall, brush over it with another liberal coating of wallpaper paste. Brush out or press out any air bubbles under the paper or use a wallpaper squeegee.

4. Continue to paste paper to the wall, overlapping the bag edges just slightly, no more than 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch. Rotate the bags in different directions and skew them so they are not too "straight up and down." Stand back and check your work frequently. If you sense you're aligning the bag pieces too much in one direction, change your method to "mix it up" more. Continue to stick and then paste over the bag sections until an entire wall is covered. Make sure all edges are firmly pasted to the wall. Let dry overnight.

5. Paint the wall with a specialty paint formulated for "faux leather" effects, available at most home-improvement center paint departments today. This paint is manufactured with filler materials that will provide more of a worn leather texture. Faux leather paint comes in a variety of "leather" colors. Follow the product directions. Seal the wall after painting with a coating of water-based, "egg-shell" finish, clear polyurethane sealant.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a half a cup of a water-based yellow wood stain to each gallon of final sealant to achieve an "aged" look. This is a project that kids can help with.

References

• Using Brown Paper To Make Faux Leather
• Brown Bag Walls
• Faux Leather Finishes

Resources

• Brown Kraft Paper in Bulk
• Soft Suede or Leather Paint