How to Cover a Floor With Brown Paper Bags

Brown bags make a creative floor covering.

Brown paper bags aren't just for carrying groceries -- you can turn them into a conversation-piece floor covering that imitates the look of leather or stone. Coating the paper with polyurethane gives it long-lasting durability.

Things You'll Need

• Trisodium phosphate (optional)
• Brown paper bags or roll of kraft paper
• Water-based polyurethane or floor finish
• White glue (optional)
• Large paintbrush
• Straight pin

Instructions

1. Clean the floor with soap and water or trisodium phosphate (TSP). Rinse thoroughly.

2. Tear your paper bags or kraft paper into pieces with jagged or uneven edges to provide a more natural look. Be creative -- make the pieces whatever sizes you want. Where the paper meets walls or other obstacles, cut those edges with scissors to provide a straight line. Leave the paper flat or scrunch it up and smooth it out to provide some texture.

3. Start at the corner furthest from the door to the room. Paint a small area of the floor with polyurethane or a 50-50 mixture of white glue and water, using your large paintbrush. Place pieces of bag or kraft paper over the painted area. Overlap the pieces slightly, applying some polyurethane or diluted glue on the overlapping edges.

4. Continue painting and laying small sections of paper. Work your way around the room, finishing at the doorway. Smooth out any air bubbles under the paper as you go; puncture the paper with a straight pin if necessary to get rid of a bubble. Let the floor covering sit for an hour.

5. Apply a coat of polyurethane or floor finish over the entire floor. Let it dry an hour, or according to the label directions. Apply three to five additional coats, letting each one dry before applying the next. After the last coat, allow the floor finish to cure according to the label directions before walking on it.

Tips & Warnings

• Find a flaw or a tear in your floor? Just rip off a new piece of bag or paper, cover the spot and coat the area with polyurethane.

• You can damp-mop this floor.

References

• The Budget Decorator: Decorating Project -- Paper Bag Floor
• Yankee Magazine: Brown Paper Bags Insulate a Drafty Floor