Styling with a
Paper Bag Floor
In this project I go from an ugly old carpet to a new stone look finish using paper bags and a little ingenuity.
From Ugly and Old
The Inspiration
My inspirational project today is the spare bathroom floor. This is a double-wide mobile home, which originally had carpet in every room except the kitchen. (Scratching my head, in the bathrooms–Really–yes it did.) This just did not set well with me.
Ugggllllyy!
The original floor was typical mobile home grade carpet from back in the 80’s. The lay was loose and had even developed a wrinkle or two. And of course carpet in a bathroom had the usual long term faults;
- nasty around the toilet
- wet a few times too many next to the tub
- never really vacuumed well in the small spaces beside and behind
Anyone who is familiar with East Texas knows that we have several rainy seasons, most indoor projects get saved for those times of the year. For me anyway, to be a happy camper, having indoor projects is a must. February is one of those rainy months so my first indoor project is to try my hand at the Paper Bag Floor. I heard about this as a money-saving flooring option, and since my youngest son, Colt, told me to” Google everything”, I did. Researched for days, watched every youtube, and read every blog I could find.
The best of all: http://www.domesticimperfection.com/my-paper-bag-floor-one-year-later/. She absolutely did a wonderful job with her research.
My first thought was where do I get paper bags, everyone has plastic theses days. Thanks to my wonderful friend Jo in LasVegas, who is obsessed with all-natural, just happened to have a stack and did not have a clue why she was saving them. Deep down her soul she must have known I would need them.
Products and Tools
Brown Paper Bags
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Clear Lacquer
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Paint Roller
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Trim Tape
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Sandpaper
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Pliers
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Hammer
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Vestibulum
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Demolition
The demolition began as I ripped out all the carpet, pulled out the staples and put putty in the joints of the plywood. After the putty was dry, I sanded the entire floor, working to get it as smooth as possible. This being a small space to work, I was a bit cramped at times and had to take several breaks.
First Layer
Putting on a Hallmark movie, I sat and ripped up the bags then wadded them into balls to get the crinkled effect. Mixed one part Elmer all-purpose glue with one part water. Carefully wet the backside, laid it down and went over the top using a paintbrush and the glue mixture.
The paper bags are thick so it was not too hard to work with, although it did get bubbles and some parts did not want to lay flat. I was able to work both of them out. Now to let it dry.
Top Coat
I did let this sit for a couple of days as I wanted it good and dry. Now time for the stain. I chose a Pecan stain, as the bags were brown to start with and I really did not want the floor much darker. At this point, it was a little late to realize that some of the edges were not stuck really well, as the stain bled under. I decided it gives it a little character and moved forward with allowing this to dry for a day.
After the stain had dried well, I went over it with several coats of varnish, allowing dry time between coats. Looking closely I like the somewhat rustic look.
Average Project Cost – $75
In the end, I do like this much better than the carpet and it does feel much cleaner. There are future plans to redo this entire bath, yet for now, I believe it turned out well and filled the need for a rainy day project.
Catch ya later! ~Sis
FINAL LOOK
