Decoupage is an art technique used to embellish and adorn objects. It involves applying paper cut outs or pictures in a different number of surfaces such as wood, glass and ceramic to create a beautiful design layout.
With decoupage household items such as picture frames, napkin boxes and candles can be given a new look to match your home decor or turn a plain dish into a sophisticated dinner plate with the theme or design of your choice. Decoupage allows you to get creative with thousands of different objects around your home.
Transform your old and dull furniture and turn it into a beautiful fitting that will make a stylish addition to any room. An old coffee table or even a chest of drawers that has seen better days can gain an uplifting new look and be utilized once again. Use primary colour papers with gold edges to achieve an oriental effect in your designs or use neural colour papers to give your furniture a modern yet classic look.
Low cost yet personalised gifts can also be created. A coffee mug decorated with reindeer and snow flake designs as a Christmas present or a flower theme with paper designs of tulips and roses to fill a photo album cover for mother's day. With so many great ways to transform ordinary items into beautiful creations, your imagination is the only limit when it comes to decoupage.
There are three basic and easy steps for decoupage: to cut, paste and varnish. However, in order to achieve the perfect decoupage there are a few tips that you need to follow:
First of all, before you start make sure the surface of the object is clean and free from any substances otherwise materials will not stick properly.
Second step is to brush decoupage glue onto the surface of the object and start applying your cut- outs carefully until the whole area has been covered. You do not need to apply glue to your paper cut outs as these are delicate and can break easily. Finally, always let all the glue dries thoroughly before applying varnish to realize the aesthetic effect.
As you can see, decoupage is extremely simple but to make life even a little bit easier, you can purchase die cut designs which are perfect for layering and are ready to apply onto any surface, saving you the time and effort from cutting paper designs.
Decoupage materials are available in various online stores or at arts and crafts centres where you will be able to choose from a vast array of designs and colours to match any theme.
Scott King is a consumer specialist who reviews the latest decoupage and other products on the market.
