Faux leather floor, photo by TheBudgetDecorator.com
This is just an amazing decorating technique, very easy, very cheap, and very effective!
I envisioned this faux leather finish on my dining room walls, to cover up some old cracked plaster that would have required an expensive restoration job — not in the household budget at the present time!
Because the walls would have ended up being darker than I like, the sensible option is to wait until the paper is completely dry and just do a simple wash over top with a thinned latex in warm pale yellow, then dry-sponge an antiquing glass lightly over top to accentuate the look of old leather… Okay, I confess, that last bit was my clever designer sister-in-law’s idea!
How To Make a Rustic Leather Floor from Paper Bags!
by Kathy Wilson
Sometimes one of the toughest decorating challenged we have when we are on a budget is replacing old, worn, or ugly flooring. If you have vinyl flooring that has seen better days, or you just want more of a natural or luxurious look in your rooms, hold on to your hat! I am going to show you how to create a faux leather floor from ordinary paper bags from the grocery store!
Tools Needed
• Paper bags or a roll of brown Kraft paper from the postal supply aisle (enough to cover your entire floor, with some overlapping)
• Gallon of water based polyurethane
• Scissors
• Old work clothes
• Strong Knees and Back!
First off, put up the “Room Closed” sign! I did my kitchen in the evening so the last coat of sealer would have a chance to dry well before the kids and the dogs hit it in the morning! Even better if you can keep it closed off for 24 hours or more.
Now, clean the floor thoroughly… TSP is a great idea here! It is normally used on glossy paint surface, but will work well for these purposes. Rinse well. Let dry.
Tear your brown paper into irregular sections in a size that is easy to handle. It is important to tear, and not cut, as that will give the natural edge you need for the look. Only use the scissors to create a straight edge on some pieces to line up against cabinets, walls, or a change in flooring. Now crumple each torn piece tightly, then smooth out. This will give it texture.
Pour a small amount of polyurethane onto the floor where you will place your first piece, and smooth it out with a brush, although I preferred to use my hands. Lay the piece of paper down, add a little poly to the top of the paper, and smooth down. Kind of like decoupage! Now continue to lay down papers each one slightly overlapping the other. Smooth out bubbles as you go. Your hand is the best tool for this!
If you find bubbles forming underneath as the poly starts to dry, poke the bubble with a pin, add a little more poly, and smooth down.
Once you finish covering the whole floor with paper, let the poly dry. Recoat the poly once each hour until you have 4 to 6 coats of poly protecting your floor. This should be allowed to dry hard, at least overnight, longer if possible.
When you notice the floor getting dull, clean and add a maintenance coat of poly. Repairs are easily made with another torn piece of paper bag laid right over the existing treatment. Seal with poly.
Damp mop when necessary, and it should last you years! Definitely not your neighbors floor, and all for the price of some polyurethane and some hard work!
Do you want free tips and ideas for decorating your home on a budget? Visit author and columnist Kathy Wilson at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com, and don’t forget to sign up for her free newsletter while you’re there!
Could I do this over wood plank subfloor using rosin paper? There are a couple of 1/4 inch wide gaps. This is an old work shop (1815) with painted subfloor. It’s a bit out of level. I want to use it as an art studio but need to cover floor with something. The floor is relatively flat. Any info is so appreciated. Thanks
Is this something that can be done over subfloor? I am worried where it says to thoroughly clean the floor, I obviously cannot clean subfloor very well? Thank you sooo much!
Tamara
jtcosby@gmail.com
I want to apply this technique to a plain wooden cabinet, and I’d like to add a color for a stained leather effect. Would I then use the decoupage instead of polyurethane? When/how/ what would I add for coloring ?
For wall covering, decorative objects or hard furnishings (like tables), yes, Bev, I do agree: the decoupage method you describe would be my first choice, too. But can you give more detail about why you chose not to use wallpaper paste instead of the polyurethane method for a flooring application?
It’s not as simple as all that poly. Wallpaper paste decoupages the paper to the floor, then you apply several coats of poly after the paper has dried. It’s not as easy as it looks.
Toni, this technique is intended to make a durable, fairly permanent surface, so it uses polyurthane directly on the existing subfloor or old flooring. (Think in terms of covering old cracked asbestos tiles that would be an expensive health hazard to remove.)
If you want the same look for a temporary residence — like a rental apartment — I’d be inclined to lay down some cheap linoleum or vinyl flooring first, so the faux-leather finish would go onto that and not onto the “real” floor, and be really careful with the poly application around the edges.
Dear Domestika,
Iam thinking of doing the faux leather floors but, how hard would it be to remove this after its put down?
HI Shannnon,
I just fired you off an email… but here’s my basic take on this: all houses move to some extent, and the faux leather floor might well stand up better to movement than, say, those peel-and-stick vinyl tiles (don’t get me started on those evil things!)…
As I mentioned in my email, in the kitchen of this old house there’s a 50-60-year-old old asphalt tile floor in truly crappy condition – but I don’t dare try to tear it up for fear of asbestos if the tiles break up. I still haven’t decided whether to do the faux leather floor effect on it, but it’s certainly something I’m considering because I think it might help to hide some of the cracks between tiles (and in the middle of tiles!). It’s tempting, because I love the look and feel pretty confident that this method would work just fine for this situation. (And even with an amazing granite foundation, my house moves a bit through the seasons, just like any other…)
Please do report back in and tell us about your project, if you decide to go for it?
Yes, thank you. I guess I was just concerned it would not work if the foundation was not cement.
Shannon, yes – right over the existing sheet-vinyl flooring: but do clean the vinyl properly first (that’s what the TSP is for) so you get good adhesion.
I’m not sure what you mean about a wood foundation, though — are you concerned about your home being subject to movement because it’s on wooden piers or something, rather than a cement foundation?
If your mobile is not on a stable foundation and there’s some flex in the floors, then any kind of flooring you would use will be under some stress (not to mention the structure of the home!) so that would be the least of the concerns. You’d want do something about the foundation before worrying too much about the interior decor, anyway, if this is the case.
Don’t know if that answers your question at all – maybe you can clarify the question a bit, if not? :-)
You can apply this flooring directly over the existing vinyl? Will this work in a mobile home that has a wood foundation?
Lindee, TSP is trisodium phosphate, a heavy-duty cleaner. Any hardware store will know exactly what to give you, if you go ask for TSP. It’s probably in the same aisle with the painting supplies.
In the directions, it’s mentioned that TSP is great for cleaning the floors.. (Now, clean the floor thoroughly? TSP is a great idea here! It is normally used on glossy paint surface, but will work well for these purposes. Rinse well. Let dry.) What is this?
@josephine, hi! Here are two ideas: You could sew a tote bag out of waterproof canvas… or get creative with recycled Tyvek. There are many great easy patterns for different styles of bags — keep an eye out for a couple of bag patterns I’ll be featuring through June, suitable for book / laptop bags or even beach totes; there may be a bag pattern that appeals to you!
how do you make a waterproof bag for a bookbag