Decoupage bottles with do-it-yourself napkins

Over the past few decades, decorating your home has become increasingly popular. The hostesses are constantly looking for some new detail in the interior of the living room, kitchen or bedroom, which will certainly decorate the room and cheer up. Manufacturers never cease to delight with all kinds of decor items for every taste and wallet. However, sometimes you still want something original, "not the same as everyone else's."

In this case, the original technique of decorating various objects called decoupage, which in French means "cut", will come to the rescue. This direction of creative activity has no boundaries and frameworks, here you can follow your imagination and implement the most creative ideas. As a result, truly original elements of a home or even office interior are obtained.

The most understandable for beginners and at the same time effective way is decorating bottles, which we will turn to in this article.

In simple terms, the decoupage technique is a kind of applique made from napkins or, for example, from fabric and other similar materials that are glued to various objects. Bottles, caskets, scented candles, housekeepers, eggs for Happy Easter can become a "canvas" for your imagination in the field of decoupage.

In order to make a really high-quality and stylish thing, you don't need to have special skills and experience in the creative field.Here, it is enough to prepare materials in advance, think over the design in accordance with the place where the decoration will stand in the future. It is also important to show accuracy, to take care of the neat appearance of the created masterpiece.

Decoupage theme can be absolutely any, it all depends on your imagination. You can opt for plain paper napkins to create stylish bottles that can be conveniently positioned on the top shelves of your kitchen unit. Now it is possible to purchase napkins with a specific theme. For example, bottles with the image of a winter landscape or the same Santa Claus look incredibly beautiful. A delicate still life with exquisite flowers will be an excellent reason for a good mood on the eve of spring.

We have already mentioned above that paper napkins are most often used for decoupage. And also sometimes needlewomen turn to the help of drawings, decoupage cards or photographs (just not simple ones, but those that are printed on a printer). For beginners, working with napkins is not always practical, because they have not yet fully mastered the skill, and this process is quite time consuming.

Therefore, experts advise to start by using decoupage cards made from rice paper. It is not difficult to work with them, they are elastic, stretch without difficulty, and do not lose their shape upon contact with liquids. You can find similar paper in various weights and sizes in stores.

But they also often prefer paper decoupage cards. To create them, use a simple and well-known paper on which the drawing is applied. This version of the material is convenient for sticking, since it almost does not deform when it comes into contact with liquid bases. The colors and designs of these cards are very diverse.

So, now let's find out what materials are needed to successfully decorate a bottle using the decoupage technique:

1. glass (possibly plastic) bottle that has a smooth surface and does not have any flaws;
2. paper napkins (preferably three-layer) / cards for decoupage / all kinds of fragments from magazines / photos printed on a printer;
3. an agent that removes grease from a glass surface (for example, alcohol or acetone);
4. acrylic paints and acrylic varnish;
5. PVA glue or specialized glue for decoupage;
6. brushes of various thicknesses;
7. other elements for decoration (beads, beads, and so on);
8. sharp scissors;
9. craquelure varnish (if suddenly you decide to create an antique effect);
10. small sponge (foam rubber);
11. containers for diluting paints;
12. sandpaper.

Really, high-quality decoupage glue does not have a pungent smell, is very thick or, on the contrary, has a liquid consistency. It does not darken when used, and does not leave any marks during the drying process. Experienced needlewomen claim that a special tool makes the resulting product brighter and more attractive.

Let's consider some options for the most popular brands. For example, decoupage glue called Mod podge plaid produced in the USA and used only for the decoration of hard goods. It dries within 72 hours after completion of work and gives the product a matte finish.

Glue called Decola manufactured in Russia. It is based on acrylic, the glue itself is colorless. It behaves ideally in contact with fabric, wood, metal or glass, and dries completely in 12 hours.

Italian glue La Doratura prepared on the basis of alcohol, it is suitable for gilding work. Ideal for materials such as glass and ceramics.

Consider step by step the decoupage technique of a plastic bottle.

1. Empty plastic bottle (preferably colorless and transparent) to clean from labels and any traces. Next, use alcohol or acetone to clean the surface of the bottle, thereby degreasing it.
2. Now we proceed to "priming" the surface. To do this, a small piece of foam rubber must be dipped in white acrylic paint. Then, with dotted movements, apply paint to the bottle, literally poking it with a sponge. It is important to leave the bottom empty, and start painting it after the main surface of the bottle is completely dry.
3. After a while, the same procedure must be done again both on the surface and at the bottom of the bottle.
4. Now you need to choose the drawing you like. If you wish, you can cut out a separate fragment. Since the napkins are three-layer, you can get rid of the two bottom layers - we only need the top one, with the image. For convenience, you can cut the paper into several parts, from which to compose your drawing.
5. First you need to attach one fragment to the bottle, then use a brush dipped in glue (here it is better to use the one that resembles a fan in shape) over the image. You need to apply glue from the center of the picture to its edges.
6. Having finished one drawing, you can proceed to the next, and when everything is completed, you must wait until the glue is completely dry.
7. If you wish, then at this stage you can repeat the step with a sponge and paints, giving the bottle a shade. For example, mix white and pink acrylic paints for a pink color.
8. In order to give the bottle a certain antiquity effect, it is necessary to create the appearance of a crackle. For this purpose, they turn to the help of eggshells. It must be well washed and peeled from the film, and then dried and broken into pieces of any, approximately the same size.
9. It is necessary to apply glue around the image cut from the napkin, and attach a piece of shell to it, pressing it with your finger. It is important to be careful not to damage the fragile material.
10. It all depends on the flight of your imagination. As you want, this is how your creation will turn out. Pieces of shell can be broken down again and parts of different sizes can be selected for a more natural look. You need to glue the shell to the neck of the bottle.
11. Next, it is important to wait until the glue is completely dry, and then you can give the shell the desired color by walking over it with the same piece of foam rubber.
12. To give a more elegant and realistic look, you can draw the gaps between the shells. For example, if you used pink for the entire surface of the bottle, then for the so-called cracks, you can choose a delicate lilac.
13. Now it is important to let the resulting product dry in accordance with the time indicated in the glue instructions.
14. At the final stage, it is necessary to cover the entire surface of the bottle with acrylic varnish using the same fan brush.
15. To give the bottle a full-fledged look, the same procedure with foam rubber must be done in relation to the cork.

In fact, there is nothing difficult in creating an original piece of furniture. For beginners, this process may cause some questions, but over time, everything becomes more than clear. Below is a master class on decoupage a champagne bottle with your own hands.

1. First you need to prepare the glass bottle for work. To do this, you need to clean it from labels and any contamination. It can be soaked in soapy water or sandpaper.
2. Now you need to degrease the surface with alcohol or acetone.
3. Next, you need to cover the surface of the bottle with a primer so that the next layer is held more securely. After the product has completely dried, we start using acrylic paint. Its color must be chosen such that it will be successfully combined with the shade of the paper napkin you have chosen: the paint should be at least a tone lighter than the napkins. The most commonly used base paint is white. Allow to dry.
4. If desired, the shade of the bottle can be made a little darker, and for applying paint it is better to turn to the help of a sponge.
5. Cut out the drawing you like from the napkin. Larger images are more suitable for beginners as they are easier to work with. It is important to remember that decoupage requires only the first layer of a napkin with a pattern.
6. In the place where the location of the picture is planned, we apply glue. Next, overlay the image here, and draw on it with a brush from the center to the edges in order to smooth out all the irregularities.
7. After the pictures are in place, you need to apply another layer of glue on top for secure fixation.
8. At the final stage, we turn to the help of acrylic varnish, which we apply to the entire bottle. Experts say that when using varnish in 3 layers, the bottle can be easily adapted for everyday life, and not just as a decorative item.

See the next video for a master class on decoupage bottles with napkins.