Rice Paper Decoupage On Wood Furniture Tutorial (2024)

How To Add Rice Paper Decoupage On Wood Furniture

I’ve used many different types of paper… wallpaper, vintage tissue paper, photos, etc., when decoupaging items, but I have never used rice paper, and I’m excited to share my experience with you today. I chose a beautiful vintage pattern called Pallet Wood from the Belle’s And Whistles Line by Dixie Belle paint Co.

Please take a good look at this brown box and remember how it looked before because the AFTER is AH-MAZING!

Using Complimentary Paint Color With Rice Paper

To get the vintage look I wanted on this wood dresser, I chose three complementary colors of chalk mineral paint that I thought would go nicely with this pallet wood pattern… and I was right. Creating the background for the rice paper was fun.

I randomly painted the wood dresser with all three colors overlapping the edges in spots and then sanded it back with my Surfprep Sanding System to distress and pulled some of the paint back to reveal the bare wood.

If you would like to watch the FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL, it’s available in The Art Of Painting Furniture. CLICK HERE for more info.

Customizing Your Rice Paper Decoupage Project

Because I have to have it my way… (remember the Burger King commercial) that’s me! I didn’t want to apply the paper as is. Don’t get me wrong, the paper is gorgeous, but my vision was more of a vintage shabby chic look, like old wallpaper peeling away from a wall. You know the look… like it’s been there for 100 years.

To get that look, I had to get creative and think outside of the box. So if you’re a purest and love clean lines, this is not your project. It’s going to get really messy up in here!

How To Apply Rice Paper To Wood

The surface you apply the rice paper decoupage needs to clean and free of dust. So if you’re applying it to bare wood, you’ll want to clean it well first.

If you’re applying it over a painted surface, be sure that the paint had dried thoroughly. Always allow the paint to dry for a minimum of 48 hours in a controlled environment before applying paper. Maybe longer if you have painted multiple coats. I DO NOT recommend applying any paper products the same day to a painted surface, PERIOD! Paint dries from the surface and may feel dry to the touch, but water is still trapped below. It takes ample time to dry to a hard finish. Trust me on this one.

4 Reasons You Should Use Dixie Belle Top Coat To Apply Rice Paper

Let’s talk glue! If you’re a fan of Mod Podge or have never tried anything else to apply your paper to a surface, this will change your mind… for several reasons.

#1 It’s a clear topcoat and can be used not only for your furniture projects but for decoupaging. (multi-use) Two products in one!

#2 It has a longer dry time than Mod Podge, making it easier to work with.

#3 It has a creamy texture (feels like lotion) and can be used with your finger tips to smooth out wrinkles in the paper.

#4 It’s water-based and easy to use.

Applying The Rice Paper Decoupage

STEP 1 Apply a liberal amount of the satin clear coat over the wood with a good quality paintbrush.

STEP 2 Apply the rice paper over the clear coat immediately after application. If you don’t get the correct placement you want, you can reposition the paper with a little finesse. You can gently slide it into position or lift the paper and reapply.

STEP 3 Now that the paper is in place, apply the clear coat over the rice paper. This is the time to work out those tiny wrinkles, bubbles, and imperfections, and you will have them. Rice paper is super thin, so this is to be expected but easy to work with. This is where you’ll be glad to have that creamy clear coat and your fingertip to make it perfect… or not. I like the tiny wrinkle.

STEP 4 After the clear coat has dried on the rice paper, apply a second coat for durability and just in case you missed a spot. That does happen.

Cut Or Tear The Paper

If you’re like me, you’ll want to play around with your artistic abilities. The rice paper comes in sheets and will need to be trimmed with scissors before application. You can cut it to fit your project or tear it for a vintage shabby chic look. That’s what I did!

You can tear the rice paper two ways. The first way is to tear it in the shape you want before applying it with a clear coat. The second way is to tear it once it’s been applied. Let me explain…

After the rice paper decoupage is wet with the clear coat, it becomes super easy to tear and creates a more authentic look, in my honest opinion, but it’s just my preference.

The rice paper can be overlapped to create a layered look as well. It’s just plain ole fun! It took me back to art class when I first learned about paper mache.

My Results Of Using Rice Paper

What a fun project, and I really like how you can customize this rice paper with just a little bit of imagination or creativity.

Thanks for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed my rice paper decoupage project. I’d love to hear about your experiences with this paper or if you have ideas of how you would use it. Share your thoughts in the comment section below. It’s always so good to hear from you.

Until the next project… xo, Do