Paper It Fun!

42 responses so far ↓

• Jennifer Myers // Feb 19, 2008 at 5:40 pm

  I just looked at your work. It is beautiful. I ordered my paper illusions last week, and I am doing my kitchen counter tops too. Your “how you did it” was very helpful. I am getting less scared of doing my own. I just don’t want to mess it up! You make it sound so easy……
  Again thanks and your kitchen looks beautiful.

• Tina Saunders // Feb 19, 2008 at 7:29 pm

  Thanks Jennifer. It’s very easy. I was nervous too, but as soon as I finished a 2 x 2 section and stepped back to look at it, I knew it was gonna be great. Good luck !!

• DOT FRANCESCONI // Feb 20, 2008 at 12:36 am

  TINA, JUST CHECKED OUT YOUR COUNTERTOP AND WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT AN AWESOME JOB YOU DID. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. HOPING TO TRY IT ON MY KITCHEN SOON.

• suzie B // Feb 20, 2008 at 9:32 am

  You just gave me an idea to get started on my kitchen, hummmmmmmmmm husband will be out of town the weekend, guess I can play!

• kim saunders // Feb 20, 2008 at 10:07 am

  AWESOME!!! I think you’re in the wrong line of work… maybe try going into home improvement or something!

• Tina Saunders // Feb 20, 2008 at 1:40 pm

  I just wanted to add that before I put on the last coat of polycrylic I sanded with fine 220 paper. It said right on it for after priming and sealing. Also, when I said I had very little paper left over, I also did another 20 square feet near my stove that isn’t in the pictures. Good luck. I can’t wait to see other pictures.

• joan cross // Feb 20, 2008 at 3:44 pm

  hi, what a beautifu job, i am so proud of you, keep up the great work !!!

• Michelle Segriff // Feb 21, 2008 at 12:24 pm

  Wow. This is very encouraging! I just got my PI in the mail today and plan on doing my Orange Formica Countertops this weekend. Funny Enough my kitchen looks exactly like your before picture (except again I have ‘lovely’ bright Orange Countertops) and last weekend we did the cabinets in a cream white as well. I will be following your step by step using the Granite PI. I will post before and afters when I finish! Thank you for this helpful information. Your Kitchen Looks GREAT! I cant wait to get started tomorrow!

• Carrie Wigal // Feb 21, 2008 at 1:41 pm

  These are beautiful pictures, Tina. Thank you again for submitting them. Truly inspiring!

• Tina Saunders // Feb 21, 2008 at 2:20 pm

  Thanks Carrie Hopefully more pics of different rooms to come…I have a home that was stuck in the 70’s when we bought it….little by little we are changing it to OUR home. Michelle, the online guide was great for any question that came up while doing it. Good luck…you are gonna LOVE it !! p.s. If I can help let me know…

• AJ // Feb 24, 2008 at 8:44 pm

  That looks fantastic, but wouldn’t the wallpaper on the countertops get wet and tear when you put wet dishes on it?

• Michelle Segriff // Feb 25, 2008 at 6:39 pm

  Hi All. Just a quick update. My Countertops turned out GREAT! I just cant believe it. I have been calling everyone all weekend and telling them about my PI experience with my countertop - I am just thrilled! My girlfriend came over yesterday and almost fell over. I am still in the process of putting my Polyacrylic coats on (it is only taking us this long because we got a little busy yesterday) but have taken pictures along the way. As soon as everything is finished I will be sure to send them along. Thank you all again for all of the great info that I found on this web site. Had I not found it we would have been saving for rest of the year to get the countertop replaced. My total cost including PI and all priming and finishing needs was $85!

• Carrie Wigal // Feb 25, 2008 at 7:13 pm

  Hey Michelle,

  That’s awesome! When you get your pictures all taken, send them to me at “wallpaperillusionsATwigglewigal.com” (replace “AT” with”@”) and I’ll feature them in a blog post here along with your comments & how you did it, just like I did with this one.

  Congratulations!

• Carrie Wigal // Feb 25, 2008 at 7:25 pm

  AJ,

  In this case you would seal the paper after it has been applied with several coats of a polyurethane. This protects it from coming up when the countertop gets wet. It becomes very hard and you can’t even tell it’s paper underneath.

• cmp // Feb 26, 2008 at 6:02 am

  When the paper is sealed with polyurethane, is it then permanent or is there a way to remove it later on?

• Carrie Wigal // Feb 27, 2008 at 9:31 am

  Once you apply several coats of the polyurethane, it is difficult to remove. However, I believe it is still possible.

• Tina Saunders // Feb 27, 2008 at 10:55 am

  I would think that making a slice in it somewhere with a utility knfe and then getting some water under there would make you able to do something to it. I have primer under it so I think it would be able to be lifted or pried off once the water got under it…..

• Deede Westermann // Mar 15, 2008 at 9:54 pm

  How large did you tear the pieces into? Do the white edges where you tear the paper show a lot or do they blend in? How do the curved edges of your countertop work with the paper application? I have the 90′ angle to my island edge which curves like yours, and wondered how that paper fit over that edge. Thanks for the inspiring kitchen… I am almost ready to go for it over my 1960’s yellow formica countertops after seeing your success!

• Michelle Segriff // Mar 16, 2008 at 8:56 pm

  Deede,

  I actually cut all of my pieces because I wanted it to look cleaner from the blending stand point (I didnt most of mine in about 2×2 squares (I am pretty anal). Our countertop too had curves and it was a bit tricky. I took a piece that was probably about 2 by 4 inches for the corners and I had to cut multiple slits in it so it would fit around the corners of the countertop (I overlapped the pieces created by the slits for lack of a better explanation). It is tricky but it will work and is do-able.

  Sorry for my delay in pics all but our poly-acrylic process took much longer than expected as we put it on thicker than what we should have initally- it isnt self leveling so that is what we have been working on…mistake We just finished this weekend and are thrilled with the end result. Carrie I will send before and afters very soon!

  Deede if there is anything that I can help with since we just recently finished just let me know.

  Michelle

• Tina Saunders // Mar 17, 2008 at 8:27 am

  I did the exact thing with the edges….I cut slits in them to make them do the “turn” of the end. I’m not really sure if this explains it, but if you tear the paper almost straight down but pulling sideways (hold it tight with your left hand and pull to the right with your right hand) there will be hardly any backing showing. It’s more of a tearing than ripping up and down. Try it on a piece and you will see what I mean. Tear up then tear down then tear almost side to side. I dont’ know if that makes sense….That’s what I did on my cupboards with the Tuscan Red. I didn’t want alot of the grey background showing. There is barely ANY showing. Michelle, did your counters yellow at all? I am so bummed I used any polyurethane at all. I should have stuck to just the polycrylic. All polys say non-yellowing, but from experience, I have not found one yet. I wish I had the patience to have waited til the store opened the next morning to just go with ONLY the crylic. Can’t wait to see the pics

• Carolyn Bohler // Mar 19, 2008 at 6:34 am

  The Paper Illusion’s job you did was FANTASTIC!! I’m impressed with how professional it looks. However, your cabinet paint job is just as impressive. How did you do that?? I’m going to do both in my kitchen.

  Carolyn Bohler

• Tina Saunders // Mar 19, 2008 at 8:59 am

  The painting was done by my brother-in-law. That’s his profession, but it was just sanding then a coat of Kilz. Then we just took the weekend and painted the cabinets. The hardware I just spraypainted black out in the garage. We didn’t replace anything.
  The only thing is sand alot because we would get a lot of chips in the paint with normal wear and tear (2 kids under the age of 3) and when something bumps it, it chips off. I think we just sanded too little. I’ve redone the bottom cabinets with “Tuscan Red” PI and now I am going to paint the top cabinets and walls a tan color. Change the whole look. I love it.

• Michelle Segriff // Mar 19, 2008 at 9:19 am

  We did our own painting. At any Hardware/Home Store you can find “Cabinet Paint” - specifically made for your cabinets for around $25 a gallon (We used Ace Brand). We also sanded ours and then also applied a Deglosser. Then we painted them. Mine were dark like Tina’s and we painted them an off white color. We did replace all of our Hardware but do not get it from the Home Improvement Stores. I was shocked at the prices of Hinges and Knobs. We found everything we needed on Ebay for a steal! Even outside of Ebay if you google around, you can find these items much cheaper on the net. We got 50 Brushed Nickel Hinges for 30 bucks and 26 Brushed Nickel Knobs for 35 bucks - way way cheaper than what we seen in the Stores. The Cabinet Paint has held up for us so far but it hasnt been that long for us so we will see what happens in the Summer with the humidity, etc. but I am optimistic.

• Carrie Wigal // Mar 19, 2008 at 4:31 pm

  Michelle just sent me her “after” pictures and they look stunning! As soon as I get her “before” pics, I’ll be sure to create another post featuring her Formica project too. Stay tuned!

• Brenda // Mar 22, 2008 at 4:13 pm

  I am very interested in how your counter tops have held up under everyday use. Please comment.
  The tops you guys did look great!
  Brenda

• Tina Saunders // Mar 23, 2008 at 4:32 pm

  Mine are holding up great. They even repel the stains from grape juice and things like that….the only problem I have is that I didn’t raise my sink. I went right up to the edge and there is one part that I missed with the poly. It can get wet underneath only when I do alot of dishes, BUT the next day it is tight again and you can’t tell where it was wet. I just need to re-poly that one piece. Other than that they are great. I use a cutting board now instead of right on the formica like I used to do

• Brenda // Mar 23, 2008 at 5:03 pm

  Thanks for the response. How long ago did you do your tops?
  Once polyed I would suggest running a bead of caulking around the sink. If done in clear silicone then the PI pattern would show through.

  I run my own painting & wallpapering bussiness and I am very interested in the counter top projects you guys have done. I have had several customers ask what I could do to there out dated counters. This may be the answer, I obtained an old formica counter top, just sanded and primed this morning and am waiting on an order of PI.
  Anyone here tried a floor yet?
  Brenda

• Carrie Wigal // Mar 23, 2008 at 7:47 pm

  Jane Gauss answered someone’s question about covering a tile counter and floor, specifically addressing grout lines.

  BeBe did her bathroom floor. She sent her pictures in and shared about her experience putting it down. I put together a project sheet based on what she did. Then several months later (less than a year) she shared a follow-up comment after experiencing a water disaster in her bathroom.

  There’s also a project featured at Christopher Lowell’s website on how to create floor tiles using PI.

• Becky Kastrup // Mar 25, 2008 at 6:43 pm

  You all have inspired me to do our boathouse countertop which is stained (looks like a burn) and has cigarette burns in it. We have done a total of 5 bathrooms so far (us and friends) and a kitchen,using different colors each time. So far the Earth is my favorite but Tuscan Red is a close 2nd.
  Did you all know most Lowe’s actually carry the PI in stock for $29.99? Might save you waiting on it. They have a rack in the wallpaper section with samples on the front of the colors. If your Lowe’s doesn’t have it call around the friend was in Jacksonville and those stores didn’t but we found one about 20 minutes S that did.

• Carrie Wigal // Mar 25, 2008 at 7:08 pm

  All of the Lowe’s used to carry it when F Schumacher was distributing the product, but when it switched hands many Lowe’s stores dropped the line. By all means, check the ones near you if you’d like to get it locally, but if you have difficulty finding it, that’s why.

• Jennifer Myers // Mar 28, 2008 at 9:42 am

  Okay wish me luck! I’m prepping my kitchen countertops today and tomorrow my mom is coming up to help me PI them. I admit I’m scared I’m going to mess them up. I have procrastinated now for a month, soooooooooo here goes. Any advice and words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Let you know how they turn out tomorrow.

• Brenda // Mar 28, 2008 at 10:29 am

  I did test boards over the last few days.
  I recommend that you pay close attention to making sure there are no bubbles (smoothing out each piece very carefully & then rechecking after completion) and that there are no pieces that are not completely secured because these will show up later as rough spots once the poly goes on.
  Also pay close attention to having as little overlapping as possible.
  One thing about PI you really can’t mess up.
  Another tip is to use “wallpaper activator” instead of water, it’s less messy. Spreads on like glue and activates the glue that is on the PI.
  Good luck, I am sure the end result will be wonderful! The samples I did look amazing!
  Brenda

• Tina // Mar 28, 2008 at 11:26 am

  Good luck !! You are gonna love it when they are done. Looks like a brand new kitchen !!

• Debby // Apr 13, 2008 at 3:29 am

  Hi-I am amazed at how wonderful the counter tops look. This is just what I need! We repainted the walls in our kitchen a red color. The counter tops(formica) are blue(due to the fact that the kitchen was blue before).
  Ok, why do you need to sand? I have never done anything like this and I want to make sure to do it right. I also, obviously do not want any blue to show through. So, should I cut my paper into strips or squares? I also would rather not have any over lapping. I want it to look like natural stone as much as possible. I am also scared of how to do the edges.
  Tina-my kitchen counters and layout are exactly like yours-except that my stove is where your frig is and then another small counter beside the stove. Maybe I will start with the small counter beside the stove first. I am also concerned about how to make the “upward” curve from the counter top onto the backspace part. It is all one piece. It only goes up about 6 inches. Then it is white tile from there until the bottom of the cabinets.
  Also, do you think this would work–I have a raised fireplace hearth. The fireplace it self is the large irregular shaped stones in shades of brown and tan. The hearth is a concrete form in a horrible darkish brown. It makes the whole area look dark and dismal. We do nor use our fireplace for fires anymore-only decoration. So, do you think this would work on the hearth also-with it being cement? I wanted to eventually tile it, but I have never done that either and I think I could actually handle doing the PI.
  Thanks so much,
  Debby

• Tina // Apr 13, 2008 at 10:49 pm

  Debby,
  I got all of the directions from the guide that Carrie emailed me. I used the “fine-220 grit” sandpaper because it’s for after priming and sealing. It was in the instructions so I did it right before my last coat of crylic was applied. It smoothed out the counters alot. Honestly I don’t think you would get the stone effect if you cut the paper. The way I tore it I had some top with a straight edge then the middle piece was all tear and then the bottom had straight edge too. It’s hard to explain until you see it. Try taking a regular sheet of paper and tear it into thirds and you will see what I mean. The straight edges did ALL my trim and when I got to the part that heads up the wall I just used the wallpaper smoother to really put the PI into the 90 angle. One full piece went from the counter up the wall. The smoother really digs it in. I didn’t really pay attention to how much overlapped because it was just so easy and looked awesome as I was doing it. I do have a texture to my counters now too because of the overlapping. You can see it and feel it slightly, but I love it. Adds more too it It’s totally what I was looking for. You can’t mess up.
  About the fireplace hearth, I would ask someone at Lowes about priming it. If it can be primed, I bet it can be PI-ed. I did panelling in my kitchen and it covered the lines by pulling tight when it dried. Would look awesome too especially if it’s only for show you wouldnt have to worry about wear and tear.
  I hope this helped. Let me know if I can do anything more……Good luck and remember, it will come out AWESOME !
  (Just watchin my Sox beat the Yankees……lovin’ it)

• Debbie // Sep 9, 2008 at 8:49 am

  Hi all!

  I am still trying to get the courage and the time (four kids) when my kitchen can be relatively free of use for a few days to do PI. I am not the most creative and I am really worried that I will mess it up. I do have a question though I have found a product call Envirotex. It is a high, high gloss product. Would it hurt the counters to use this after the polycrylic has been completed to give a more “granite” effect?

  Thanks,

  Debbie

• sam // Nov 9, 2008 at 3:34 pm

  hey, if you want to dress it up, take down the detail moulding over the sink and also you can add moulding around the cabinet edges to give a shaker style look!!! its very inexepensive and looks like it cost a fortune!!!

• Duchess // Nov 9, 2008 at 10:26 pm

  I am wanting to PI my countertops as well but I am nervous because they have ceramic tile around the edges and was wandering if you can PI ceramic tile as well..? Please let me know …

• Tracy // Nov 19, 2008 at 12:52 pm

  Hey Debbie- I just read your comment from Sept. 9th. I just did my countertops over the weekend. They look awesome. They look like granite. I tore the PI and did not put any straight edged pieces in the middle. I used the straight edge side along walls or under the counter to wrap around it. I tore the end pieces as long as the countertop so i would not have any seams. As far as your guestion - for using Envirotex. That is what i used it does give it a high gloss smooth granite type finish. Its not hard but not the easiest to work w/ either and u have to put it on thick. better to much then to little. if it bubbles or is uneven u can lightly sand the imperfections and apply more after its dried.

• Tracy // Nov 19, 2008 at 1:00 pm

  DEBBIE- Also, the Envirotex is a epoxy resin. it does take a few days to cure but it is hard as a rock - stain restistant, heat resistant. it will look like the high gloss shine on a bar top or table top that we have all seen at restaurants. i did overlap my pieces and to seal it before i used the epoxy i put 3parts glue and one part water mixure on the PI let it all dry overnight then did the epoxy the next day . i will post pics as soon as possible. hope this helps

• Debbie // Nov 20, 2008 at 12:26 pm

  Tracy-Let me get this straight. You used the glue and water mixture (what type of glue?) and let it dry before using Envirotex. I am assuming you can skip the poly step and go right to the Envirotex. I have an old piece of countertop that i am going to practice on. I want the high gloss effect and i think the Envirotex would stand up better to polyp with kids and heavy use.

  Thanks,

  Debbie

• Maryann // Apr 11, 2009 at 12:07 am

  I love your counters they look great. I also did mine and I love them too. I wish I would have paid more attention to not having to much of the white of the paper showing when you rip the paper it looks better where the paper looks more seamless. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on cleaning? Can you use cleaners? What kind I”m worried about the cleaners affecting the polyurethane. Any suggestions would be grateful. Thank You, Maryann

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