the art of decorating an object by gluing pieces of decorative
paper to the surface, and coating it with a
finish. Today, many people still use plain old white glue, but a
decoupage medium will give you better results.
almost anything, as long is it stands still. After
or 20 square miles of surfaces over the years, we have a few pointers
and trade secrets to make your next project more successful.
7 Steps to Success
your project. If you are the free-wheeling,
crafter, just start cutting and gluing. If you are little
methodical, consider a few things first.
What do you want
the end product to look like? Do you want to create a
a random design? How will you use colors? Will you
text? How will you use the sizes of your paper? How will you cut or
tear your paper? Will you use similar images, eclectic images,
a collage of images and specialty papers? Will you embellish with
paint, metal leaf or other materials? Are there textural elements, like
embossing? How will the base color or pattern work with the images?
Will you use a decorative final finish, like antiquing or craquelure?
your object suitable? Are the areas you want to cover smooth?
Is there anything that will keep the glue from sticking to
Are your images suitable? Are they
size or scale? Are they printed on paper lightweight enough to be very
flexible? Is the ink or paper dye going to bleed or blur from the
water-based medium (to prevent bleeding, spray the images
lightly with polyurethane)?
Do you have enough images or materials to
cover your surfaces?
Do you have the tools and supplies you need?
Do you have a good place to work on it, and
leave it undisturbed while it dries?
you are covering several sides of an object, can you cover one side at
a time, or devise a rack or stand so it can dry without marking the
ye supplies while ye may.
Decoupage medium. You can also use
white craft glue, diluted slightly with water (4 parts glue to 1 part
Sealer or other finish
brush, suitable for the size of your cut-outs. For small
you can use a cotton swab. For large areas, a foam
Scissors and/or craft knife
Soft, damp rag, like terry cloth
Brayer (optional, but useful for
larger, flat areas)
your surface. Clean it thoroughly. If waxy or glossy, sand
to help the decoupage medium adhere. If it is glass or
clean it with white vinegar. If you've painted it, be sure it is very
out all of your images. You can use scissors or
scissors for large cuts. Cut at a 45° angle toward the back
the paper, to reduce the amount of white edge showing. For
intricate cuts, use a craft knife.
your images. Place them on
your project first, if possible, then lay them out to the side
for quick access.
your paper. Brush
decoupage medium on the object where you want the first picture. Now
brush decoupage medium on the back of the image. Position the image and
press it lightly with your fingers to smooth it out and eliminate
wrinkles or bubbles. At this point you have a choice: Press
again with the damp rag, or roll it with the brayer? Use the damp rag
first. Don't wipe; just press with a rolling motion. If you
working on a very flat surface, use the brayer over a piece of alumnium
foil or wax paper. This will prevent the brayer from marring
image or getting all sticky. Repeat the process until you
covered everything. Give everything one last look for
wrinkles or bubbles. Let it dry for an hour or two.
your final finish. Brush on a coat of decoupage
everything. Let it dry. At
this point, you can continue coats of decoupage medium until the
surface is smooth, or switch to
another finish like varnish or polyurethane. Your goal is to
it a glassy finish that hides the paper edges and textures. This may
be the time to add a decorative finish, like craquelure varnish.