Decoupage technique. Paper napkin, glue and lacquer - the basis of sophisticated decor

Unique objects of everyday life, decorated with exquisite patterns and paintings made in the technique of famous masters, have always been a subtle decoration of any interior. You can make a similar thing yourself, using for a decor a regular table napkin with a bright pattern or a picture from a magazine. Decorating objects with paper clippings is an ancient art, the origins of which can be found in China in the 7-9th centuries AD. Decoupage techniques have been used to decorate various items in France, England and Germany, dating back to the 16th century. And in our technocratic age, thanks to a special interest in manual creativity, storing the bright individuality of its creator, interest in this technique arose with renewed vigor, it is again at the peak of popularity in many European countries.

Decoupage techniques are widely used to decorate decorative plates, trays, bottles, frames for mirrors and photographs. Particularly original and colorful are pieces of furniture, because the simplest table or chest, decorated with colored paper cuttings, are transformed into original art objects. The furniture, decorated with hand-painted and inlaid, was always appreciated very highly and was quite expensive. Using napkins, various pictures or special decoupage cards, you can create a unique piece of furniture, not knowing how to draw, without brushes and paints.

Decoupage technique on a tree

The essence of this technique is as follows. The chosen drawing is selected. It can be a cut from a magazine, a napkin or a decoupage card (napkins and cards are sold in specialized or online stores). Carefully cut out the pattern on the contour and paste on the prepared wooden surface with special glue (you can use a water diluted PVA glue). After the pattern is dried, it is additionally decorated using various techniques, for example, covered with a varnish varnish, supplemented with gold leaf, textured paste, shaded with acrylic paints. The final stage of the work will be the surface coating with several layers of acrylic clear varnish. Layer layers are applied until the boundary between the pattern and the surface of the article is completely smoothed out. Begin to master the technique of decoupage is better with some simple object, for example, a wooden countertop. We decorate the table top of a white wooden table with floral ornament.

For work you will need bouquets of flowers, cut from napkins or decoupage cards, glue for decoupage or PVA, acrylic lacquer. On the surface of the table, lay out the cuttings as they will be stuck. It is important: from a three-layer napkin we take only the top layer and glue it neatly, applying glue on top of the napkin, ironing the pattern with a brush, making sure that no wrinkles form. We paste more dense paper in the usual way, spreading it from the wrong side. After the stickers dry, we fix the work with several layers of clear varnish. This is the most simple technique of decoupage for beginners.

Decorate with paper cuttings can not only wooden surfaces, but also glass, textiles, metal and plastic.

Decoupage technique on plastic

Any items made of plastic (dishes, trays, old plates, from which you can make a base for watches or decorative panels, jugs, watering cans, flower pots, etc.) can be successfully decorated with paper clippings. Actually, the technique of decoupage is carried out in the same sequence as on the tree. There are only some nuances. So, it is very important before gluing a paper fragment, the plastic surface should be well degreased with alcohol, so that the decoration is better adhered. The top layer of napkins is pasted with a diluted glue of PVA on top of the picture. For more dense paper, you do not need to dilute the glue, and the paper cut is smeared with glue from the wrong side. Glue densely lubricated and plastic surface. The product made of plastic, designed in the technique of decoupage, must be covered with a protective lacquer layer (you can use nitro-lacquer for a car in a can).