Decoupage – original technique decorative decoration. It is based on gluing paper and other materials to the surface of an object. Often, it is suitable for finishing old furniture. The technique has several advantages. The main thing is that it is very simple. The owners will not have any problems making decoupage with their own hands. With its help, you can transform your interior and update your furniture without major expenses.
In your work you can use pictures from paper, napkins, textiles, etc. There are no restrictions here. For example, if after renovation there are several rolls of wallpaper left, they can be used to decorate furniture.
Modern technologies have expanded the possibilities for decoupage. Three-dimensional pictures are created and printed on a printer. Thanks to this, the owners do not have difficulties in choosing themes for furniture decoration.
Let's look at some tips for beginners on decoupage furniture. First you need to prepare everything you need for your work:
Naturally, the list of accessories does not end there. Much will depend on the style and technique chosen, as well as the desired effect.
Experts identify several basic techniques:
Classic. The finishing material is simply glued to the surface, and the top is coated with varnish. Additional processing is possible at the discretion of the owners. For example, the material can be painted, artificially aged, and other original effects can be used.
Reverse decoupage. Option used for finishing glass products. The decorative material is glued with reverse side.
Artistic decoupage. Interesting way, which involves combining the pasted picture and background into a common canvas. One of the most difficult techniques to implement. If this is your first time decoupaging furniture with your own hands, then you should abandon such an idea.
Volumetric decoupage. With its help, images with a relief texture are formed. To give the desired volume, additional materials are used.
Decopatch. An option when the surface to be finished is not only decorated with a picture, but also filled with particles of special paper that imitates fabric, fur or other materials (necessarily natural). Some elements are glued closely, which allows you to form a single background.
There are several popular decoupage effects:
Gilding. The pasted picture is covered with a layer of golden, silver or other metallic paint. If the budget allows, then gold leaf or a cheap fake will do. If you look at the photo of decoupage furniture with gilding, you can see that it adds luxury to the interior.
Formation of artificial abrasion. A good option, if you need to decorate the room in retro style. This type of furniture decoupage will give guests the feeling that all the interior items have survived several decades. To achieve the desired wear, the surface is waxed, painted, and then sanded.
Craquelure is an interesting effect that allows you to create artificial cracks on an object. To work you will need a special varnish. The surface is processed in stages - regular paint is applied, varnish and paint again. When upper layer dries, the object will become covered with small decorative cracks. Another way to visually age an object.
Before you begin step-by-step decoupage of furniture, you need to decide on the style of its design. Here a lot depends on the interior and personal preferences of the owners. It is important that the finished item looks harmonious in the interior and does not stand out against the general background.
Almost any materials, colors and motifs are suitable for decoration. The main thing is that they please the eye and fit together well. Today, the Victorian and Provencal style is considered very popular.
In the first case, interior items are decorated with gilded reliefs. They look elegant. If the choice fell on Provencal, then the technique of patination, artificial aging and the creation of defects (cracks and abrasions) will do.
Images are selected individually for each style. For example, in the Victorian style they often use pictures with little angels, girls, and luxurious bouquets of flowers.
As for images for the Provençal style, notes of romance and tenderness should prevail here. For example, pictures with flowers, hearts, etc.
Decoupage of furniture as a decoration method has been used for quite a long time. It is gaining more and more popularity. This type of finishing allows you to breathe new life into outdated interior items for little money, renew or restore them appearance by pasting with designs from paper, napkins, wallpaper, fabric and covering them with a protective layer of varnish. 
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Decorating furniture using the decoupage technique is divided into types, which are based on the same processes. However, there are also differences:
To enhance the effect of decoupage, the following basic techniques are used:
The process of restoring or decorating interior items can be used in any designer style. The main thing is to choose the right elements.
Decoupages of furniture in the shabby chic style were included in a separate line of decoration. The exclusive feature of this method is the use of soft lines, pastel colors and white background. Let's apply it to rare things that reflect the spirit of old England.
Do-it-yourself furniture decoupage with napkins is the most common. With its help, you can update even just a purchased item by simply adding an image to its surface without additional processing.
To implement the decor, choose napkins with a pattern of the desired style, carefully cut out the necessary motifs (most often flowers or landscapes), glue them with PVA and cover them with transparent varnish. Working with this thin material requires patience and a steady hand from the performer. The most difficult thing in this process is not to tear the image cut out of the napkin. Therefore, air bubbles are removed with a soft brush.
Often after repair it remains a small amount of finishing materials that are no longer used for gluing to walls. The remaining wallpaper can be used to decorate furniture facades. In this case, the paper can cover not only small areas, reserved for the picture, but also the entire surface.
Do-it-yourself decoupage of furniture with wallpaper is identical to pasting with napkins, however, the thickness of the material requires the use of special glue. Various motifs are cut along the contour, smeared glue mixture and apply it to the right place. You need to level the paper with a brush with stiffer bristles. After drying, the drawing is opened with varnish.
Before decoupaging entire areas with wallpaper, for example, covering the front of a door or the seat of a chair with rectangular inserts, you need to take measurements and cut out the appropriate blanks. In this case, glue is applied to the surface of the furniture, and a sheet of paper is gradually secured from one edge to the other.
Do-it-yourself decoupage of old furniture is done using fabrics. You can cut out a design from an old curtain or its remnants, use satin ribbons and openwork lace, a single piece of fabric to fit the size of the facade.
First, PVA glue is applied to the surface to be treated. It is given time to dry and covered with another layer. The fabric is smeared with glue and fixed in in the right place. After complete drying, the decor is opened with acrylic varnish.
We often inherit pieces of furniture that have retained their quality and functional properties, but have lost their attractive appearance. In this case, the question is raised about restoring the facades with your own hands and at the same time creating original interior items.
Decoupage of a cabinet or kitchen chest of drawers can be done using any method, taking into account the style of the room:
Tables, chairs, dishes, porcelain containers and flower vases are decorated. They create panels and paintings based on kitchen motifs.
Before you begin the process of updating or decorating, you need to stock up on materials for decoupaging furniture: napkins with all kinds of motifs, pieces of wallpaper or fabric.
The following tools will be required:
You will need PVA glue for napkins or fabric; if the decoupage technique is performed with wallpaper, then wallpaper glue. The varnish is chosen according to the desired result: matte or glossy, acrylic or water-based.
If you plan to create a three-dimensional drawing or tint, you will need modeling paste or putty and paints. In addition, in the process of preparing surfaces, a primer is used, and if painting is necessary, aerosol paint is used.
To understand all the nuances of the process, you need to start with simple decoration. You can decoupage furniture in the Provence style with your own hands using paper napkins with the image of a bouquet of flowers.
To make the master class complete, you should consider all types of surfaces and techniques for working with them.
High-quality surface preparation is the key to a positive result.
If you are decorating a wooden wall, old chips, knots, and holes cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is necessary to first putty all visible imperfections. Then the surface is carefully sanded with sandpaper. First the coarser spray, then the finest. The preparation of the wooden surface is completed by applying a wood primer.
If the design will be glued to plastic or glass furniture, it is important to degrease it with alcohol or dishwashing detergent and lightly sand it. For primer, it is better to use acrylic art or automotive primer.
Metal furniture must be degreased, sanded and be sure to get rid of old rust. Citric acid and soda, vinegar will help with this, but it is best to purchase a special solvent. Metal is primed using the same means as plastic (glass).
Originated in early Middle Ages decorative technique gained popularity in the 17th century in Venice, which was still independent at that time. The word itself is borrowed from French. Like any creativity, decoupage of furniture allows you to create an artistic image, and skillful execution of the task will make any unattractive, boring item an integral part of the decoration in the house.
Anyone can make art. To do this, you need to select an item for decoupling, come up with a plot, and prepare working tools. But in order to turn a product into a real masterpiece, you need to understand different methods, stylistic orientation, and decoration features.
Updating old things, like decorating new ones, would seem to be quite a difficult task. The master must think through everything down to the smallest detail so that the item in question fits exactly into the existing interior and does not contradict it. However, the whole difficulty lies only in choosing the appropriate image. Therefore, the main advantage of this technique is its simplicity, as well as:
The disadvantages of this creativity include:
The variety of materials used in the creative process allows you to decorate any surface: wood, glass, metal. Application various techniques provides endless opportunities for the manifestation of imagination. Among existing species decoupage can be distinguished:
In decoupage they use special decorative effects, allowing you to give the drawing a different look:
The type and method of design of the item depends on the overall interior of the room. The item used in the work must correspond to the existing design. Therefore, when choosing a material, color, direction, first of all, pay attention to their combination with the existing decorative elements. Popular styles of furniture decoration include:
An important point in the process of decoupaging furniture is preparing everything necessary for the work. The comfort of the master, as well as the final result, will depend on this. For creativity you will need the following tools:
Materials:
Most owners of old, dull furniture want to transform it. But in order to decoupage a polished product, you will need to prepare its surface, otherwise after a while the entire decor will simply flake off and peel off. Working with such surfaces looks like this:
Polished furniture differs from its wooden counterparts in its composition, namely the absence of wood. Under a millimeter layer of varnish you can see paper or a sheet of chipboard.
By her own plastic furniture It is not particularly beautiful, but with the help of decoupage it can be turned into a work of art. However, the plastic will need to be prepared initially so that the ornament will last a long time on the surface of the selected product.
All preparatory activities boil down to the usual degreasing of the structure using an alcohol-containing liquid. When working with glossy, slippery plastic, it should be roughened. For this, fine-grained sandpaper is used. Then a thin layer of gypsum primer is applied, which will provide better adhesion to other materials.
For beginners, it will be enough to prepare surfaces for decoupage according to the generally accepted scheme. First, cleaning with sandpaper, then priming, sanding and re-priming the MDF. Depending on the expected final result, the number of villi, various elements made of wood can be additionally rubbed.
If the chipboard surface has cracks and dents, they should be repaired with putty. Tiles and plastic can simply be degreased by wiping with an alcohol solution. Metal table, the seats of the stools should be treated with a solution of vinegar, soda, citric acid, get rid of rust.
Wooden decor, plastic surfaces with your own hands - great option bring old furniture back to life. By using creative ideas and a minimal set of materials and tools, you can create a chic antique dining nook in Provence style and renovate desk and other useful manipulations. There are many interesting master classes that will allow you to fill your home with real antique masterpieces, teach you how to work with napkins, lace, and how to properly restore and treat cabinets, wardrobes, and shelves with a special varnish.
First of all, you need to decide on the type of equipment and prepare the table for decoration. To make decoupage last longer and make it easier to apply, remove any remaining paint from the surfaces, clean it with sandpaper, and cover it with putty. We take measurements of furniture and cut off the amount of wallpaper required for work.
After preparatory work completed, apply a piece of wallpaper with the image facing up to the surface of the table. Before fixing, the picture must be carefully smoothed, all creases and unevenness removed. Mix glue with water and spread it over the entire area of the paper element.
A thick piece of wallpaper should be well moistened, so the glue should be applied thickly in several layers. When the material becomes pliable, turn it over and smooth out the folds with a roller. Leave it alone for a day to dry. After a radical renovation, the countertop in the kitchen remains to be varnished. If the edges are uneven, they should be sanded.
You can decorate a coffee table using several techniques. The most popular is decoupage with napkins. Specialty paper products can be purchased with a variety of motifs (vintage, themed holidays, animals, nature, big cities And so on). It can also be clippings from newspapers, magazines, geographic Maps, photos. But it should be taken into account that it is more difficult to work with dense material; it must be thinned before fixing. Decoration coffee table The napkin technique takes place in several stages:
A very popular option for restoring an antique chest of drawers in the shabby chic style. This is simultaneous decoration and aging. Simple decoupage using napkins can be done on any painted surface, but it is better if it is white, pink, light green, blue or beige.
Before work, a piece of furniture must be prepared - remove varnish and paint, since old polish and impregnation will not allow you to achieve the expected effect and will significantly reduce the service life of the decor. The cleaned surface must be primed.
First thing old chest of drawers needs to be painted. It can be acrylic paint or based on colored chalk. Experienced craftsmen They recommend using the second option, since, in their opinion, it fits more smoothly. You can work with a wide brush or roller.
While the chest of drawers or bedside table is drying, prepare napkins for decoupage. You can replace thin pictures with photographs and various printouts. Now we carry out artificial aging. Use a metal scraper or sandpaper to randomly wipe off the paint. Then we coat the pictures with glue and apply them to the wood. Using a small brush with glue, we expel the air and strengthen the edges. When all the napkins are glued, all that remains is to polish the chest of drawers with varnish.
You can make a real exclusive out of a standard kitchen set using pieces of unnecessary wallpaper. We choose the type of decoupage and determine the area to be processed. Is a continuous coating necessary or can you get by with partial application of elements to the facades?
We begin work by preparing the surfaces. While the soil is drying, we think over the composition, give it to the napkins right size and outlines. You can make straight lines or cut off the edges with special scissors. We saturate the drawings with glue and apply them to the surface to be decorated. Smooth the picture with a brush, remove the bubbles. To update, you can use whole pieces of wallpaper. The final touch is varnishing. The strengthening solution should be applied over the entire area of the facades, and not just in the picture.
You can decorate the stool in any style. The main thing is that the updated design fits into general interior rooms. This could be Provence, vintage, newspaper technique or the use of fabric. You should start with a careful selection of colors. It should not differ from the main background of the walls, headset or other large furniture. Now we print out napkins with the selected pattern.
If there are cracks or burrs on the stool, they must be removed and smoothed with sandpaper. If the pictures are transparent, the product can be painted. We wet the napkins with water, cover them with glue and apply them to the surface. If you decide to use wallpaper, then you should keep it in the liquid longer, about 1 minute. Use a roller or brush to push out the air. Finally we coat it with varnish.
Achieve the maximum harmonious combination It is possible if you decoupage the stool with wallpaper that covers the walls in the room.
When entering a child's or adult's bedroom, the first thing that catches your eye is the bed, namely its headboard. This part of the bed will be the most successful for applying decor. Various inscriptions, flowers, and vintage drawings are suitable for decoupage. The baby's bed will be decorated with fairy-tale characters, animals, fish, and pieces of fabric. All decor should be matched to the main colors of the interior. You should also understand that all wooden surfaces of the bed are polished and will have to be removed. You can get the original scuffed effect if you listen to the following recommendations when decorating:
You can transform a closet of any size using a variety of available tools. Napkins, colored pictures, wallpaper and other paper elements are suitable. A piece of furniture can be given an aged look using the craquelure technique.
Napkins are the most convenient material for decoupage. Thanks to thinner paper, you can achieve imperceptible transitions on the overall surface. It is better to choose sophisticated, romantic images in Provence and vintage style. Pastel shades will create an unimaginable atmosphere of comfort and tranquility.
Decoupage with wallpaper on a large surface of a cabinet or whatnot is best done by novice craftsmen. You can completely cover all the parts or use them on the ledges of facades. The only difficulty is the need to clean up obsolete varnish coating. In addition to paper, you can use fabric elements, beads, sequins and other decor.
A new interesting direction is decoupage of furniture with fabric. When working, you can use any combination, combine different themes and colors. You will need all kinds of scraps, glue, varnish, sponge and brushes.
Regular PVA glue is applied to the cleaned furniture, and textile pieces are treated with a special adhesive composition. The flaps are applied to the surface and pressed with a sponge. If these are round legs, the material must be wound in a spiral. When all the pieces are glued, they should be sprayed with additional glue through a spray bottle. The final touch is coating with clear varnish.
Today, a creative direction called “decoupage” is becoming very popular. It was first mentioned in the Middle Ages. Already in the 15th century, furniture began to be decorated with pictures. Interesting hobby helps to easily transform furnishings.
This is a suitable activity for beginners. If the house has recently finished major renovation, then there are probably many pieces of wallpaper left.
Important: The surface of objects must first be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and scratches. All cracks are well rubbed with sandpaper.
Try starting with the patchwork technique. Select pieces of wallpaper with ornaments or patterns, cut them out and glue them to the furniture. Floral motifs look beautiful in the interior. If desired, you can decorate the surface with small canvases.
It is not necessary to use the same ornaments, let the patterns be different. Any options look attractive.
Buffets with shelving, cabinets with cabinets inside and outside are covered with wallpaper. Open furniture in the decoupage style turns into unique masterpieces. The room becomes more comfortable and has a lively atmosphere that lifts your spirits. But such work requires great care from the performer.
The decoupage palette from the inside should echo the main background of the room. It is important that the bright color scheme is in harmony with the things on the furniture.
In addition to the cabinet, you can decorate the lampshade using the same material. Cut an oblong piece of the wallpaper to the desired size.
Bed without backrest – comfortable furniture for a bedroom where there is not enough space to place furniture with a headboard. With the help of an original ornament you can designate the headboard.
This you need to know: It is better to do decoupage of furniture yourself using materials that can be washed. This decor will last you a long time, and you won’t have to replace it if you accidentally spill water on it. Vinyl materials are the best option.
The piece of wallpaper left after the renovation will be useful for decorating a coffee table. Measure the tabletop and cut out a rectangle with the appropriate dimensions. To prevent the table surface from getting dirty quickly, place glass on top.
It’s convenient that you don’t have to use any adhesive. The design of the coffee table can be changed whenever needed.
Fans of retro style decorate furniture in black and white tones. To do this, they choose stripes and checks. This color scheme always looks winning.
And for lovers of the exotic, oriental flavor is more suitable. Cherry blossoms on the closet are a wonderful decoration at any time of the year. Fantasize while giving new life subjects.
Special napkins are sold at a craft store. To create a Victorian-style design, choose images of angels, flowers and girls.
Napkins are suitable for Provence: they bring romance and tenderness to the interior. This effect is achieved thanks to drawings of wild flowers with sunflowers in a field or images of bees.
Important: Motives should be light and unobtrusive. This is the main difference between Provence and Victorian style.
Furniture can be covered with fabric, the result will exceed all your expectations. Original design will make the item unique.
If you have a long piece of fabric, then with its help you can completely restore furniture by upholstering it. To do this, you will need old curtains that have been stored in the chest of drawers for a long time.
Reupholstering furniture with your own hands involves using the following basic things:
Advice! It is not advisable to use leatherette: it is short-lived. If financial capabilities allow, then use genuine leather for upholstery.
If you decide to update your furniture, then tapestry is a great option. It is cheaper than other upholstery fabrics, and there are practically no puffs on it.
When using the classic technique, varnish is needed to give gloss to the glued picture. If you want to decorate a piece of furniture in an antique style, giving the surface an inlaid effect, use silver or gold-plated metallic paint.
Scuffs will help create the appearance of antiquity. Achieving this effect is not difficult - you just need to apply wax to the surface and only then proceed to painting. Go over the paint layer with sandpaper. As you can see, the instructions on how to make decoupage are not at all complicated.
Original products are obtained when the surface is painted with paints of different colors. Toning looks impressive: the item looks like an antique.
The varnish allows you to create craquelure when artificial cracks appear on the surface. You can get this result if you first paint the surface with one layer of paint, apply craquelure varnish on it, and apply a finishing coat on top using paint.
Look at the photo of decoupage furniture; any of the items in the pictures is worthy of decorating an apartment or house.
If pieces of furniture are made of chipboard, then the decor can be anything. The main thing is not to forget to degrease the surface. To carry out this procedure, the detergent you usually use to wash dishes is suitable.
All beginners are recommended to carefully watch the furniture decoupage master class. You will be able to get acquainted with classical technology. Let's assume that a chest of drawers has been chosen for decoration. In this case, you will need to do the following:
Important: In this style, ordinary furniture handles can serve as dresser legs. And unique handles for a chest of drawers can be made from jeans buttons. A good alternative is decorative handles.
Beginners can make their own stool. If the item is intended for the kitchen, then its decor should match the style of the table. Stools can be decorated in a retro style. To do this, glue clippings from old newspapers to their surface or you can buy special napkins.
Stools decorated with exotic plants or images of animals fit perfectly into the interior of a children's room. Unusual and brightly colored furniture is sure to please your child.
Provence style stools are original decor. Such furniture looks great especially with intricate patterns, such as vintage roses. And pet lovers will love the image of a cat on the surface of the stool. This stool for your favorite pussy can be a great place to relax.
Is your furniture out of fashion long ago, but you don’t want to part with it? Then there is great alternative– give old furniture a second life. How to do it? Today we will talk about a currently popular technique for decorating furniture and other interior items - decoupage.
What is the technique of decoupage on furniture? At first glance, it seems that this is something too complicated, requiring cost and effort. But this is not so, even a fragile girl can master this technique and update any piece of furniture.
Decoupage is special kind decorative art, with which you can update any object and even furniture using glue, scissors and paper. Well, now let’s take a closer look at this technique and find out how to make decoupage on furniture.
Updating old furniture is a difficult task at first glance, because it is necessary to think through everything down to the smallest detail so that the furniture fits into the interior. Therefore, difficulty can only arise with the choice of materials, or rather the design for decoupage. The simplicity of the furniture renovation technique is the main advantage of decoupage. The work requires a minimum of tools and materials. The choice of base material depends on the surface being processed.
To decoupage chipboard furniture, prepare the following materials and tools:
The main working material is napkins or special paper with a pattern. Depending on the surface being processed and the idea, these can also be clippings from old magazines and newspapers, images printed on a home printer, or a specially purchased piece of paper with a pattern for decoupage. In any case, if you have an idea, then to implement it you will need a minimum of investments, and all necessary tools can be found at home.
What to expect from furniture decoupage? First of all, this is a complete update. If we're talking about O kitchen set, then you can completely update the kitchen, make it stylish and interesting. Anyone can master this technique, just be prepared for the fact that you will have to be patient. There is no rush, we do everything thoroughly and are in no hurry.
Furniture decoupage ideas:
The main direction of updating interior items and furniture is attaching a selected drawing or picture to the surface in different ways.
Decoupage techniques:
Decoupage technique on furniture. Video:
We continue our acquaintance with the basics of the decoupage technique, now let’s look at the common effects:
Each surface must undergo certain preparation before starting work. For example, glass needs to be thoroughly degreased. To do this, it must be washed, dried, wiped with a lint-free cloth and treated with a degreaser (to save materials, craftswomen often use diluted colorless dishwashing detergent).
When working with tin products, preliminary preparation is also very important. Using a special solution (water and vinegar in proportions 1:1) and a stiff metal brush, the surface is cleaned of dirt, thus removing the top layer.
Wooden surfaces and chipboard furniture are treated with fine-grained sandpaper to smooth out any irregularities.
DIY furniture decoupage. Photo:
For beginners just learning the basics of this type of decorative art, it is best to start decorating furniture with simple techniques.
To work you need to prepare the following:
These are the patterned napkins you need:
Step-by-step master class:
Look what beautiful furniture we got:
How to decoupage furniture, watch this video:
We considered the option of decoupage wooden furniture, but what to do if you don’t want to part with your old polished chest of drawers? On smooth glossy surfaces It is difficult to glue a paper drawing, but it is quite possible.
How to apply paper fragment to polished furniture:
Here is the result of the efforts:
To work with fabric, you will need the same set of materials and tools, only instead of napkins or paper designs you need to prepare fabric scraps.
Let's do decoupage together with fabric on a small nightstand:
We admire our work:
DIY furniture decoupage. Video:
