Decoupage is Decoupage: ideas for beginners

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

In today's world, where most things are monotonous, you want to have something individual and unique. Today, there are many different techniques and types of needlework that can transform any typical and standard thing into a unique piece of handmade art.

Many people like such an old and rather simple decoration technique as decoupage. This is a special way of decorating the surface of objects made of almost any material, allowing you to imitate artistic painting.

Decoration or art?

The very word "decoupage" (découpage) is French and translated into Russian means "cut". Thus, this is one of the varieties of application, performed on almost any surface: plastic, wood, glass, fabric or metal. You most likely saw the works made in this technique, but you just didn’t realize that the elegantly painted photo frames, decorative figurines or furniture are decorated with carving or napkin painting, that decoupage made it possible to create all this splendor.

This is an almost universal way of decorating, allowing anyone, even a person who does not know how to draw at all, to create unique objects. Having chosen the drawing you like from special decoupage cards, paper napkins or from magazines, as well as modifying it with special techniques, such as craquelure, coloring and tinting, patination and others, you can end up with a thing decorated with a very believable imitation of inlay or artistic painting.

A bit of history

The technique of decorating household items and their homes with paper appliqués was already used by Chinese peasants in the 12th century. But this method of decoration reached its peak of popularity in European countries in the 17th-18th centuries, when lacquer furniture and household items made in Japan and China came into fashion. Due to the rarity and complexity of transportation, it was very expensive, but local craftsmen were able to start producing cheaper furniture. To do this, they used oriental motifs and patterns, as well as works of art, sticking them on the surface of an object.

To make everything look like a real Japanese or Chinese thing, its surface was repeatedly varnished. This technique quickly spread throughout Europe, and decoupage masters appeared in the UK, decorating the walls of ordinary rooms with images of architectural elements, various landscapes, and others. This phenomenon even came up with a special name - print rooms.

In Victorian England, the decoupage technique is changing - instead ofimages of European cities and architectural masterpieces, chaotically combined drawings of flowers, figures of cupids and angels come into fashion. For the first time, industrial production of special collections of cut-out pictures printed on inexpensive paper begins, thanks to which decoupage becomes popular in various social strata of society. This hobby soon becomes fashionable in other European countries.

What can be decorated?

If in the old days this appliqué technique was used in most cases to decorate wooden boxes, albums, gift boxes and various little things dear to a woman's heart, today you can decorate almost any thing using decoupage technique. Ideas for creativity are thrown up by life itself: boring furniture in a nursery or in the country; plain cutting boards and trays, plates and vases without zest, a variety of plastic items.

You can also use this technique to decorate a night lamp shade, your favorite shoes or a bag. You can use the decoupage technique for the home, creating unique items and things that will not only make the interior unique, but also serve as a source of good mood:

• mirrors, combs, jewelry boxes, chests of drawers for trinkets;
• albums, document covers, diaries, wallets and banknotes, notebooks and pencil boxes, writing instruments themselves and stands for them;
• flasks, wine glasses and bottles;
• vases, decorative frames, figurines and coasters, clocks, lampshades;
• various kitchenitems: teapots and samovars, candy bowls, cutting boards and trays, tea houses, spice containers, hot pads, bread bins.
• jewelry - earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets;
• a variety of textiles, from curtains and tablecloths to bedspreads and decorative pillows;
• clothes, bags and shoes.

Thus, you can decorate almost any thing using decoupage technique. Ideas will appear on their own, one has only to get carried away with this kind of decorative art.

Types of napkin painting

In modern applied art, it is customary to distinguish the following main types of decoupage technique:

1. Classic (straight).
2. Reverse.
3. Volumetric.
4. Artistic.
5. Decopatch.

Despite the fact that all of the listed types of decoupage are based on a common basic technique, they differ very much from each other. Let's take a quick look at the features of each.

Classic or direct decoupage

When performing such decoration, a picture cut or torn from a decoupage napkin or a special card is glued evenly and smoothly onto a pre-prepared surface of the object.

After sticking, the surface of the product is varnished and sanded until a smooth and uniform texture is obtained. Depending on the creative idea, the motif can be further refined, for example, tinted, tinted or aged.

Reversetechnique

Reverse decoupage is a way to decorate any transparent surfaces, usually glass. When performing this technique, the motif is glued not on the outer, but on the inner surface of the product, so the sequence of all actions is the reverse of those performed with the classic one.

Volumetric decoupage

This technique combines elements of imitation of painting and creation of three-dimensional elements on the surface, it is close to a sculptural bas-relief. Fabrics, structural pastes and other materials allow you to create volume on a flat surface.

Artistic (smoky) technique

Due to the fact that this type of decoupage uses various techniques and methods for completely connecting the applied motif and background, they get a full and high-quality imitation of a real artistic painting.

Decopatch

This type of napkin painting is also called patchwork or patchwork decoupage. This is due to the fact that the surface to be decorated is completely filled with various paper fragments, using decoupage napkins for this. The result is an imitation of a patchwork quilt.

You can use special paper for decopatch, but ordinary napkins will turn out no less interesting.

If you are interested in this simple, but undoubtedly fascinating technique, let's figure out what materials you need to prepare in order to make your first decoupage. Step by step how it is done, we will also consider.

Required Materials

First of all, you will need:

1. Items or blanks for decoration.
2. Images that we plan to decorate the item with. These can be special cards for decoupage, photographs, clippings from magazines and newspapers, beautiful motifs from paper napkins.
3. Scissors, brushes and sponges of several sizes, sandpaper of different grits.
4. Glue for fixing images. Both ordinary construction PVA and more expensive decoupage will do.
5. Acrylic primers, adhesives and paints.

How is it made?

Despite the fact that the technique is quite simple, we will tell you in detail how to perform decoupage. For beginners, everything will be described step by step below.

• It is necessary to clean the surface on which the motif is planned to be applied. If the surface is wood or metal, then it is better to prime it.
• The picture you like should be carefully cut out or torn out of a napkin or card.

• When the motif is pulled out, the edges of the motif are less defined, making it easier to blend into the background. It should be remembered that it is easier to tear out a napkin separated from other paint layers, after moistening around the desired fragment with water.
• If you plan to use several plots, then before you start gluing, you should prepare them all and lay them out on the surface. Having received the desired pattern of placement, proceed to gluing.
• PVA glue is better to be diluted a little with water, and then smeared with itthe place where we will stick, and the motif from the wrong side.
• Very carefully transfer the picture to the surface, and then, gently pressing, glue. In order to remove the formed wrinkles and air bubbles, carefully iron the image with a slightly damp cloth or fingers, from the middle to the edges.
• Remove excess glue with a napkin and leave the picture to dry.
• If the borders between the background and the applied motif stand out very much, then use the finest, so-called zero sandpaper and very carefully walk along the edge.
• If you want to additionally decorate the image with paints or add shine, cover it with one layer of varnish. After it dries, you can apply other decorative elements.
• Then you need to cover the object with several layers of varnish, waiting for each of them to dry completely.