craftgrrl | Re-doing a table and endtable

Hi everyone, recently I started re-doing my room into a Japanese-esq style. I took down the gawd aweful curtains and replaced them with bamboo mats which I painted positive japanese words for "spirit", "health".. stuff like that, just good stuff.
Now I have this UGLY endtable that has been passed down from siblings and room to room. Its really ugly with a shiney beighe color. just gross! Same pattern with the little table. The table was cut like a mini desk. but I took a wood splitter to it and a hammer and took down the "desk drawer" of it and now it is just the table top and 4 legs. Ok now here is the thing. Im going to sand it all down with an orbitle sander so I can make it dry enough to paint. Im painting the majority of it black. but I wanted to cover the top of the table, and the doors of the endtable in Japanese newsprint (I stole the idea from someone here. I LOVED IT!) What I needed to know was, does the paper or desk need to be pre-treated in anything? And what do i use to seal it permanently? Im assuming craft glue to stick it, then a coat of something else? Also I want to tea-stain it or something.. cause I want the paper to have that aged/dirty look...
If anyone has any info on applying the paper, I would love to hear anything you got! Im going to be adding the japanese symbol for "beauty" as well and adding a black back mirror that I have ready... instant vanity table :)