How to Decorate a Newspaper

Newspaper can double as a craft supply with the right project.

Newspaper is a diverse craft material. When you are considering ways to use newspaper, think of it like any other type of paper. Use it for origami, as the canvas for other artwork or as a decorative addition to a room. Most newspaper crafts require decoupage application --- applying the paper with a layer of glue and a glue seal to affix it to a solid surface. Newspaper is endlessly versatile and can be tailored to nearly any craft project.

Things You'll Need

• Newspapers
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paintbrush
• Acrylic paint
• Canvas
• String or ribbon
• Frame or decorative box
• Wallpaper liner
• Wallpaper smoother

Instructions

1. Use the newspaper for gift wrap. Newspaper has been an emergency gift wrap standby for generations. However, you can embellish the paper for intentional and festive use. Paint the newspaper with acrylic paint with holiday imagery or other designs. Let the paint dry thoroughly according to the manufacturer's instructions, then wrap the gift with the painted newspaper.

2. Apply newspaper to a canvas as background for a painting. Apply a thin layer of decoupage glue with a foam paintbrush to the top and sides of a canvas. Lay one sheet of newspaper onto the canvas, fold over the edges and tuck them behind the wood frame. Paint on the canvas with oil or acrylic paints. Apply the paint heavily for an opaque result, or lightly for a painting in which the newsprint is still visible through the paint.

3. Decoupage a decorative home accessory with newspaper, then embellish it. This application works especially well with picture frames and decorative boxes. Apply a thin layer of decoupage glue to the top and sides of the item. Lay the newsprint over it. Fold and smooth the paper over the sides. Turn the object over and apply glue to the back, as well. Press the edges of the paper into the glue to secure it in place. Once the newspaper has been applied to the surface and has dried, adorn with paint or gemstones. Decorate the surface generously, as though the newspaper were any other surface. The newsprint will be more intriguing if it only peaks out in-between other embellishments.

4. Fold the newspaper into origami art. Paint the origami pieces to resemble the objects that inspired them. Paint the beak and feathers of a crane or the petals of a blossoming lotus. Acrylic paint is semi-opaque so it will obscure some of the newsprint and allow some to remain visible, adding visual texture to your creation Run a line of string through the top of the object to hang in from the ceiling for decoration. Alternatively, you can string many origami pieces together to create a garland for use as party decoration or general home decor.

5. Use newsprint as the background for scrapbook pages. Use double-sided tape to affix the newsprint to card stock, since newspaper pages are far too thin to place alone in a scrapbook. This is an especially fitting design for scrapbook entries that relate to current events, journalism or a friend or loved one who is a journalist. Decorate the page, highlighting or painting the text, illustrating on top of the newsprint with markers or paint. Arrange and attach photos or souvenirs over the design. Leave only minimal amounts of newsprint visible, so that it does not overpower the presence of the other elements you included.

References

• Disney Family Fun: Extra! Extra!
• HGTV: Decorative Shoebox Storage
• How to Origami: Origami Newspaper Pots