Decoupage: what is it, what materials are needed and how to do it right?

If you feel the need for creative realization, want to learn how to create unique and spectacular things with your own hands, you should try to master the decoupage technique. With its help, you can make things of incredible beauty, while special special skills are not required. It is quite simple to master decoupage, the main thing is to have a very strong desire.

Decoupage - this is a certain technique of decoration, decor, which includes the possibility of fixing an image or pattern to any thing... The word itself comes from the French "cut". Pictures for decoupage, as a rule, are cut out, the whole composition must be varnished.

The history of this technique dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Germans began to decorate furniture in this way. However, decoupage blossomed much later, in the 18th century, along with the fashion for Asian-style decor. Furniture craftsmen from Italy and France imitated very costly inlays with glued pictures, which were carefully varnished from above.

Despite the fact that it was just an imitation, such furniture was in great demand due to the attractive price. In England, decoupage craftsmanship gained particular popularity during the era of Queen Victoria, it became available to most segments of the population.

Already in the 19th century, decoupage needlework acquired a mass character in Europe - only styles changed, while technology improved. At the turn of the century, decoupage came to the American continent and became widespread there as a hobby.

In the modern world, decoupage art has received a new round of development, thanks to new technologies, convenient tools and the return of fashion to Provence, shabby chic and others. In our country, there is now a real boom in this type of decor.

First of all, the main types of technology should be highlighted.

• Straight. Direct decoupage consists in gluing an image to the surface of a thing from the outside. It can be painted, aged with craquelure or primed.
• Back. It can only be used to decorate transparent items such as glass plates. Technically, direct and reverse decoupage are not different. The only caveat is that the drawing is glued with the front side to the back of the object. After that, the background, coating and other details are already drawn up.
• Art. It is also called smoky, it visually coincides with the painting, since these two techniques are perfectly combined with each other.
• Decopatch. This is a continuous gluing method, when there is no free surface of the object. Not only individual plots of images are used, but also a large number of fragments of patterns, which, like patches, are laid out on the surface of the thing being decorated.
• Volume... In this method, the details of the designed surface are visually performed in volumetric form, rising above the rest of the composition. Such selection is achieved by gluing a multi-layer type, using special masses and pastes.

As for the styles, there are a number of basic ones, which, firstly, are popular in themselves, and secondly, they look appropriate in decoupage technique.

• Provence. This gentle country style of provincial France has not lost its popularity for many decades. He looks very restrained and dull, at the same time expressive, deep. Provence has a lot of noble notes, grace, sophistication. Characteristic features are aged surfaces, scuffs, irregularities, bleached wood, light shades, an abundance of pastels. Calm colors perfectly resonate with floristic motives, floral ornaments, images of small houses, lavender fields, grapes. Basic colors: lavender, mint, rose, lemon, heavenly, white, beige, milk.
• Shabby chic. It is often confused with Provence, but for all their similarity, there are significant distinctive features. In this style, a shabby surface, artificial aging, delicate colors, and floral patterns are also welcomed. Blurry motives, pink color, scenes with angels, bouquets of roses, birds, luxurious castles prevail. There is a lot of comfort and elegance in this style.
• Simple City. This style is distinguished by the mood of an unpretentious city life, it is very democratic, there are many new and fresh ideas in it. Motives of newspaper and magazine themes, torn edges prevail. Very laconic style, appropriate in modern interiors.
• Victorian. Aristocratic and high-status, combining classic features with luxurious elements. In this style, gilding is often used, catchy expressive tones of greenery, red. A strip, a cage is actively used. As for the plot images, these are mostly animals, roses, oaks, still lifes, fox hunting. The background is predominantly dark wood or metal.

Most often, those who begin to master the technique turn to the decor of some household utensils, so the very basis is already there. It can be jars and bottles made of glass, boxes made of plastic, tin, metal. Experts, however, recommend turning to other surfaces first. Glass and plastic things are quite difficult for a beginner to decouple, since they have a very weak adhesion.

Once you've decided on the foundation, check what tools you need to purchase in order to get started.

• Synthetic brushes. You will need a set of brushes of this kind: a pair of flat, one round, several very thin brushes for painting. Be guided by the fact that the brushes for varnish, primer, glue, paint should be different.
• Palette knife or spatula... You will need it when you want to hide a chip or add a voluminous paste to the composition. If these tools are not at hand, you can use any plastic card.
• Sandpaper. It will allow you to sand the flaws in the work, make the surface neater, and destroy the roughness. Choose two fine and coarse grained leaves on a fabric backing.
• Foam sponges. You don't have to purchase this item on purpose, but just take a dishwashing sponge or a makeup sponge.
• Palette. If you do not want to purchase it at a specialty store, take a regular plate made of plastic or cardboard. However, after using it you will have to throw it away.

Additional tools that will make your job much easier, although not required:

• the dishes in which you will wash and store the brushes;
• wet wipes;
• file for storing paper materials;
• sharp scissors.

As for the materials, here a lot depends on your imagination, but the necessary set must still be purchased.

• Paper motives. These can be ordinary or special napkins, decoupage cards, rice paper, clippings and prints. For a start, it is better to buy special materials that do not require skill in working with them.
• Acrylic based primer. It is definitely impossible to do without this material, since it is the soil that provides high-quality adhesion to the surface, makes the image durable, stable, and evens out the surface, which is much easier to work with. The primer is an excellent substitute for white paint.
• Acrylic paint... To get started, just a few jars or tubes with the shades you need. Try not to buy too large volumes of paint, unless you plan to constantly do decoupage. You will definitely need a black and white tone. Among the popular ones are red, brown, ocher, blue, yellow. First of all, start from your main motive, select tones in accordance with the image. In case you decide to seriously engage in creativity, purchase a set.
• Water-based acrylic varnish. Products decorated using decoupage technique are carefully varnished many times. If the varnish is water-based, it dries well. It is not only the quality of the varnish that is important, but also its properties of the external type. It can be of varying degrees of gloss, matte, semi-matte. Here you need to start from the tasks that you set for yourself. In general, the required set consists of matt and glossy varnishes.
• Decoupage glue. Without it, it will not be possible to fix the image on the surface. You can choose regular PVA, but there is a possibility that it will acquire a yellowish tone over time or crumble. Craftsmen recommend buying a special decoupage glue or varnish-glue, which also allows varnishing.
• Acrylic contour. Not obligatory, but very useful material that allows you to effectively complete the composition, edging the motive. The contours can be of different colors - golden, silver, white, black.

Decoupage technology often scares beginners, as there is a lot of information on it. In fact, it is enough to master the master class with your own hands from start to finish once to understand it. Of course, you will have to go to the ideal result for some time, but a good result will await you already in the manufacture of the first product. Experts recommend adhering to the following rules when mastering the decoupage technique.

• Color. Be sure to paint on the entire surface of the object that will be visible - if it is a flower pot, then the bottom outside and the top of the container to the ground should also be covered with paint.
• Choose light colors for the background. The main motives look more expressive on them. White dye looks good or any light shade of pastel, which is easy to get by combining the desired tone with white. Use a flat synthetic brush to apply the dye. Do this carefully so that the paint does not drip. Always rinse your brushes after this procedure.
• Let the base dry well.... Do not start the next steps earlier than half an hour later. If you are in a hurry, dry the product with a hot air dryer.
• Re-stain. If you notice imperfections after drying, paint over the item a second time and dry it.
• Only after that, proceed to the formation of the plot drawing.by cutting it out of napkins or other materials. Start with small pictures that are easier to stick without defects. If using regular napkins, remove the bottom layers, leaving only the top one.
• Try on a drawing. Before you start gluing, be sure to check how the fragment will look in the area of ​​your choice.
• Apply the adhesive with a flat brush. Move from the center to the edges, then place the design and glue, smoothing out wrinkles and folds - ideally, they should not be.
• Don't forget the varnish. After the glue is dry, paint the product.

There are features of performing decoupage against a background of dark colors. To make the composition look harmonious, try to choose motives that organically combine with the background. On a dark basis, a drawing on a napkin can simply fade into the background, get lost. White background perfectly emphasizes the beauty of the picture, giving it expressiveness and brightness.

You can do it this way:

• paint the product with white paint;
• attach a napkin;
• dry everything;
• apply matte varnish;
• without touching the picture, paint the background with a dark shade, using a sponge for large areas and a thin brush to draw inside the picture.

Second method:

• paint the background dark;
• paint part of it white, where the napkins will be placed;
• place the pictures and fix them.

Do not be afraid of a dark background if you use expressive elements in the main motive:

• with silver;
• gold;
• copper;
• bronze;
• large elements, faces, inscriptions, figures.

Decoupage masters have deduced several rules that you need to know so that not only the result, but also the process pleases you:

• the thicker the paint, the worse it adheres, dilute;
• several thin layers are more optimal than one very thick one;
• the thicker and thicker you smear, the more cracks will appear;
• the slower you dry the product, the longer it will retain its beautiful appearance;
• underdrying is worse than overdrying;
• do not spoil decoupage with varnish;
• not satisfied with the result - fix everything with sandpaper.

In fact, you can use decoupage in the design of absolutely any surfaces and objects - from banknotes to furniture and a refrigerator. As we said, it is better to start with wooden bases, gradually moving on to glass, metal and plastic.

Wooden things are great for decoupling, as the surface is highly adhesive and provides good adhesion. You can try to decorate a bird feeder, any wooden box: a spice box, chest, bread bin, casket.

We suggest you master the step-by-step algorithm of actions when decoupage a wooden box. Choose a rectangular box and follow the instructions.

• Prepare the surface. If the box is already framed and varnished, all this coating must be removed using coarse-grained and then soft sandpaper.
• Apply primer... Prime the entire surface with white acrylic or water-based primer and varnish.
• Pick up pictures. Then cut them out, try them on on the future product, think over the whole composition properly.
• Stick it on. Saturate the image with glue and fix it on the box.
• Decorate. As soon as the glue dries, dip the brush in the paint of the desired pattern and create an effective outline, draw in the details. You can use gilding, silver, and other contours.
• Don't forget about the finish line. You will need two or more coats of varnish, which must be completely dry before you start applying a new one. The surface should be perfectly smooth.

Making a board using a photo:

• select photos, scan them and print on thin paper, never use photo paper;
• cut out what you need;
• prepare the surface, if necessary, sand the old coating;
• prime the board to match the contrast of the photo: if the photo is bright, choose a dark background, if dark, choose a light one;
• after drying, apply glue and place the drawing;
• add decor or painting if necessary;
• varnish 2-3 times.

On top of the lacquered decoupage, you can create a craquelure coating if you want to visually age the product. To do this, you need to treat the surface with two compounds. To create a patina effect, i.e. a cracked piece, do the following:

• take a soft-quality brush and apply a layer of the first craquelure composition;
• dry, but not completely, touch the surface - it should be a little sticky;
• apply the second composition, dry it properly;
• then you will need a pigment-type powder, eyeshadow or pastel, which you need to rub into the dried surface;
• rinse, dry, varnish.

After you have mastered wood decoupage, you can start decorating glass products: dishes, vases, glasses, mugs.

To do this, you will need:

• base, that is, the mug itself made of transparent glass;
• napkins with the chosen motive;
• acrylic paints to match the composition, always white;
• scissors;
• fan brush;
• paint brush;
• PVA glue;
• two containers;
• glossy varnish;
• sponge, garbage bag.

Step by step algorithm:

• pour white paint into one of the containers and paint the base with a sponge, excluding the bottom and the handle;
• we leave the product for an hour and a half to dry, after complete drying we paint again;
• dry again even longer, you can leave it overnight;
• we paint over for the third time, carefully painting over all defects;
• dry completely;
• cut the napkin in two, separate the top layer and apply it to the mug;
• in a second container, dilute glue and water 1 to 1, mix the composition;
• with a brush from the center to the edges, glue the image, first on one side, then on the other;
• we dry the product;
• varnish, at least 5 times, as much as possible;
• after drying, apply the decor with gold or other paint.

Decoupage on a metal surface can be done with tin boxes, a table lamp, a candlestick. We offer to decorate a metal garden watering can.

You will need:

• watering can;
• priming;
• napkins;
• acrylic based paints;
• single-phase craquelure;
• varnish;
• skins, sponges, brushes.

Step by step algorithm:

• sand the surface;
• degrease the surface with alcohol;
• prime;
• go over the surface with a sponge, smoothing out the brush marks;
• let the product dry properly;
• further, apply paint to those areas where the craquelure coating will be, but not to the entire watering can;
• apply craquelure composition;
• you can apply paint after it dries;
• wipe the areas where you want to create abrasions with a wet cloth;
• after drying, smooth out the transitions from aging to cracked areas by painting on with a sponge;
• paint over the remaining surface with white paint;
• dry well;
• select pieces of napkins, cards or rice paper to use and cut out;
• if the background of the picture is white, then you do not have to finish painting;
• glue the fragments, spread them out on the file, place them on the selected areas;
• go over the drawings with a roller, remove the file;
• varnish the product.

Plastic products also look great in decoupage design. We offer you to decorate a plastic napkin holder... This is a simple process that won't take you long.

You will need:

• blank - napkin holder;
• sandpaper;
• napkins;
• PVA glue, diluted 1 to 1 with water, or varnish;
• decor, paints and finishing varnish.

Algorithm of actions:

• prime the blanks;
• after drying, sand the surface;
• prepare a suitable motif and cut it out;
• if the slices are round, use the "file" method above;
• glue the picture, moving from the middle to the edges;
• sand defects;
• then varnish the product;
• add the necessary decor, painting.

We bring to your attention beautiful ideas for inspiration. You can independently create a luxurious gift for your loved ones on March 8 using decoupage technique, using a variety of techniques, decoration elements:

• black and white decoupage looks very impressive;

• decorating with eggshells gives the impression of volume;

• decoupage crafts are a great gift for any holiday;

• wallpaper decorating is a great way to transform old furniture into a unique and elegant piece;

• imitation of a stone gives a decoupage product a special beauty and style;

• fabric and lace trim is perfectly combined with this technique;

• decorated watering can;

• a beautiful box is a wonderful present.

For what you need for decoupage, see the video below.