Black and White Mod Podge Stool Makeover (With Tutorial!)

A few weeks ago, I had a friend coming over to see my house for the first time. I was (frantically) cleaning the morning before she was supposed to come. (Clarice, if you're reading this, that's a total lie. My house is always immaculately clean. I was lounging on the couch eating organic, designer doughnuts and pirouette rolled wafers without making a single crumb and miraculously not taking in calories for hours and hours before your visit. I swear it.)

I was cleaning the bathroom, and I decided that my white stool was never going to look clean on top and that painting it white was the worst decision of my life. Because, clearly, paint weighs out over anything else, including the credit card debt I started accumulating in college. Nope, nope, white paint on this stool--MUCH, MUCH worse.

I bought it for $5 at an antique shop, and it was clearly someone's shop stool. It had drill marks down through the top. But, I liked it. I think it has charm.

The Before:

The After:

So, before it looked all pretty with the pattern, I painted it white. But, this is what it looked liked about a year. I'm not sure the nastiness is showing up in this photo.

I pulled out some black and white wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby, some Mod Podge, a pair of scissors, some sand paper and a paintbrush and pretty soon my stool (that just sounds so weird after having four children--stool has so many meanings once you are concerned with the frequency and consistency of four other people's bowel movements), anyway, pretty soon my stool had been transformed.

So, here we go!

Step one: Cut of a hunk of wrapping paper about the size of the footstool (see how I nicely got around the word "stool" there?). I knew I didn't want the hassle of trying to line up the wrapping paper's pattern with the edge of the stool, so I decided it would be charming to have it at an angle.

Step two: Working in small sections, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the top of the stool (footstool sounds pretentious, maybe?) and smooth down. Then lift up to see where it's not yet adhered. Work in short sections, across the short width of the step stool. Pay special attention to the edges. Let dry.

I have to admit that my wrapping paper did not smooth on completely nicely. However, you can't even tell. I am shedding the prison of my perfectionism! Imperfection is . . . alright! Particularly when it's completely unnoticeable.

Step three: Using the scissors, cut away as closely as you can to the edge of the step stool. It occurs to me that turning over the footstool and using an exacto knife and a cutting mat might have worked better, but I was in a rush the morning I did this. I had to get to my imaginary doughnuts.

(I also like how I have ghostly helpers in these photos. Who is cutting that wrapping paper? Seriously?)

Step four: Using the sand paper, lightly sand the edges of the wrapping paper. You might notice the edges aren't adhered as much as one would like. Brush some Mod Podge up under the edges and press down if you find spots like that.

Step Five: Brush off any dust from sanding. Put an even coat of Mod Podge over the top of the stool.

Ta-da!

Another look at the before:

Then, put your stool into its natural habit, the bathroom.

I mean, put your footstool where it will get the most use, which for us is the bathroom where my daughter stands on it while I do her hair.