Furniture Makeover – Morocco Inspired Table Makeover With Stencil and Decoupage Paper

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Today I’m sharing this Morocco Inspired Table Makeover with you! This makeover started with a brown round accent table which was given a Moroccan vibe with bright colors! This was a fun makeover because it involved so much color and cool patterns. I often do more neutrals with white, black and gray. So adding colors and patterns is a super fun way to brighten up your projects.

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Inspiration For Morocco Inspired Table Makeover

The inspiration for this makeover was this Morocco stencil and Colorful Tiles Decoupage Rice Paper, both by Dixie Belle Paint Company. I first based my makeover on the stencil and realized the Colorful Tiles Decoupage Paper would be a perfect match. I haven’t been to Morocco but it reminded me of the Morocco Pavilion in Epcot. Bright colorful and cheerful.

Where To Start: Prep The Table For Paint & Design

To start of course I had to prep the piece for painting. This is always the starting point and a very important step. To give your paint a clean smooth base to adhere to. To prep a piece for painting I remove the hardware, filled any holes or scratches, scuff sanded and then lastly cleaned thoroughly.

I talk more about prep and cleaning in my post, How To Chalk Paint: Furniture Makeovers Made Simple. Basically I use wood filler to fill any holes, major gauges or dings, sand and then clean well with Dixie Belle White Lightening and hot water. After that, rinse thoroughly and you are ready for paint. The piece was primed with two coats of Dixie Belle Boss In Gray before painting with color.

Morocco Inspired Table Makeover: Custom Yellow Color Mix

For this piece I chose a yellow for my main paint color. I matched the yellow to that in the decoupage rice paper I used. So I combined two colors of Dixie Belle to make a more light golden yellow that was a pretty darn near perfect match. The colors used were Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Colonel Mustard and Buttercream. About a 70/30 mix approximately to get the color needed. I painted the whole base and top of the table in this custom paint color.

To the base and top I applied Dixie Belle Clear Coat In Satin. However the part around the underside of the top of the table is where I put the decoupage paper so I did not topcoat that area yet. I’ll explain the decoupage process next.

Decoupage Rice Paper Application: Colorful Tiles Pattern

Next up, apply the decoupage paper. The Colorful Tiles Decoupage Rice Paper comes in a pack of three sheets. The paper durable but thin. With a sharp scissor I cut out a couple of strips of the tiles to fit the area on the underside of the table. And also used this same paper to line the bottom of the little drawer.

To apply the decoupage paper, first coat the application area with a poly topcoat. I used Dixie Belle Clear Coat in Satin. While the topcoat poly is wet, begin at one area and lay down the decoupage paper, gently smoothing it down to rid any air bubbles.

A Few Tips For Successful Decoupage Rice Paper Application

Many recommend wrapping a piece of Saran Wrap around your finger to smooth out any bubbles while pressing down the paper. The Saran Wrap allows your fingers to glide smoothly avoiding tearing the paper. If you have areas where the paper is overhanging you can easily trim that carefully using a craft knife, or a sharp craft knife. Or by sanding with a fine grit paper to sand away the unwanted excess paper edge.

Next, once you are happy with the application and it is smooth and free of bubbles or wrinkles, do the next step. What is the next step you may wonder Well, next apply topcoat again to seal the decoupage paper. I again used Dixie Belle Clear Coat in Satin.

Morocco Stencil For This Moroccan Inspired Table Makeover

Now, let’s move on to the stencil. Oh, how I love this Morocco Stencil by Dixie Belle Belles and Whistles. It is a huge stencil, making it perfect for a larger area. I did apply a stencil adhesive spray. Taping down the stencil is fine too and I did a combination of both. The stencil should not move during the painting process. You don’t want a smudged stencil pattern. That is just too frustrating! The trick with stencil adhesive spray is to apply a very light coat and allow to dry a bit before laying down the stencil. I’ve tried several brands. None are perfect but I like Pixie Spray.

How To Stencil With Gemstone Mousse

For the stencil I used Dixie Belle Gemstone Mousse in Golden Gem. Gemstone Mouse is highly pigmented and creamy. To improve it’s dry time mix the Gemstone Mousse with Dixie Belle Clear Coat Gloss. My favorite way to apply paint products to stencils is with the Dixie Belle Best Dang Brush. It is a firm natural bristle brush with large round brush head that is flat on the bottom.

Tips For Successful Stencil Application

• Tap your brush into the mousse/poly mixture and dab off excess on a paper towel.
• Then apply onto your stencil with a stabbing tapping motion.
• Do not brush or rub across the stencil.
• Continue this application process until you have adequate coverage on the stencil.
• Gently pull up your stencil starting at one edge.
• If you need to continue the pattern on your surface, wipe off excess paint product on the back of the stencil. and then lay down over one area to continue the exact pattern match.

Since the tabletop was already top-coated and the Gemstone Mousse was mixed with Dixie Belle Clear Coat Gloss there is no need to apply more coats of topcoat unless you just want extra coverage. I then used the same Gemstone Mousse/poly mixture to update the hardware which was a lion head emblem. So cool and it went perfectly with the theme of the table. Also painted the metal feet with the same combination.

Morocco Inspired Table Makeover: Adding Dark Wax

The last step in this makeover was application of Dixie Belle Best Dang Wax in Brown. I just have a thing for dark wax accenting some of the areas with embellishments or designs. It really adds a special touch and a little something extra to the piece. My favorite brush for applying dark wax is the Dixie Belle French Tip Brush. To apply wax:

• Dab your brush tip into the dark wax.
• Dab off excess by blotting the brush multiple times onto a paper towel.
• Then apply the wax across the areas of choice.
• Then buff any excess or buff in with a lint-free cloth.

Summary: A Fun Makeover With Morocco Theme Design

So, this wraps up this makeover. I loved the outcome and it sold very quickly in my booth space at a local vintage home décor shop. I think the colorful design and pattern made this one a big hit. And I’ll admit that it was so fun to work on! One of my favorite projects thus far!

So I’d challenge you to not be afraid to use colorful fun designs and prints. Just look at your piece of furniture and get a feel for what it is calling for! And if you have any questions don’t hesitate to connect with me on Instagram. Send me a DM or email or reply by commenting below on this post!

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XOXO, Abbey