Some people like fuzzy toilet seat covers. They rationalize that they may need to park their naked toosh on that seat, for some reason or other, and if so, they don’t want it to be on a hard, cold surface. Well, I’ve got news for you: unless you’ve been washing that fuzzy seat cover on a regular basis, it is probably loaded with bacteria. This is the toilet we’re talking about you know, and guys don’t always have, shall we say, the best aim? It is my opinion a toilet is more sanitary without the fuzzy wuzzy cover because it will be getting the regular wipe down with disinfectant that you give to your toilet instead of just collecting germs into the nap.
That doesn’t mean you need to have a boring white toilet seat. My solution is easy, inexpensive, and results in a personal, one-of-a-kind toilet seat cover. It involves one word: decoupage.
A lot of people when they hear the word decoupage think only of those clunky purses made out of cigar boxes. Decoupage can be much, much more. I am currently in the process of redoing the top of a coffee table we found by the side of the road. It is going to look fabulous! And all I’m using is decoupage and pictures I cut out of magazines!
What you do is quite simple. You choose your pictures. Then you sand the top of your toilet to the point where the gloss is removed. We’re going to have to make these pictures stick, and things don’t like to stick to that gloss.
Granted, the decoupage would probably stick more readily if your toilet cover was made from wood, but that isn’t necessary. One of the regular covers will work so long as you sand off the gloss. You should only sand it off on the outside because that’s the only place you’re going to be decorating.
Next you arrange your pictures. The best arrangements seem to be those where there is some overlap between pictures. You don’t necessarily want every inch of the top of the toilet covered with pictures (although that can look fabulous), but you definitely don’t want all the pictures placed straight up and down. They should be laid down at various angles with their corners overlapping in places. Unless you’re going for a total collage look where the entire surface is covered, it should look as if these pictures were just dropped there and this is how they fell.
Using a fine brush, “paint” some decoupage mix onto the back of the first picture and adhere it to the toilet seat cover. Gently but firmly press all of the air bubbles out of it to make sure it is completely flat. Do all of your pictures this way. Let it dry.
Then cover each picture with another coat of decoupage. It is much, much better to do many thin coats than to do only a few thick coats. Thick coats show brush marks and can look sloppy.
The more coats you do, the more your pictures will start to put off that famous decoupage glow. I once did thirty coats on some pictures I made out of an old calendar. They turned out so well that people raved about them for years.
If you do get brush marks, get the finest sandpaper you can find or some steel wool and lightly sand your project. Brush off anything you’ve sanded, and reapply another coat.
Always let the project dry between coats.
If you’re applying to wood, use a matte varnish to finish this project. If it isn’t wood, then use the aerosol spray finisher/sealer you can find at any craft store or Wal-mart. You will need two or even three coats of the sealer product as you should put it on very lightly and then let it dry. However, one coat of varnish will probably be sufficient.
The great thing about this project is that you can have the most unique and interesting toilet seat cover anyone has ever seen. People will ask where you got it, and everyone will be totally amazed when they learn you made it!
