Do you Decoupage

There are two types of decoupage which you will probably be familiar with,  one which is used to decorate cards and Scrapbook pages by building up a 3d picture using layers.  It can be as simple as using 3d adhesive pads under one layer of your paper or card to give depth to a project or using 3d pads or silicone glue to create a more complex design.

On the Fairy card using papers from Marieke Vermeulen and For You Fairy image from Willow Design Stamps, both the central image and the strawberry design were mounted with 3d adhesive pads but more depth could have been added by using additional layers.  The strawberry for example could have been cut out numerous times and then built up with more pads or silicone glue to further define the 3d effect.

On the Spaceman card using free digital supplies from Cen’s loft, (also available as printable pdf files) here the papers were printed out and the Spaceman, rocket and stars were cut out and applied to the background with 3d adhesive pads.  This is decoupage in it’s simplest form and is ideal to use with digital supplies and printables where you can have access to multiple images just by printing on your home computer.  Making hybrid cards the easy way.

More complex decoupage designs are available to buy,  usually supplied on an A4 sheet and numbered so that you are aware of how to build up the design.  Usually the larger image is adhered to your base first and smaller parts of the design added piece by piece until your 3d image is complete.  Lots of crafters like to use these completed 3d images as the central design in a framed picture and box frames to house them can be bought from good craft supplies stores so that you can use them your display your finished decoupage designs in your home decor.

The other type of decoupage is from the Victorian era of crafting where motifs were cut from paper before being adhered to surfaces such as frames, wooden objects, trays, and other decorative items for the home before being covered with layers of varnish to create a smooth decorative surface.  The options for this kind of decoupage are limitless, use it in your papercrafting by covering books, boxes, cd’s etc in a collage effect and use diluted PVA glue as your sealant.  You can even combine the two types of decoupage by creating a collage effect base on your project and then adding 3d decoupage shapes to the finished design.

Do share you decoupaged projects with us and let us know of any special techniques you may have used to make your creation stand out from the crowd

Happy Creating

Chris xx