We all have a piece of furniture in our house that needs a makeover, such as a chest of drawers, a chair or a table. This piece of furniture may have weathered many a storm but you feel a sentimental attachment to it; still, you feel it really needs to be refinished before it could ever be of any use again. For wood furniture, you have several options, such as painting (or repainting), or stripping and re-varnishing it. However, if you like arts and crafts and want to create something that is truly different, there’s a more inexpensive and personalized option you can take: decoupage. For those of you who haven’t heard of decoupage, it’s the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it in combination with special paint effects. It’s a DIY crafting technique and it looks far more complicated than it really is.
The supplies are simple and inexpensive; all you need are plenty of pictures. The pictures can come from magazines, wallpaper, posters, newspapers, or photos. However, don’t use prints from an inkjet printer, as the inks tend to run when a topcoat is applied. You can get the rest of the materials needed to complete your project, decoupage glue, foam bush and clear varnish, from your local art-supply store. The people at such a store are a great source for ideas for decoupaging.
There are a few simple rules to follow when decorating with decoupage:
- Your surface should be clean: it should be dust free and completely dry.
- Plan your layout; cut out your pictures and place them together on the surface before gluing.
- Once you’ve decided on your layout, start gluing. It’s best if you apply the glue to the surface rather than the picture itself.
- Work at a slow and steady space and use your foam brush to smooth out the wrinkles as you work.
- Dampen your cloth slightly to wipe away any excess glue.
- When you’ve completed gluing your pictures to the surface, give the glue a few hours to dry.
- For your work to be permanent, it needs to have a finish. Consider using either diluted glue or varnish. Apply the finish carefully and smooth out any wrinkles with the foam brush. Let it dry for a few hours.
Once you’ve mastered this technique, use your imagination to make a great design. Turn your ordinary, boring old dresser into an eye-catching work of art.
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This is a lovely use of plates as wall art. Make decoupage with your favorite sayings.
Here’s an idea for what to do with your scraps of wallpaper: use them to decorate your stairs.Very colorful! If you have kids, using letters of the alphabet or numbers as decoupage on your stairs could be educational for them.
Look at this hallway doorframe. Lovely!
A pretty blue lampshade and side table with decoupage.
Your kids would enjoy participating in a decoupage project, as it’s a great way to add their personality and likes to their room, and it allows them to exercise their imaginations and creativity. For example, they can create a reading corner in their room.
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Your kids can also design a very colorful alphabet.
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If you want to encourage your child to learn geography, let them make decoupage on a headboard. Talk about a statement piece!
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All these pictures are from items you can find around your home. With a little bit of imagination and a love of arts and crafts, you can create one-of-a-kind decorating statement pieces.
Have you ever done decoupage? Can you see yourself doing this kind of decor in your home?
Simone