I used a stain on the top of my table boards because when you apply the napkins they are somewhat transparent. So if you’re redoing a table the color you cover will show through so keep this in mind.
Next you’ll just need some mod podge I used one for paper and it’s also a matt finish. Moving quickly I covered the whole 14″ board at one time applying an even, good amount but smoothly. After that take your napkin that you removed the layers from and apply the thin napkin and push down firmly and let dry, continue to do this on all boards. After they dry take a piece of sandpaper and run along the edges, this will remove any paper that hangs over the edges.
This is how my boards appeared after I sanded all the edges removing the excess paper from the edges. Once that is done you’ll be ready for your final step.
I used polycrylic to seal the paper its water based so its easy to clean up. I just used a chip brush to cover the full paper surface and let that dry.
As you can see after the sealer is apply the stain or your original board color will show more.
After the boards dried I applied them to my stained table base.