Let’s DIY decorating chest! This is a DIY project with Ikea products. I show you how to do it yourself for home.

I love “Shabby Chic” style but you know it is very hard to seek occidental vintage furnitures in Japan.

So I made shabby chic furniture by myself!

If you could not find anything by seeking shabby chic, you should do it yourself.

 

 

I did this DIY decorating chest about 5 years ago. I didn’t take any pictures of making process.

And it was not finished completely. But anyway, I will show how to do this as a DIY idea.

Get your room more personalized.

 

DIY Decorating Chest – Ikea Hack

Preparation for DIY project

1.Chest

I wanted to have a small and row chest, because my room is small. And I don’t like deep depth.

So I bought this small and simple chest at Ikea. That was it! $34.99 at Ikea USA.

 

I didn’t satisfy with this chest’s design enough, I put a board on the top and add some decoration board and leg.

 

And after all finished, I changed knobs. I bought small vintage real “shabby chic” glass knobs from USA.

2. 18th’ French document

I want a chest to be shabby chic. I bought this calligraphy French document with beautiful calligraphy by violet ink.

 

Isn’t it beautiful and romantic???  And very old. I cannot read it at all, but I heard this is a document about tax… 😛

You can use wall paper, rapping paper, anything you want put to on. Thin paper is better.

3.Bond

At that time, I didn’t know what to get to bond papers on the chest.

So I bought very ordinary and cheap water-based bond.

A bond for decoupage is more better, I guess.

4.Varnish

I use ordinary water-based one.

5.Paint

Water-based white paint. To disappear wood color under the paper. 

 

About point 3, 4, 5, may be other site would help you more than mine ;P

 

Tools for DIY project

1.Laser Printer

French document is expensive I could not have many.

So I go to shop and print it by laser printer. Because I thought laser print would be waterproof.

Actually it wasn’t waterproof completely, but still okay.

 

2.Blushes

To paint bond and varnish. 

 

How to DIY

It is very easy.

1.Paint the chest

At the first, paint the chest lightly, rough, not thick. Because after the paint, paste papers.

Places where not paste papers, paint thick and very well. 

 

2.Paste papers on the chest

This is the most important part!

I used ordinary bond but it was solid so I diluted it with water.

I recommend bond for decoupage. It is watery and very smooth to put on paper.

3.Paint varnish on surface

After drying, paint varnish on paper to protect.

But mine was failure. See the pic below, paper didn’t fix well.

Because copy paper is thick and waved for watery bond.

I should make paper thinner.

Very thin paper is difficult to handle but not wave.

Seems my chest’s paper is fading and get turned yellow…I want change this paper.

If I changed the paper, I’m gonna show it.

 2017 ⓒ Atelier Kaori