Vase decoupage is a simple and quick way to create an unusual interior item from improvised materials. For this, even a simple plastic bottle, cut in half or any glass container, is suitable. You can see photos with decoupage vases and choose the appropriate option. Before you get down to business, you should prepare the necessary tools. You will need a water-based paint, PVA glue, colorless varnish, a large soft brush for painting and napkins for decoupage vases.
Vase from a plastic bottle
At the first stage, we cut the bottle in half and cover the lower part with an even layer of water-based paint and let it dry well. Next, you need to prepare a drawing. For decoupage of a vase with your own hands, ordinary three-layer napkins with a beautiful pattern are suitable. You need to remove the top layer from them and cut out the motive from it, that is, a repeating image. We place the picture on the vase and begin to apply PVA glue on top. In the same way, we close all the free places, trying to combine the motives so that there are no noticeable seams. After the vase has dried, varnish it. Apply it evenly, starting from the top. Leave to dry - and use.
Decoupage glass vases
Decoupage technique is universal and can be used for various surfaces: wood, glass, plastic. It so happens that your favorite glass vase has cracked or lost its attractive appearance. But it can still be saved by decorating with napkins. Decoupage glass vases are not too different from the design of products from other materials. The same principle is used here: first the primer is applied, then the motive is separated from the napkin, applied to the surface and fixed.
Preparing a glass surface for decoupage
Before you start working with glass, it must be degreased so that the paint lies evenly and does not come off the surface of the vase. This can be done with a cotton pad dipped in acetone or alcohol. Wipe the entire surface well and dry. At the next step of decoupage of the vase, it must be primed with acrylic paint or glass primer. It is undesirable to use water-based soil, as it can soak. Also suitable for these purposes are ordinary construction paint and spray varnish.
But this is not necessary if thin rice paper is used for decoration. In this case, tear off the desired amount, tear a piece on top and bottom in several places and, applying to the glass, apply acrylic varnish on top. After drying, excess paper on the neck can be removed with a skin. Another option is to use a structural paste, which is applied after the primer layer has dried. Vase decoupage in this case can be done not with napkins, but with a printed print. Additionally, paints will be needed.
Drawing a motive on glass
The next stage is the separation of motive. If a napkin is used so that it fits well on the surface of the vase, it is advisable not to cut the pattern with scissors, but gently pluck it. It is desirable to divide too large a motif into fragments, but when applied to the surface it should not be interrupted. Then, with the help of acrylic varnish, the napkin is fixed on the surface of the vase. If printing is used, the paper must be thinned before being applied to glass. The thinner the printout, the easier it is to smooth it. This can be done using tape. When decoupage a vase from two sides, the distance between the motives should be the same. Therefore, it is advisable to mark in advance on it places for sticking drawings.
Features of using printouts in decoupage
First, the thinned paper is sprayed with water from a spray bottle to make it softer and more plastic. It is most convenient to do this on a regular office file, putting the motive face down on it. Later it will help to accurately transfer the ornament to the surface. Then we fix the vase and apply PVA glue to it, take the motive with the file, turn it over and apply it to the vase. Gently smooth the surface. We remove the file, draw glue with a brush and finally align the motive. If wrinkles nevertheless appeared, after drying they can be processed with sandpaper and make a painting or processed with structural paste.
The final stage of work with a glass vase
The next stage of the decoupage of the vase with napkins occurs when all the motives are pasted and the vase is dried. Now apply the structural paste. It will help to hide flaws and create an unusual relief on the surface. We close the edges of the print with a paste and fix the places where the folds appeared. After it dries, the surface can be treated with sandpaper and paint on to make the picture look uniform. The color of the ink should match the basic tone of the printout. We paint over the vase with a wide brush, let it dry and proceed to additional decoration. You can apply another coat of paint, but a different shade, highlighting the details. After that, lightly tint the edges of the applied pattern to create a smooth transition of color - and the vase is ready.
Art Decoupage
Craftswomen who can draw by hand can recommend another option for decorating a glass vase - the technique of artistic decoupage. This method has a peculiarity - the motive needs to be printed on rice or calligraphic paper. It is very important to use a special substrate, otherwise the printer will jam it. Such a decoupage of vases with your own hands in the photo looks very impressive. Before starting work, the surface must be degreased, and the motive moistened in those places where it will be torn. In this case, not a spray gun, but a brush is used. Rice paper is very thin, so you need to drive it with bristles carefully. Then gently tear the pattern and round the upper edges, if required by the shape of the vase. After wetting, carefully open the pieces of paper around the perimeter. The glass is primed with acrylic latex paint or art primer in two layers with a sponge or sponge.
Background painting
After the soil has dried, we take a motive and make notches around the entire perimeter. We coat the vase with PVA glue and apply a motive. Applying glue from the center, we straighten the printout, gradually pressing it to the surface. After drying, we process the motif with sandpaper.
Now you need to take a palette and acrylic paints of several colors to match the motive. Starting to paint on the background, select a color slightly darker than the main one to give the depth to the substrate. In small sections, we begin to fill the background. Then we choose a lighter tone and begin to add it, as if continuing the motive and extending it to the vase. Combining the colors depending on the shades used in the picture, we create smooth transitions until the entire surface of the vase turns into a single canvas.
Then we proceed to drawing the details and, when the paint dries, we apply acrylic varnish. A vase made in this technique looks like a three-dimensional picture.