Paper Covered Switch Plate

I’ve been working on revamping my powder room. New paint, some new art on the walls, it was all coming together. When Wendy released her Fleury kit this past month, I was seriously swooning! The colors were perfect for this room and I had to figure out a fun way to incorporate my favorite paper from that awesome kit. And then a light came on (pun somewhat intended!) – - switch plate covers!

Switch plate covers are such a neat, unexpected way to add a bit of personality to your room. Let’s get started, shall we?!

You’re going to need:

Fleury Kit by Wendy Page (or digital kit of your choice)
Mod Podge (I used Glossy)
pencil
cutting mat & exacto knife (and/or sharp pointed scissors - I love my CutterBee scissors!)
paintbrush
switch plate
recommended: spray sealer

1. Remove your switch plate from the wall and take a quick measurement of it. It doesn’t have to be exact. Just make sure you’re giving yourself about 1/2 inch larger than your measured size to allow for the paper to fold over onto the back.

2. Create a new document in Photoshop (or other program), create a box that is the size of your switch plate measurements. Mine was approx. 5×5 inches. Clip a paper onto your box and adjust as necessary. You may want to resize your 12×12 paper or move it around on the canvas until you’re happy with the scale and position of your pattern. Print and cut out. I used regular copy paper. You would not want cardstock or a thick paper as it would make it difficult to adhere to the rounded corners.

3. Put your paper face down and center your switch plate face down on top of that. With your pencil, trace around the opening for the switches. I also made little pencil marks on the corners of my paper to indicate about where the corner of the switch plate was. It’s not an exact science, trust me.

4. Now, you’ll want to do some cutting. I do not cut out the space for my switches, I use my pencil lines as a guide and I cut an “X” inside the rectangle (see photo). Then, I cut a little triangle off each corner of my paper. It makes the edges less bulky in a bit.

Note: You may want to lightly sand your switch plate here. I didn’t do this step, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you were so inclined.

5. Brush a light coat of Mod Podge on the back side of your paper and on the front side of your switch plate. After applying Mod Podge to both surfaces, I find it’s easiest for me to leave the paper face down and then place the switch plate face down on top of that (using the switch openings as a guide for placement). It seems that I have better success with centering things just so this way.

6. Smooth out any bubbles. Fold the “X” in and behind the openings for the switches. I trimmed mine just a bit as you can see in the picture. Lastly, work all the way around the edge of your switch plate to adhere your paper to the edge and corners. I like just a wee bit of paper to fold around to the back side. Do be certain that you’ve glued it well enough.

7. You might notice that I haven’t cut any holes for my screw openings just yet. I actually like to do those last. I prefer to cut them from the paper once it’s already on the switch plate rather than trying to line up those circles when I’m Mod Podging (yes, it’s a verb!). If you gently press with your finger, you’ll see a nice indentation where the screw will go. You can trim that away easily with your exacto knife. The screw will hide any little imperfections later.

8. Now, you’re all set to cover this baby with a couple coats of Mod Podge. I like to use something to elevate my switch plate off my work surface (enter handy plastic cup). Depending on where your switch plate is located and what kind of use you think it’ll see, I would definitely recommend a nice sealer that will protect your work and allow for easy cleaning with a damp rag later.

Enjoy your fun little creation!! I made a matching outlet cover as well (but that didn’t photograph well), and I’m on the lookout for more rooms to personalize! The great thing about this project, aside from being quick and easy, is that it’s so budget friendly. Plain plastic switch plate covers are quite cheap at your local home improvement store. Swap ‘em out whenever you get the urge!

Paper Covered Switch Plate

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