You may think of paper bags as something to pick up from the floor, but what you may not know is that you can use them to make a flooring covering. Paper bags are used to create floor coverings that cook similar to flagstone or leather, depending on the size of paper. Usually brown grocery bags are used for this purpose but you can also use contractor’s paper or plain brown craft paper. Both these papers are available on rolls. A brown paper bag floor covering is one of the best ways to cover up an ugly, old floor or tiles.
Here we have shared all the details that will make it easier for you to start your paper bag floor covering project. There are several methods to carry out this task but this one is the easiest and works best over plywood subfloors.
Let’s begin:
1. The first thing you need to do is remove all the furniture from your room. Clean your floor thoroughly with a mop and floor cleaner. Let the floor dry completely.
2. Cover the baseboards or low areas of your walls with painter’s tape so the adhesive doesn’t get on them.
3. Tear the brown paper bags into pieces with no straight edges. Try keeping the pieces as large as possible. Also, tear small and medium pieces. Separate the pieces with straight edges so they can be placed along the walls.
4. Mix equal portions of water and school glue in a paint tray. Stir will a foam brush or paintbrush.
5. Load the foam brush or paintbrush with glue and water mixture and brush the back of a piece of brown paper bag with it. Set that piece of paper on your floor. Smooth out the ripples and bubbles. Wipe off excess glue with the brush. If the extra glue gets on the surface of the paper, it is okay – it will help seal the paper.
6. Repeat the 5th step with a second piece of paper and set it near the first without overlapping it. Overlapping occasionally isn’t an issue; the floor underneath won’t be visible when finished. Repeat the process with more pieces until most of your flooring is covered.
7. Fill the gaps between the large pieces of paper with smaller and medium ones. You can overlap or tear them into the desired shapes. Also, when you work along the walls, use the straight edged pieces of paper so that you don’t have to cut the paper. However, when necessary, cut the excess brown paper from the lowest areas of wall using a utility knife. Cut the paper along the line where the wall meets the floor. Continue filling the gaps until all your floor is covered. Let the paper dry completely.
8. Seal the flooring by brushing it with a coat of polyurethane floor finish. Allow it to dry completely. Apply 3-4 additional coats, allowing each to dry completely in between, until you get the look you want.
Things You Need
- A mop
- A floor cleaner
- Painter’s tape
- Water
- School glue
- A paint tray
- Foam brush/paintbrush
- Utility knife
- Polyurethane floor sealer
Tips for perfect paper bag floor covering
- Use thick paper bags, like those used for yard waste or groceries, rather than thin brown lunch bags that are not that durable.
- Use bags that are plain and free of writing (unless you want the design or writing to show up on the flooring).
- Ask your friends or neighbours to save grocery bags for you. It will help you cut down on the costs of purchasing new bags.
- Use bags that don’t have the exact same shade of brown. I will give a natural stone effect to your floor.
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