She Restores A Thrift Store Find Into A Living Room Masterpiece

Sometimes you find a real gem at a thrift store. This old trunk might be a little dirty and a lot worn but it deserves a refresh makeover. The first step is to give it a good cleaning. The exterior of my trunk is in pretty good shape but needed a little polish and shine. I used a product called Rejuvenation that cleans, polishes, and shines all in one product. The inside of my trunk was covered with paper that was cracking and curling on the edges. If the paper is in good shape but has simply detached from the trunk, glue it down with some craft glue. But you can trim off any excess pieces of paper. While I am sitting here holding this paper down waiting for it to dry, I thought I would talk about the inside of the trunk. Now every trunk obviously is going to be a little different and in different stages of disrepair. This trunk is covered with paper and it's actually in pretty good shape. I have glued edges down that I can and then I'm going to cover it with with paper napkins and decoupage the inside. I love how this particular napkin coordinates with the beautiful trunk. Oh this is so pretty. In any decoupage project you need to separate the layers of the paper napkin so you are left with a sheet of one ply. A trunk interior is going to take quite a few napkins, about two packages, so it's a good idea to separate them before starting and your hands get glue on them. Start with the bottom corner of the trunk by brushing a thin layer of Mod Podge decoupage glue in a space a little larger than your paper napkin. Position the napkin into the corner and gently press and smooth the napkin onto the surface. I like to gradually press the middle of the napkin and then work my way outward, gently pulling the napkin taut as I smooth. Continue to decoupage paper napkin squares next to the preceding napkin, lining up the pattern as you go. Once larger sections of the interior is covered, start to decoupage the smaller spaces that are left. This includes wrapping the napkin over the edge of the trunk. When the napkin is too large for the space, leave the excess paper alone until it dries. It's much easier to cut when the napkin is not wet. Work your way up the sides of the trunk, wrapping the napkin over the edges as well. When you get to the corners, use some scissors to cut away excess paper. There will be some overlap, but cutting away that excess helps to minimize this. For any random spots that don't get covered, cut smaller pieces that you can easily work with as you decoupage. Don't forget the underside of the lid, whether you're covering the entire lid or just smaller sections like me. Once all the surfaces are covered, you need to give everything a final top coat of the glue. Rather than using a small brush, pour the glue into a paint tray and apply it with a roller. So much faster than a single brush. Let the top coat dry and your trunk is finished. A trunk always looks great at the foot of a bed and is perfect storage for those cozy warm blankets. I hope this inspired you to take a vintage trunk and give it a makeover with decoupage glue and paper napkins. Thanks for watching Home Talk. I'll see you next time.