6 ways with wallpaper samples

Wallpaper samples are one of the most cost-effective, versatile craft materials. It's fairly easy to get your hands on some beautiful ones for free- listen out for local retailers throwing away old sample books, or ask your friends and family to save their samples for you once they have finished with them. There are countless ways you can make use of your samples, and here are 5 of my favourites. 

Create unique furniture pieces- Decoupage is a very effective and striking craft technique, which involves pasting a design to a piece of furniture, then protecting it with layers of varnish. you can paste any flat image, from wallpaper, wrapping paper, magazine pages and even napkins.  I found these projects on Pinterest, for inspiration:

Decoupage side table

Gorgeous patterned coat hooks

Unique dresser

Frame them- much like my fabric DIY wall art, this is an easy and thrifty way to dress your walls. Simply choose the pattern you like, and frame it. Voila- a unique piece of art which ties in perfectly with your room's decor. It's also a great way to use amazing, expensive designer wallpaper in your room, when you can't afford to do a whole wall!

Wrapping paper and gift tags- I've previously written about how wrapping a gift well can really add to its perceived value, and make the recipient feel like you have made a huge effort. Using wallpaper instead of wrapping paper is an easy way to add luxury- it's typically thicker, with a more sumptuous texture. Look at these cute gift tags, made for next to nothing! 

Gorgeous, and thrifty!

Beautify your drawers- An easy, quick way to add luxury to your desk or dressing table is to line your drawers with gorgeous wallpaper. It makes them look extra fancy and expensive. Just cut your wallpaper sample to size, and pop in the bottom of your drawer. 

Revamp a lampshade- You can pick up old lampshades in almost any charity shop for pennies, so why not give one a makeover using fancy wallpaper? I love these pretty floral vintage designs, and it looks fairly straightforward to do. 

Funky retro lampshades

Make new (recycled!) storage- Old boxes, bottles and cans covered in wallpaper can make for unusual and beautiful storage solutions. Tie them into the décor of a room, or make them a feature! I've seen this done with old formula cans, and I think they would be the perfect size for storing stationery. 

I'd love this for my craft room!

You would never guess these were plain boxes and wallpaper!

I've started collecting and hoarding wallpaper samples, so now I need to find a cute way to store them! If you have any other good ideas for using wallpaper creatively, I'd love to hear them.