Creative people always want to make changes to things that seem boring and too simple. It is much nicer to use exclusive pieces of furniture of your own design. In this article, we consider the implementation of decoupage furniture with your own hands.
What is decoupage?
Decoupage is a decor technique that represents decorating an item using a carved element. As such an element, you can use a drawing on paper, a napkin. To fix the picture and protect the decorated item, varnish is applied on top of the picture. In the photo - a decoupage of furniture made using a paper base with images of flowers.
Using this technique, you can not only update old furniture, but also add a twist to some things and interior items. Even a child can perform decoupage. To create an aesthetic appearance of a decorated object, it is necessary to act with great accuracy and patience.
To perform the technique of decoupage furniture for beginners, the following materials will be needed:
- Sharp scissors.
- PVA glue.
- Brushes.
- Primer.
- Acrylic paints.
- Lacquer.
It is not necessary to buy the necessary materials in specialized stores. Over time, when you gain experience in this field, for decorating more serious things you may need special napkins or paper with the image of the desired decor.
The list of materials on which you can use the decoupage technique:
- Wood.
- Plywood.
- Plastic.
- Glass.
- China.
A porous surface, as well as a surface that has the ability to deform, such as rubber, is not suitable for decoupage.
What interior styles are suitable for decoupage?
Decoupage perfectly complements Renaissance furniture. Design elements characteristic of it can be represented in the form of rounded turns, images of flowers, beautiful branches. Decoupage technique is able to combine several furniture elements into one set by introducing identical elements. Here is an example: the image of flowers on the fabric of upholstered furniture can be copied and decoupage of the cabinet using these elements.
Recently, pop art design has become very popular. Own portrait in this style will be a great backdrop for a cupboard or coffee table. Just imagine how it would be nice to receive a decoupage furniture element with your pop art portrait as a gift. You can take as a basis decoupage the work of popular artists: Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein or Jasper Johns.
For decoupage in high-tech style, images of elements of a rough and clearly formed space environment are used. Pipes or rounded planes made of metal, glass elements are the most obvious signs of high-tech style. In this way, you can decorate a kitchen or coffee table. Do not use backgrounds with more than 3 colors for decoupage. The characteristic shades for the style are black, gray, white. Accents in the form of red, blue or green elements are possible.
Performing decoupage technique
The technique is simple to implement, but there are some subtleties. You need to cut the picture with the utmost accuracy and precision. The more accurately you cut out the application, the more realistic and more aesthetically pleasing the final result will look. Before fixing the application, the surface of the object must be sanded and primed. The choice of glue depends on the surface. You can use regular PVA glue or buy a special composition for decoupage. If you decide to decoupage the furniture with napkins, then place them on a dense file one by one. Apply glue and apply to the surface. The cloth is fixed to the surface and the file can be easily removed. Masters of decoupage furniture always use this technique. If you do not use this little trick, you can ruin the application. When you start to grease a napkin with glue, it will become very fragile, and there is a high probability that it will simply tear when fixed.
After fixing the picture, the first layer of varnish is applied. On this layer you can paint and accentuate with paints. To form a more durable surface, a top coat of varnish is applied. If you do not want the surface to be glossy, use matte varnish.
Chair decoupage
A chair with a seat and backrest on a wooden base is ideal for decoration. First you need to process the surface of all the wooden elements of the chair. To remove old layers of paint or varnish, use a sandpaper or drill with a grinding head. Wipe the wood surface to remove all dust. If the surface of the chair has flaws in the form of chips or any other irregularities, use putty on wood. When it is completely dry, smooth the surface with a sandpaper.
Prime all the details of the chair. Surfaces that will not be decorated with decoupage can be painted with interior paint or varnished. For the seat and backrest, select the appropriate pattern on a paper basis. In this case, it is a political map of the world. Apply glue to the paper surface of the picture and wait a few minutes. Then glue the pattern to the wood elements, smoothing the surface with a dry cloth. Make sure that no bubbles or wrinkles occur. If necessary, make cuts along the edges of the seat to form a continuous surface without wrinkles. To create a wear-resistant surface, apply varnish in several layers.
Decoupage cabinets
Dismantle the handles and remove the dimensions from the front surfaces of the drawers of the cabinet. Pick a suitable image and cut it into pieces according to the size of the boxes. The surface of the boxes must be sanded and cleaned of dust. Pay particular attention to the processing of the edges of the front panel. If you do not clean them well, then the varnish will begin to peel off over time, and defects will occur.
The remaining elements of the cabinet can be painted in a suitable color or leave the wood texture, updating the surface with a layer of varnish.
The choice of image depends on your interior. If the main design details have the same color scheme, then you can create an accent using a bright pattern. It is better to leave the handles of the cabinet of the same color in which the basic elements of the cabinet are painted.
Decoupage as a photograph
Such a piece of furniture will be 100% exclusive. If you have chosen an old photo, then you can focus on the edges of the worn photo. To make a large paper mockup of the photo, contact the printing organization. They will make a poster for you in the right sizes. The paper should not be very thick; gluing problems may occur at bends.
Old black and white photographs are suitable for decorating furniture made in a classic style. It is not necessary to cover the entire surface with paper; only the central part can be formed. The part of the furniture surface that is not involved in decoupage can be painted or processed in retro style. This technique is called artificial aging. Even inexpensive types of wood with special processing can give the texture of elite tree species. One way to achieve this effect is to burn the wood with a gas burner, followed by sanding the surface.
Coffee table decoupage
The blank for such a table can be done independently in Photoshop. Choose the photos you like and make a collage in the form of randomly arranged pictures. Remove the dimensions from the countertops, taking into account the bends at the edges. Take the finished layout in digital format to a printing company.
In the case of table decor, instead of varnish, you can use epoxy. When dried, the resin gives a coating that cannot be distinguished from glass. The table will look more professional, and the workmanship of such a countertop is much higher in comparison with varnishing.
If the photograph is black and white, then black acrylic interior paint is ideal for processing the rest of the table.
Finally
Do not be afraid to spoil furniture by experimenting with decoupage technique. If you are dissatisfied with the result of your work, you can always make adjustments to it. Watch master classes on decoupage furniture before you get started. If you strictly adhere to the technology and perform all the steps carefully, then the final result will certainly please you.