Decoupage paper: what happens and how to choose?

Decoupage technique has been known for a long time. Many people turn to her today. Most often, this technique uses such a simple and pliable material as paper. And we are talking here not only about thin multilayer napkins, from which beautiful pictures are cut out. Today we will find out what other paper for decoupage can be and how to choose it correctly.

There are several main types of decoupage paper. Each of the types has its own distinctive features and characteristics that affect the result of the work carried out, as well as the level of their complexity. Let's take a closer look at the different options for these materials.

These are special high density materials. Pictures can be attached to them very simply. To do this, the cut pieces need to be dipped in a bowl of water for a couple of minutes. While the paper is wet, it will first curl up into a tube, and then become straight. An element already soaked in water is blotted with a napkin, and then a special decoupage glue is applied with a thin and not very hard brush.

Next, the processed and prepared area is applied to the surface of the base and pressed tightly. As a rule, the borders of these glued elements stand out strongly, they are immediately visible. There are several ways to get rid of this effect.

• The borders of the glued element can be very carefully cleaned using sandpaper. After that, the treatment area will need to be coated with varnish several times.
• A drawing can also be given an interesting look to a painting by using a two-component craquelure varnish.If you apply it, a barely noticeable transparent film will appear on the image, and the beautiful craquelures that appear will make the drawing more noble and effective.

Ideal for blending and special decoupage cards on a rice basis. Such paper is very thin (it is very easy to thin it even more) and translucent... These characteristics are recognized as its pluses and minuses. The edges of such a glued piece usually remain almost invisible, but they have to be glued on the lighter areas of the base. Dark bases under such stickers will show through strongly, because of which the drawing will simply "get lost" and become invisible.

A necessary piece is usually carefully drawn from such a material, and then it is applied to the surface of the base. With a flat and soft brush, you need to apply special decoupage glue to the drawing, moving from the central point to the edges, so that bubbles do not form.

Rice paper It feeds rapidly on the adhesive, so the print itself will soon stick to the surface of the base... It should be borne in mind that such decoupage paper can have different densities.

Very often, masters use decoupage napkins in their works. In these products, only the top layer should be selected for gluing. The applied fragment creates a very thin picture on the surface of the base, similar to a real beautiful painting. This is one of the main advantages of such paper, but because of it, it can be quite difficult to work with this material even for experienced craftsmen.

To use these components, you need to rip off the top sheet of the napkin on which the drawing is present. Next, this piece is applied to the base, and then the pattern is quickly leveled with a flat brush with a small amount of glue. The main difficulties here lie in the fact that these types of paper absorb moisture almost instantly, which is why characteristic folds and irregularities quickly appear in prints and drawings.

Even very experienced masters of decoupage not in all cases can be absolutely satisfied with the achieved result. This is especially true when you have to work with a large, solid napkin.

In specialized stores where everything for needlework is sold, you can find special decoupage photo paper that can be applied to a variety of substrates. Such materials have their advantages:

• you can make copies with unusual and original pictures (animals, plant motifs or lace patterns);
• the selected image can be corrected if desired;
• on photo paper, you can print not only a variety of drawings, but also real photographs;
• the image can be printed many times, if necessary.

You will learn more about decoupage technique with photo paper by watching the following video.

Choosing the right paper for decoupage is a snap.

• It must be whole and of high quality. If you want to make a composition with napkins, then you should select three-layer copies. They are very thin or denser. Keep in mind that it can be very difficult to work with variants that are too subtle, although the result is unlikely to upset you.
• You need to take into account the base on which you are going to apply the drawings. If it is a table or chair, then it is better to choose denser materials. The same rice paper should be discarded, since it will be completely invisible against a dark background.
• More reliable and dense are special decoupage cards. However, it should be borne in mind that they are more expensive and are sold in special stores.In addition, after being applied to the base, their borders always turn out to be very noticeable and you have to resort to all sorts of tricks to hide the flaw that has arisen.

If you decide to independently print your favorite picture on photographic paper, but at the same time used a regular inkjet printer, then it is better to carefully secure it before gluing the picture. If we are talking about laser printing, then here you can refuse such operations.

Some masters use vellum tracing paper for decoupage. Its main advantage lies in the fact that when gluing it does not gather in an accordion, it looks airy, it is convenient to use it. It is advisable to choose or print richer and more colorful drawings for decoupage. This is due to the fact that such elements, after processing with a suitable varnish, acquire a more expressive appearance and a beautiful glossy surface, making the base itself more attractive.

Small irregularities in any pictures and drawings can be removed by applying to high temperatures. The iron should be positioned as close as possible to the paper of choice for the job. Similarly, you can apply the selected image to ordinary toilet paper. For decoupage, you can use not only drawn or printed pictures, but also your own photos. For example, it might be an old black and white photo. An interesting retro-style decoration can be created with such an element.