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From papers to tools, find all you need to know in this beginner's guide Hot Adhesive Coating For Sticker
One of the most satisfying crafts around, découpage involves cutting out pictures, gluing them to an object and then coating the pictures and the object with layers of varnish. The finished item can look so beautiful that it appears to be professionally painted.
You can découpage pretty much anything around the home – and it's a great way to update or spruce up household furniture that's looking a bit tired and worn. Découpage can also be used to create decorations for special occasions such as Easter by creating designs and patterns on eggs, or Christmas, by making your own decorations for the tree.
Découpage is a fun, calming and soothing papercraft that anyone of any age and ability can enjoy. It's also an activity you can do together with younger family members.
So, breathe new life into household objects or create something pretty and decorative for your home. Here's what you need to now about découpage, including the papers to choose and tools you'll need below...
The word découpage comes from the French verb découper, "to cut out". The découpage technique can be used to personalise almost any item in your home and the great thing is that the designs can be as simple or as complex as you like.
You can buy a large selection of supplies specifically for découpage, but the nice thing about this craft is that you probably have many of the supplies lying around at home to be able to start simple projects right now! The basic tools and materials you'll need are scissors, a crafting knife, wrapping paper, magazines or paper napkins.
All you will need to start with are a few basic materials and tools.
Pictures can be découpaged to almost anything. Popular items include:
These could be items you already own but want to personalise, or items specifically bought for découpage, such as plain simple wooden boxes and frames.
One of the great things about découpage is that you can use any type of paper, it’s all about finding patterns and motifs you love that you’d like to feature in your craft project. You could start with papers that you already own, or you can buy specific découpage papers. They come in the form of découpage tissue papers, thicker découpage papers, découpage cut-out pictures, découpage napkins and even découpage books where you can tear out the pages and cut them up.
Before you decide on which paper to use for your découpage project, here’s what you need to know about each type:
There are so many designs of découpage tissue paper from vintage to flower prints. The tissue paper is usually 2 ply or 3ply though the printed design is only on the top layer. When you use tissues, because they are so thin, they can cause wrinkles in your design, so they are often used to cover a surface by ripping up small pieces and patchworking them together.
Napkins are a popular choice for découpage papers, like tissues they have several layers but they are slightly thicker so it’s easier to cut out motifs from them. You can use any napkins for découpage though it’s also possible to buy decoupage napkins.
When you start looking at découpage papers you’ll notice that some of them are rice papers. These are more delicate to use and are ideal for découpaging on glass. It’s best to try them once you’ve done a few decoupage projects and built up your confidence.
These are thicker than découpage tissue paper and usually come in large sizes allowing you to cover a whole surface without cutting it into smaller pieces.
You can buy books filled will pages of découpage papers and motifs which have a theme such as animals or people. These books are great value as you get a lot of choice so you can get really creative with mixing and matching papers and cut–outs.
This is one of the most popular types of paper and it’s a brilliant way to be more sustainable with your crafts; rather than throwing away the gift wrap on presents you receive, keep and re-use them. Going shopping for wrapping paper is also fun.
A great way to use your old copies of Prima! Magazines and catalogues are ideal for cutting out letters and words if you’re keen to incorporate messages into your project.
Greetings cards Again another great way to be environmentally conscious in your crafting. Never throw a card away without first cutting out any pictures or designs as they can be incorporated into découpage. Greeting cards are particularly good for a 3D découpage effect which is a different technique from classic découpage. It involves using cut-out motifs and layering them up with 3D pads so they stand out.
Fabric Fabric découpage will appeal to anyone who has a stash of cotton print fabrics, or it’s a good excuse to start a collection! You can cut out motifs from cotton using a rotary cutter and apply them with a découpage fabric adhesive.
Origami papers These are small square sheets of paper with mini designs and patterns on and they look gorgeous in découpage. There is a multitude of colours and they’re great for beginners.
Wallpaper Opt for non textured wallpapers - brands like Lick have a great choice of options of prints and patterns.
Copyright-free sourcebooks These contain pictures and photos taken by others that you can use without worrying about copyright issues which are perfect if you want to sell your handmade crafts.
TIP: If you are new to découpage, choose pictures which have a clear outline as this will make them easier to cut out than those with blurred edges. If you're worried about using original pictures you can colour copy or scan them instead.
These are the best types to use for découpage:
If you require a matt finish, use gloss for every coat (to avoid cloudiness) and then use matt varnish for the final coat only.
All the above mentioned materials and tools should be available in your local art and craft shops. You can also order all these items online from your favourite craft store.
Once you have selected your item to decorate, make sure the surface of it is clean and dust free, as the varnish you add afterwards will magnify any imperfections. Dust it down with a damp cloth and then leave it to dry fully before you get started.
Select your pictures and cut them out. It may be easier to cut out the pictures roughly with scissors first and then cut them out more precisely with a craft knife. If a white edge shows around the picture you have cut out, colour the edge with a crayon/pen that matches either the picture or the background on which it is to be used.
Before you glue the pictures in place, ensure you are happy with the positioning. Use tweezers for placing tiny pictures. This is the fun part, don't feel rushed. Some people like to do their decoupage free form with motifs covering a full surface in different directions. Others enjoy making mirrored designs or patterns that are carefully planned. This may be led by the amount of surface you have to play with.
Lay our your cut out decoupage shapes, position them where you'd like to place them and them step away before you come back and check you're still happy, before you make them permanent.
Smooth out any wrinkles and wipe away any excess glue with a barely damp sponge as you glue each piece. The best way is to apply your glue on the reverse side, then lay it flat in position before you use the sponge. Keep going in the same way until your project is complete and leave it to dry.
Ensure the glue is dry before starting to varnish. You also need to leave the varnish to dry thoroughly between each coat. Anything from four to 15 coats may be needed depending on how thick the decoupage paper is and how smooth and durable a finish is required. To achieve a finely lacquered finish you will need to sand lightly after a few layers of varnish and wipe away all dust. Keep repeating this process until you are happy with the finish then step back and admire your handiwork!
Decoupaging on to wood is a great way to update and decorate all kinds of furniture and household items. Here are our top tips and tricks for decoupaging on wood to help you get a flawless result every time:
Fabric is a great medium to use for decoupaging! Firstly it won't tear or wrinkle as paper decoupage can do. Secondly, fabric comes in much bigger sizes than paper, which is especially handy if you are working on larger projects such as upcycling furniture. And lastly, fabric is much more durable than paper - once it is sealed correctly, fabric decoupage can withstand pretty much anything! Here are our top tips and tricks for decoupaging with fabric:
Now you know how to découpage, be inspired with our how-to guides for lots of different découpage projects.
Have you tried découpage? Share your makes with us by tagging @primamag on Instagram!
Best decoupage kits to try
How to découpage a glass bottle
How to decoupage a table
How to découpage a photo frame
How to découpage eggs for Easter
How to make and découpage a clay bowl
How to decoupage a vase
5 Genius ways to use decoupage
Découpage wooden hangers with floral paper
Design your own découpage letters
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