In the post-war years, when Europe tried by all means to forget about the horrors experienced, its inhabitants enthusiastically accepted the minimalist style in the interior. He assumed parting with grandmother's dressers, sideboards, wardrobe and other old bulky furniture. However, after several decades, the same interiors were fed up with everything. In the early 80s, a real revolution was made by the Englishwoman Rachel Ashwell, who became a frequent guest with junkers and flea markets. She bought from them for a penny various things and furniture, and then restored and decorated them, including using decoupage technique. Her works began to be in great demand, and the style invented by Mrs. Ashwell, which is based on artificial aging, was called shabby chic.
Recently, it has gained great popularity in Russia. In our country, in this style, they design not only interiors, but also handmade gifts, and even wedding tables and banquet halls. Many are crazy about furnishings with decor in the style of shabby chic. They will certainly be interested in learning how to make a chest decoupage with their own hands at home.
Features of the technique
The name of the decoupage technique comes from the French word meaning “cut”. It involves decorating objects with pictures of paper or fabric. The cut fragments are beautifully placed on a specially prepared surface, and then filled with varnish.
What is required
Decoupage chest (photos of some options, see below) can be done by everyone, since this does not require special skills. You will need:
- small old chest of drawers with drawers;
- ivory and black paint;
- brushes of various thicknesses;
- stain;
- grinding skins of various grain sizes;
- black paint;
- wax candle;
- stencil with angular ornamental pattern;
- Scotch;
- palette knife (a special tool for applying paint);
- embossed acrylic paste;
- Mordan (adhesive mixture on varnish);
- napkins with a pattern;
- varnish;
- special decoupage glue;
- potal (very thin metal foil of silver or gold color);
- stiff bristle brush;
- handles for a dresser;
- fasteners.
Workshop on creating a dresser in the style of shabby chic
To make such an item of furniture from old furniture is quite simple. If you have at least a minimal decoupage skill, you can get to work. However, first the dresser needs to be artificially aged. At the same time, real defects that appeared on its surfaces during many years of use and storage, for example, in the attic, will be hidden. So, before you make a decoupage chest, you should:
- paint it inside with paint, for example, ivory;
- apply a dark stain on top in the "dry brush" technique so that an imitation of scuffs is obtained;
- make the primer of the dresser outside;
- to sand;
- paint with black paint the places where they are going to make scuffs;
- grate dark places with a candle;
- paint the entire chest of drawers with the main color;
- apply paint in 4-5 layers;
- wait until it dries.
Drawing a relief pattern
So that the future decoupage of the chest of drawers with your own hands looks even more stylish, it can be supplemented. To do this, create a relief pattern. The order of work is as follows:
- choose a stencil;
- put on the surface of the dresser;
- attach with adhesive tape pieces, fixing so that during operation the stencil remains motionless;
- add a couple of drops of varnish to the acrylic relief paste, so that the pattern becomes stronger when dried;
- apply it in an even smooth layer on top of the stencil;
- wait a minute;
- carefully remove the stencil;
- after five minutes, they pat on the pattern with their fingers so that the relief is slightly smoothed out;
- in the same way decorate a chest of drawers from all sides;
- wait until the paste is completely dry (about 12 hours);
- gently sand the pattern, trying not to overdo it;
- strip off white paint and wax using a palette knife.
Chest decoupage
For decoration, the choice of pattern is very important. Often used wipes. The necessary fragments with a pattern are cut out of them and the topmost color layer is carefully separated.
Further:
- cut out the necessary elements;
- stick on the surface of the dresser with a brush;
- Mordan is applied to the pattern;
- allow to dry for half an hour;
- apply potal, smoothing with a brush;
- remove the excess with a stiff brush (in those areas where the mordan was absent, the potal does not stick, so its excess is easily swept away);
- to refine the drawing on a napkin, the borders of the motive are carefully treated with a sandpaper so that it is thinned to a minimum;
- paint them, connecting with the main surface of the dresser with the paint of the main color, carefully applying it with a thin brush.
Patination and installation of accessories
The decoupage of a dresser in the style of shabby chic can be supplemented with details with the effect of erased gilding. To create it, use patination. They gently erase the relief pattern on the surface of the dresser.
Mount metal handles on drawers . It is better to choose options made in a vintage style, using screws, washers and screws.
If there is a desire, it is possible first on the places where the handles should be fixed, to make a relief pattern using stencils with a special paste, as described above, leaving room for holes. It should also be covered with a patina to preserve the overall style of the chest of drawers.
Tight boxes: what is required
To make a chest decoupage from the inside, it is best to use the same motif (drawing on a napkin) as on the drawers. It should be transferred to a cloth to tighten the inner surfaces.
This will require:
- the same napkins that were used for decoupage on the outer surfaces of the dresser;
- cardboard;
- glue "moment-crystal";
- fabric (canvas);
- special glue for decoupage on fabric;
- iron;
- scissors.
Work order
Decoupage of old chests of drawers from the inside (on the bottoms of drawers) is carried out as follows:
- cut a rectangle from durable cardboard with dimensions such as at the bottom of the box;
- fabric is measured on it;
- four rectangles are cut out;
- a motive is pulled out of a napkin;
- apply glue for decoupage on the fabric;
- impose a motive;
- pressed, quickly smoothing with your fingers;
- dried for 24 hours, hanging the fabric on the dryer with clothespins so as not to damage the pattern;
- then ironed with a hot iron on both sides, setting the mode to "Cotton";
- they fit the bottom of each of the boxes with decoupage fabric;
- Coated in 4-5 layers with 100% matte varnish.
Chest of drawers decorate the room in the style of shabby chic. The option, the master class for the manufacture of which is presented above, is also suitable for premises in the style of Provence or country, if you use it as the main decoration and combine it with more modest pieces of furniture without gilding and noticeable decor.