Transformations Using the Craft of Decoupage
by
Ann Geo
4 Materials
$30
1 Hour
Medium
Decoupage is a traditional paper craft – the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts. The word decoupage comes from the French verb decouper, ‘to cut out’. It was in the 17th century that the craft reached its height of popularity with aristocrats, noble ladies as well as the more humble practitioners trying out the art of decoupage. Today, decoupage remains a popular craft with far reaching variations and many crafters’ use decoupage to add dimension to their work.
Lets look at an up cycling project today using this versatile technique.
1. Prepare surface
Once you have selected your item to decorate, make sure its surface is clean and dust free and apply a coat of gesso. Gesso prepares (or “primes”) the surface for painting, making the surface slightly textured and ready to accept acrylic paint.
2. Glue the pictures in place
Select your pictures and cut them out, ensure you are happy with the positioning. Apply a coat of decoupage glue and glue the pictures in place.
3. Paint the background
Use acrylic or chalk paints to paint the surface around the picture.
4. Embellish
I’m using a jute chord and crochet lace to add dimension to this decor element.
5. Seal the decoupage
Ensure the surface is dry before starting to varnish and leave the varnish to dry thoroughly between each coat.
Here are a few more of my decoupaged home decor projects:
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 31 comments
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You can decoupage on any surface. These glass projects are beautiful but I would prefer the clear glass,Craft stores have a lot of different shaped boxes that are easily decoupaged as well as ordinary household articles.I used wall paper to decoupage boxes.Turns out really pretty. Paint the box and then decoupage a design after the paint is dry.
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do i have to use decoupage glue
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Can photographs be used for decoupage?
Does it have to be glass or can you use a cardboard box?
Decoupage on shells?