People who are into arts and crafts have undoubtedly stumbled across the term Decopatch. But for the unaware, what is Decopatch is a fairly common question and more often than not, they confuse it for the term decoupage, which is an old French technique that utilizes cut-outs prints that were painted or gilded onto furniture surface.
Knowing what is Decopatch is incomplete without knowing what its predecessor, decoupage, is. Decoupage is a technique of decorating bland furniture surfaces by gluing designs that were cut out from papers and topped with a coat of varnish. Furniture decorated in this manner look from a distance like lacquered but can be seen to be decoupaged on close inspection.
It is a relatively easy way of beautifying pieces of furniture but can take a lot of time since several layers of varnish and a lot of sanding applications are required in order for the cut-outs prints to totally merge to the surface of the furniture.
While decoupage is easy for experts, it can be very frustrating of young designers and artists and those who are on their first try on this craft. Some papers are very fragile and tend to easily tear. This makes it very hard to apply especially when the designs that have been cut are detailed and complicated. The range of surfaces that decoupage can be applied is also very limited.
On the other hand, Decopatch, which is widely considered as the offshoot of decoupage is a scissorless and easier alternative. It can be used in children's projects for kids as young as four years old but can also be used by more mature artists in more advanced and more sophisticated applications. A lot of interior decorators and professional designers are also quite fond of Decopatch.
Decopatch is a very thin paper, around 20 gsm, and is made in an exclusive factory located in Lyon, France. As opposed to table napkins, this type of paper has a UV varnish and comes with a special coating which makes it very moldable, yet very strong with vivid colors. Artists can easily use the paper because it is soft without worrying too much whether it might tear when applied.
This special paper can be torn randomly without frays on the edges and can be used to create an interesting collage of patterns when applied to a surface. For the more creative types, you can combine several paper designs using a special varnish or glue that can be bought together with the Decopatch. You can use this special paper on any surface - from wood, metal, cardboard, plastic and even porcelain.
Katia is the author of a 10-page guide, "30 FAQ's about Decopatch". For your complimentary copy, visit http://www.paper2play.com - a website that specializes in provided craft related tips, advices and resources to unlock your creativity with Decoupage!
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