Hack Your Wall Plates With Origami Paper For A Customizable Look

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One area we often overlook when making our homes beautiful is the wall plates. These are high-traffic areas that are often more practical than eye-catching. But if you'd like to make yours something special, this hack uses origami paper as a stylish way to hide an unsightly (or boring) outlet. Origami paper comes in a variety of patterns and designs and is also thinner than regular paper. This means that when you combine it with decoupage glue, it molds to the shape of the wall plates as one of the most creative ways to use decoupage in your home.

Choose the origami paper that will suit the room you're working in. For safety, kill power to the points you'll be working on from the electrical panel, and then use a screwdriver to remove the wall plates that you want to upgrade. Give them a wipe to remove dust, and apply a thin layer of Mod Podge Matte Sealer with a sponge brush. Press the plate to the back of the origami paper, and remove any bubbles or gaps. Trim off the excess paper at the corners, apply Podge to the side flaps, and glue them down.

To cut out the inside section, use a craft knife to cut an X from corner to corner. Trim the tips off the triangles, apply Podge to the flaps, and glue down, pressing firmly. Trim close to the edge of the wall plate to make sure no paper comes into contact with the wires.

Of all the creative ways to spice up your light switch covers, this is one of the easiest to tackle, and the results are exquisite. When choosing your design, keep the whole room in mind and decide whether you'd like to go for a vivid contrast to the wall color or you'd prefer something that blends in for a touch of elegance. A bold color or pattern will draw the eye and become a focal point, which might not be what you had in mind for a power point, but could work well for a light switch.

Using understated origami paper, such as Duongjais Natural Banana Bark Mulberry Paper Sheets, will give you a subtle effect. The decoupage glue won't take away any of the tactile texture of these sheets, which adds another layer of interest to your wall plates. And sticking to colors and patterns of a similar tone and intensity to the wall they're mounted on creates a cohesive look.

For an arty take that draws more attention to your wall plate upgrade, the JoyCat Monet-Inspired Origami Paper is simply breathtaking. Choose from fun abstracts, pastoral scenes, or a rendition of Monet's well-loved "Water Lilies" paintings. For a painted texture, apply another layer of Mod Podge on the front using a paintbrush and following the line of the brush strokes.