WOW. I love this. So pretty and fun. I saw this box in IKEA a few weeks ago and passed it by, but this makes me think again. How was this done? What protects the paper?

You could probably use a craft adhesive like Modge Podge....it's a thick white glue that spreads very thin. Use it to glue the paper, and also to coat it. It was used a lot in the 70's when decoupage was all the rage. It's very durable and cleans up easily.

Oh my God this is the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. I had to register so that I can comment on its hideousness.

It's cute, but how long is that paper going to hold up?

I love the eclectic look of the fun papers! This sort of thing is very in right now!

I love this look! And it's very well executed too. I am inspired.

I like how this looks! I'm always impressed with people's creativity on this site. Love to know where to find the paper used on this project...love the colors!

what a fabulous idea. i bought one of these for my studio and started to paint it black for some reason. half way thru i realized it looked horrible. luckily, i work at a paper store, so this will be a great fix!

What's the name of the ikea box unit? I couldn't find it on their site.

I like the idea, very funky. You could always change the paper to suit your own taste.

It's name is: FIRA mini chest and it's $12.99.

That's cute but I still think FIRA chests look best with paint or woodstain. One chest with multicolored paper would make an okay desk accessory but I have multiples and stained them the same dark walnut color - they look less cheapy that way.

This is one of those products that looks crappy in the stores but is a lot better if you put some work into it. You need to get some 150 grit sandpaper and sand the hell out of all the pieces before you assemble them. I used a little bead of wood glue on all the pieces as well as the nails. And the I buffed it out with a coat of paste wax. I've seen lots of the paper coverings, but I think they look best with just clear wax on them.

I like the look of this and I like it plain as well. So much so that I bought it... but just know that this exact unit requires a LOT of nailing tiny little nails to get it together... so many nails that I ended up quitting halfway through because I'm not a carpenter! :) But if you can get to it, it's a very nice way to hold tiny items. Good job, I say.

I covered one of these with marbleized paper over ten years ago and it's still in great shape. No protective coating.