We report a simple method to synthesize spherical and irregular sodium lignosulfonate (SLS)-stabilized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using water as a solvent, SLS as a stabilizing agent, and sodium hydroxide as a precipitation agent. The presence of SLS on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles can improve the dispersion of the nanoparticles and make them negatively charged. The negatively charged SLS-stabilized ZnO nanoparticles can be deposited onto cellulose paper through a layer-by-layer (LBL) approach. The resultant cellulose paper samples, coated with ZnO nanoparticles, show good antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Escherichia coli.