A Few Interesting Facts About Decoupage You Didn't Know

decoupage, from the French word decouper, meaning to cut or cut out

Decoupage is a crafting technique that involves cutting motifs from napkins, printed rice paper, or similar types of thin paper, then gluing them onto a surface and decorating an object with them.

In addition to napkins and glue, this technique also involves using:
- acrylic paints
- pastes with special effects
- varnishes that create cracks and give an antique look
- small items that can be glued on at the end, such as feathers, pearls, and glitter
- and painting in certain details...

Surface

Decoupage can be done on a variety of surfaces:
- wood
- plastic
- glass
- metal
- ceramics
- and fabric...

But each of these surfaces needs preparation! Most importantly, the items must be clean and dry, free of dust and grease (cleaned with alcohol), and fabric must be washed and dried without fabric softener. A primer / gesso is a white, acrylic-based product applied to an item before acrylic paints.

Acrylic Paints and Glue

Paint the item to which you will glue the napkins with acrylic paint, although napkins can also be glued directly onto an item if it is light in color. Special decoupage glue is used, which becomes completely transparent once dry. This is important because napkins are translucent and very delicate. After gluing on the napkins and letting the glue dry, you can use acrylic paints to add details or disguise transitions and edges.

Final Varnish

Every decoupage project needs a final coat to protect it, especially if the item will be used every day. Sometimes, products such as wax pastes or solvent-based products are used in addition to acrylic-based products, so it is essential to pay attention to which final varnish you use:
- acrylic varnish for pieces made only with acrylic products
- solvent-based varnish for products with different bases

Have you fallen under the spell of decoupage?