How to Decoupage Finished Furniture

Clean the piece of furniture thoroughly with clean cloths and furniture cleaner. Remove any dirt or dust that may be clinging to it. Allow the furniture to dry completely before moving on.

Choose the paper that you want to cover the furniture with, then cut out the images into the shapes that you desire with scissors.

Place the images onto the piece of furniture, tracing around their edges with a pencil. This way, when you are placing them you will be able to work quickly and make sure they are in the right places.

Apply decoupage medium to the piece of furniture using a foam brush. You will have to work quickly, so work in sections, such as the top of the furniture, then the sides. Apply the medium evenly and thinly.

Place the paper pieces onto the area where you have applied the decoupage medium. Work quickly to smooth them and make sure that all of the wrinkles and bubbles are gone, using a damp sponge. A brayer, which is a small roller available at craft stores, also works well to smooth the paper.

Remove any bubbles that my form on the furniture as the glue dries for about an hour.

Continue the process until all of the desired areas of the furniture are decoupaged.

Allow the furniture to sit for a week and cure.

Apply three to five coats of acrylic polyurethane to the piece of furniture after it has cured for a week. This will seal and protect it. Apply one coat of polyurethane per hour.