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Haven’t you always secretly wished there was some form of easy-to-do craft that would give a nice result and not cost a fortune? One that really utilized common, ordinary objects and common, ordinary materials? Something anyone can do, child to adult, with easy to learn techniques...something you don’t need a college degree to accomplish? Well, there is, and it’s called decoupage. It’s actually an old and venerable art form, and you can see examples in many museums dating back to the pre-Christian era. What is decoupage, you ask? Decoupage is simply the process of gluing cut-out objects, usually made of paper, onto common objects, such as chairs, tables, pocketbooks, boxes, or more unusual items like toilet seats (I recommend only the lids, however!). The word “decoupage” is from the French verb “couper” which means “to cut”, and you’ll be doing quite a lot of that once you get started.
Decoupage is a process involving cutting out images (or finding small objects which can be glued onto the object’s surface), and then sealing those images with a clear varnish or polyurethane. As with any art project, you need an idea of what you want to do, and the technique to realize it. The beauty of decoupage is that you don’t always need the idea first - the idea may come to you once you’ve chosen the object onto which you are going to glue your cut-outs. Look around your home and see what’s available. Do you have an old plastic pocketbook stuffed in the back of your closet that you haven’t carried for the past few years? How about a pair of wooden soled shoes? Those platform shoes from the 60’s are back in style. Ditto for wooden clogs! A cigar box? A travel toothbrush holder? Any kind of furniture - I have turned crummy looking wooden chairs, beat-up coffee tables, and mirror frames into exciting visual accents! And they make great gifts because you can personalize these items.
So now you have your item. The next step is to think about the theme. Perhaps you want something with flowers. Maybe you have chosen an old wooden child’s chair and want to decorate it for your grandson’s room. Maybe you want to match your pocketbook to that dress you just bought! Consider the size, the colors you want in your piece. Your next step is to start looking though old magazines, newspapers, and books. If you like yard sales, keep your eye out for old magazines and illustrated books. Comic books and fantasy magazines offer a wide variety of images. Also most bookstores sell clip art books, and also books of illustrations from different eras - for example, Victorian or Chinese or Celtic figures. And, if you have a computer, there are tons of websites devoted to Clip Art and Illustration...so, you can download images right from your desk.
When you are cutting out those images, make sure to use sharp scissors. I have found manicure scissors to be very good for cutting small images. Also, an X-acto knife is very handy. When you use one, put lots of padding under the image; X-acto knives are VERY sharp and they can easily cut into the finish of your table. Several layers of folded newspaper or a cutting board should do the job.
Now you have the images and they’re cut out and ready to be glued onto the object. The surface must be DRY and DUST-FREE before proceeding to the next step. This is essential for a good result. You’ll be painting or sanding the object’s surface before gluing. Then you’ll be gluing your images onto that surface. And then, sanding and varnishing after gluing. And then that step will probably be repeated a few times, usually three or four. So it’s critical to work with DRY and DUST-FREE surfaces. When you apply your sealing coat, be it varnish or polyurethane, if there’s dust or a stray hair, it will show up and it will be difficult to sand it away. Cosmetic brushes are excellent for removing undesirable dust-bunnies. It’s also important to use good quality-brushes, and for the simple reason that hairs in the brushes stay in the brush and won’t come dislodged and end up on the surface of your artwork.
Let’s think now about paint, glue, and varnishes. When you prepare the surface of the object you’ll be working with, you may need to sand it down so it’s as smooth as possible. Get an assortment of sandpaper from your local hardware store, from coarse to super-fine. Once you’ve sanded to your satisfaction, rinse and dry the object so that it’s as dust-free as possible. Or, you may need to prepare the surface by painting. I often use a water-based enamel for the surface. These come in a wide variety of colors. Or, you may decide to leave the surface as is, because your design may incorporate the original surface of the piece.
Gluing the images is fairly straightforward. The trick is to make sure you have a clear idea of where you want to stick the image, because once you put it down, you won’t want to move it unless it’s absolutely necessary. So lay out the design before you start gluing. Your aesthetic eye will tell you what looks “right”. Using a glue that dries clear, such as Elmer’s Glue, apply the glue to the back of the image and then lay the image in place. I think it’s easier to apply the glue with a small artist’s brush. Once again, use a good-quality brush. Then lay a piece of clean white paper onto the surface and press down to smooth out the image. I’ve also had good results with glue sticks, and they are less messy. Now wait at least 2 hours, and overnight is better.
Once the glue is dry, you’re ready for the next step, applying the sealing coat. A clear varnish or polyurethane works well. The finish can be gloss or satin, and that’s just a matter of preference. Polyurethane is a better all-around finish to use; you can use it on plastic, wood, metal and on ceramics. A word of caution though -do NOT cook with any ceramic or glass object that has had a sealant applied...
I always use water-based finishes because of the simplified clean-up. Be sure to follow the directions to get the finish properly mixed - stirred not shaken is the general rule. Prior to sealing, dust the surface, then carefully, again using a good quality brush, coat the surface with a thin layer of the sealant. Now, wait! When the finish is dry, again dust, then lightly sand with superfine sandpaper. Then rise, dry, and dust again before putting on the second coat of finish.
The process of sanding, drying, rinsing, dusting, and applying finish will normally have to be repeated several times; myself, I usually have at least three layers of sealant. By this point, you will probably be delighted with your result, scissor-happy, and ready to go on to your next project. Good luck and happy cutting!
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