Thimble Pleasures

Decoupage step by step

Decoupage is a very simple and, at the same time, effective technique of decorating various items - from napkin holders to vases. It doesn’t require a lot of money and the effects of our work may be really interesting. If we like hand-made gifts, decoupage will be a great idea for an extraordinary present.

Decoupage step by step
First of all, we need to have the item we want to decorate close at hand. It may be e.g. a box, which will allow us to combine attractive appearance with utility - in this case, with the function of storing. First, the surface needs to be adequately prepared - if there’s some paint, we need to remove it. We may use a grinder or simply sandpaper. When we get rid of the layer of paint, we need to smooth the surface to remove any burrs and scratches. Next, paint a chosen item with an acrylic paint, chose a color you want. Remember that decorations look most effectively on bright colors, which highlight the pattern instead of hiding it. Chose an appropriate napkin - it would be best if it was a special napkin for decoupage, but it is not necessary. We are only interested in the outer layer, as a napkin needs to stick well to the layer that we want to ornament. Stick a pattern that you cut out and apply special decoupage glue both to the outer and nether layers. When it dries up, apply varnish, depending on our preferences - it may be mat or shiny.

Additional decorations
Certainly we may add decoration that will add our item an individual character. It may be e.g. special scratch varnish, which will make an item look old. It looks wonderful on the items we want to purposefully date and which have brazen fasteners. Additionally, there are many types of paints, which can be used to draw decorations or cover the inside of the box that we are currently working on with them.

Along with the evolution of decoration techniques, many gadgets have been produced, which make our work easier - they are stamps, stickers, shiny paints, thanks to which the thing we decorate will become even more special and individual. We may also think about sprays with metallic fleck, which will work wonderful to cover large surfaces, e.g. lampshades. In combination with decoupage, it will be a great idea for decoration, especially if we use napkins with a modern pattern. Thanks to the patterns, we will obtain wonderful decoration and we will be able to apply smooth color transitions or tingeing. A lamp or a box decorated in such a way will definitely make these items look beautiful.