What is decoupage ?
Decoupage is a craft that involves household object decoration, usually, papier-mâché boxes or wooden furniture with images cut out of paper. Decoupage started in the 18th century in replication of the unique and beautiful hand-painted polished item imported expensively from Asia. This explains the early decoupage design with Asian art and themes.
It is very simple to decoupage an object and creates a very stylish result. Decoupage is a craze among the gentility in its early years; young women were required to create watercolor paintings so they are encouraged to make cutouts on to household good.
Suppliers of craft materials painted art on paper specially designed for decoupage or you can get interesting art in old gift-wraps, storybooks or greeting cards. One potential source of art is the magazine, but if the paper used is thin, there is a possibility that the print on the other side will be visible if damped in glue or varnish.
If you want your finished product painted or finish with varnish, make sure to clean and dry it first before applying the varnish or paint. Most often, the goal in decoupage is to present the effect of unique hand-painted art, so the images that you will be using must be precisely cut on its background. You can use very sharp and very short knife in cutting pictures, make sure to turn the paper you are cutting instead of your hands for better cutting control.
After finishing the art cut, place the material on the object to be ornamented to get the best position. If the desired position is achieved, apply a thin layer of special-purpose decoupage varnish or craft glue on the back on the art and smooth it down onto the surface. After the layer is dry, you can apply layers of varnish repeatedly. You can use decoupage varnish or a regular wood varnish.
