| All About Decoupage Free Craft Project ~ Compliments of Craft At Home |
| Decoupage is one of my most favourite crafts and it's so easy! You can achieve the most beautiful projects, that look handpainted, but all you've done, is glue a pretty picture to a surface. |
Material:
Before you begin, be sure to read all instructions.
Craft Knife
Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Decoupage Medium of Choice
Bowl of Water
Paper Towels
Sealer of Choice
and of course a Pretty Picture
How to:
You can decoupage almost anything to anything, but to get you started, here are the basics. The most difficult part of
decoupage is cutting out your design. I suggest a sharp pen style craft knife for cutting your design. A self-healing
cutting mat is also a must. Using these 2 tools will make your task a lot easier. If you are a beginner, choose a picture
that is simple to cut out.
Now that you have decided on what picture you'd like to use, have a photocopy made on a colour copier. Most office
supply stores will do this for you. Your printer won't work for this, as the ink will smear the moment you add water and
don't use your original print, just in case you make a mistake. Cut out your copied design very carefully along the edge
of your design with your craft knife.
Prepare a bowl of warm water (not hot) large enough to cover your cut out design with water. Place your cut out in
the bowl of water and wait, while it curls up and then will lay flat again. Immediately upon your cut out laying flat,
remove it from the water and pat dry on a paper towel. This step is very important, as it will help to prevent bubbles
and wrinkling, when you apply your cut out to your project.
Now you need to decide what glue to use for the application of your cut out. I have used decoupage medium, podge,
tacky glue and regular clear drying craft glue. Of all of these will work fine but, I prefer regular craft glue or slightly
diluted tacky glue. If you find it difficult to work with regular white glue, you can add a small amount of water to thin
the glue slightly, but do this sparingly to avoid saturating your paper to the point where it will tear when you apply it
to your project surface.
You can decoupage onto almost any surface and here's how:
For Wood:
Though you can apply your cut out directly onto untreated wood, I recommend that you first apply a sealer of some
sort, either paint or varnish, etc. Allow what ever sealer you choose to dry completely. You will sometimes have to
wait several days before your surface is completely dry.
Apply the glue of your choice to your wet cut out, applying glue to the entire back of your cut out (use lots of glue) and
set in place. Now, pour a little blob of glue on top of your cut out (this helps you to smooth out any air bubbles and
position your cut out). With your fingers (don't use a sponge or cloth), gently smooth your cut out to remove any
wrinkles or bubbles from your cut out.
Once you have removed all the wrinkles and bubbles, gently spread an entire coat of glue over your entire project
surface, still using your fingers or a barely damp sponge (this is when slightly diluted glue is easier to work with).
Allow the glue to dry completely. This is important! If you apply a varnish on top of damp glue, you may end up with a
crackle effect that you don't want.
For Glass:
If you are applying your cut out to glass, you'll use the same technique as applying to wood but, you will need to
remove any excess glue from the glass surface, once your prints are applied. It's also very important that you work on
a clean surface. Wash your glass item with dish soap and water, rinse thoroughly, wipe dry. Then, wipe the surface
with either rubbing alcohol or vinegar, allow to dry and then begin working on the surface. Be careful not to touch the
surface once it has been cleaned (oil from fingers can cause your decoupage prints to not seal properly. Once you
have applied your cut out to the glass surface and allowed the glue to dry completely, you can remove any glue from
the glass by gently wiping the glass with a window cleaner, such as Windex. To do this, spray a small amount of
window cleaner on a damp sponge or cloth and wiping the glass only, remove any excess glue from the glass. Cotton
swabs, work well to remove glue from teeny areas.
Now that you have your cut out applied, you need to protect it. Personally, I don't like to use glue or decoupage
medium for this (but you can). I prefer a water-based varnish or polyurethane. You will need several coats of varnish
to protect your finish and you should apply at least 3 coats of varnish and I have applied as many as 12 to some
projects. Allow each coat of sealer to dry completely and sand gently between coats with an extra fine grit sand
paper.
Helpful Hint: Parchment or Wax Paper is a great working surface for decoupage projects. It not only protects your
working surface, but if your project should stick to the surface, it can be easily removed by peeling back the paper.
Before you begin, be sure to read all instructions.
Craft Knife
Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Decoupage Medium of Choice
Bowl of Water
Paper Towels
Sealer of Choice
and of course a Pretty Picture
How to:
You can decoupage almost anything to anything, but to get you started, here are the basics. The most difficult part of
decoupage is cutting out your design. I suggest a sharp pen style craft knife for cutting your design. A self-healing
cutting mat is also a must. Using these 2 tools will make your task a lot easier. If you are a beginner, choose a picture
that is simple to cut out.
Now that you have decided on what picture you'd like to use, have a photocopy made on a colour copier. Most office
supply stores will do this for you. Your printer won't work for this, as the ink will smear the moment you add water and
don't use your original print, just in case you make a mistake. Cut out your copied design very carefully along the edge
of your design with your craft knife.
Prepare a bowl of warm water (not hot) large enough to cover your cut out design with water. Place your cut out in
the bowl of water and wait, while it curls up and then will lay flat again. Immediately upon your cut out laying flat,
remove it from the water and pat dry on a paper towel. This step is very important, as it will help to prevent bubbles
and wrinkling, when you apply your cut out to your project.
Now you need to decide what glue to use for the application of your cut out. I have used decoupage medium, podge,
tacky glue and regular clear drying craft glue. Of all of these will work fine but, I prefer regular craft glue or slightly
diluted tacky glue. If you find it difficult to work with regular white glue, you can add a small amount of water to thin
the glue slightly, but do this sparingly to avoid saturating your paper to the point where it will tear when you apply it
to your project surface.
You can decoupage onto almost any surface and here's how:
For Wood:
Though you can apply your cut out directly onto untreated wood, I recommend that you first apply a sealer of some
sort, either paint or varnish, etc. Allow what ever sealer you choose to dry completely. You will sometimes have to
wait several days before your surface is completely dry.
Apply the glue of your choice to your wet cut out, applying glue to the entire back of your cut out (use lots of glue) and
set in place. Now, pour a little blob of glue on top of your cut out (this helps you to smooth out any air bubbles and
position your cut out). With your fingers (don't use a sponge or cloth), gently smooth your cut out to remove any
wrinkles or bubbles from your cut out.
Once you have removed all the wrinkles and bubbles, gently spread an entire coat of glue over your entire project
surface, still using your fingers or a barely damp sponge (this is when slightly diluted glue is easier to work with).
Allow the glue to dry completely. This is important! If you apply a varnish on top of damp glue, you may end up with a
crackle effect that you don't want.
For Glass:
If you are applying your cut out to glass, you'll use the same technique as applying to wood but, you will need to
remove any excess glue from the glass surface, once your prints are applied. It's also very important that you work on
a clean surface. Wash your glass item with dish soap and water, rinse thoroughly, wipe dry. Then, wipe the surface
with either rubbing alcohol or vinegar, allow to dry and then begin working on the surface. Be careful not to touch the
surface once it has been cleaned (oil from fingers can cause your decoupage prints to not seal properly. Once you
have applied your cut out to the glass surface and allowed the glue to dry completely, you can remove any glue from
the glass by gently wiping the glass with a window cleaner, such as Windex. To do this, spray a small amount of
window cleaner on a damp sponge or cloth and wiping the glass only, remove any excess glue from the glass. Cotton
swabs, work well to remove glue from teeny areas.
Now that you have your cut out applied, you need to protect it. Personally, I don't like to use glue or decoupage
medium for this (but you can). I prefer a water-based varnish or polyurethane. You will need several coats of varnish
to protect your finish and you should apply at least 3 coats of varnish and I have applied as many as 12 to some
projects. Allow each coat of sealer to dry completely and sand gently between coats with an extra fine grit sand
paper.
Helpful Hint: Parchment or Wax Paper is a great working surface for decoupage projects. It not only protects your
working surface, but if your project should stick to the surface, it can be easily removed by peeling back the paper.
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Toronto, ON Canada
www.craftathome.com
Home
Craft Projects
Dumb Crafters
About Us
Contact Us
FAQ's
Links