Decoupage technique is popular - here are easy instructions and tips

Layering and combining different painting techniques is what makes furniture painted with chalk paint look like works of art - something that is almost impossible to achieve with conventional furniture paints.

History of decoupage

Découpage is a 20th-century word that comes from the French word découpeur, meaning to cut. Paper cutouts are assembled and redesigned and reattached to a painted or varnished surface, with the end result looking like a painting or inlay.

With such a long and varied history, it's no surprise that decoupage continues to evolve with new styles. With its colorful origins and diverse techniques, the possibilities of this fascinating art form are endless, offering endless scope for creativity.

In China, cut paper was used to decorate lanterns, windows, boxes, and other objects as early as the 13th century.

Italy, especially Venice, was at the forefront of trade with the Far East in the 17th century, and it is generally thought that it was through these trade connections that cut paper decorations and furniture decorated with them eventually reached Europe.

This Frenchic Blog introduces the Decoupage technique for furniture and at the end you can see the completion of one example of furniture in the video.

For shopping - wonderful art sheets for decoupage technique

Choose from our stunning prints here. You can find Mint By Michelle's decoupage series here.

Here are some easy tips that will help you succeed!

1. Prepare the surface
   It all starts with a good base. Whether it's a table, cabinet, coaster or piece of art, make sure the surface is clean and dust-free.
2. Choose your base color carefully
   Consider the area you plan to cover with the sheet:

- Full coverage: For large surfaces, such as tiles (which are perfect as coasters!) or furniture doors, choose a light base color so that the light patterns on the sheet stand out beautifully.
- Partial coverage: If you are only using part of the sheet, choose a primer that is as similar as possible to the background color of the sheet. This will give the final result a natural look and not a glued-on look.

• Smooth the surface
  Paint the surface smooth and let it dry thoroughly. Remove any paint dust with a damp cloth and sand the surface lightly with a 120-grit sanding pad.
• Insert sheet
  For larger areas (for example tiles) there is an easy trick:
  - Apply a thin layer of Frenchic's Finishing Coat or Tuff Top Coat over the painted surface.
  - Carefully place the sheet on a still damp surface and let the edges hang over slightly (you can tidy up the edges later).
  - Place your hand in a plastic bag and gently smooth out any wrinkles. This method reduces the risk of tearing the napkin, unlike using a brush.
• Separate the layers of the sheet
  If you are using wallpaper or napkins, they often have multiple layers of paper. Carefully separate the layers and use only the top, patterned layer. Thick wallpapers should be soaked for a while to make it easier to separate the layers. Art sheets are single-layered.
• Instead of scissors, try this:
  - Dip a small brush in water and draw outside the outline of the pattern with a damp brush. This method is very suitable for working with thin sheets of paper.
  - Carefully tear along the damp edge – this will give you a softer and more natural edge.
• Dry and finish
  Finish like this:
  - Dry the surface carefully with a hair dryer on medium heat.
  - Easily remove the excess edge or other part of a sheet of paper by lightly sanding the edges with sandpaper.
  - Using a sponge, apply another thin layer of Finishing Coat or Tuff Top Coat , and dry again.
  - To achieve a smooth finish, sand lightly with a 120-grit sanding sponge – don't worry, the image will remain well protected.
  - Repeat the varnishing and sanding step 1–2 times if necessary until you are satisfied with the end result.

Have fun with the decoupage technique – enjoy the creativity and the beautiful end result!

You can finish small and larger furniture with the Decoupage technique

You can use the decoupage technique on a small and large scale.

The most skillful works use more than a dozen shades, various waxes and crackling agents, and various tools for building layers.

At its best, an image embedded in layers looks like a hand-painted work of art.

Watch the video at the end of the blog, which shows how to easily attach a decoupage sheet and how to make the picture 'fit' on the furniture.

In the decoupage technique, the sheet is attached to its base and then layers of paint are added to the top and sides to 'plant' the sheet onto its base in a natural-looking way.

Decoupage is also a popular technique among skilled furniture painters, who professionally paint their furniture into unique works of art.

Think creatively

Large A3 - A1 sized sheets for furniture painting are best used on furniture, for example on the inside of cabinets, doors, inside of drawers or on front panels or side walls. You can place the sheet to run over the edges of the furniture, behind a corner - choose at least two subjects for larger surfaces: one as the main image and one as a filler.

DIY recycled art

What if you made your own painting from art paper on top of an old flea market painting? Vintage paintings often come with beautiful frames already, you just add a picture that suits your interior design on top of the painting. Follow the same instructions for painting the background and shades as you would for other surfaces. Recycled interior design at its best!

Choose a piece of furniture

The size of the furniture slightly affects the choice of sheet and image.

A vertical pattern or motif might be better suited for a tall cabinet.

The intended final tone also influences the choice of image.

Clean the surface of the furniture by washing it with Sugar Soap furniture cleaner, wipe the detergent off the surface, and dry.

Color selection

Will you paint the furniture black or white? The final color choice will affect the choice of motif and sheet.

If you want a dark piece of furniture, you shouldn't choose a very white sheet - embedding it into a naturally dark base may not work and the result may be a light 'hole' in the dark surface.

The image and background colors should blend naturally with the furniture in a gradient style. So, if you want a dark piece of furniture, it's best to choose the darkest colors for the image and background.

Base color

The background color affects how (clearly) the image stands out. A light background reproduces the tones of the sheet and the details of the image best.

It is therefore a good idea to paint the area of ​​the sheet on the furniture in a light shade. If you paint the area of ​​the sheet in red, for example, it will also show through the sheet - sometimes this can be used as a good effect, depending on the desired end result.

The smallest and lightest details of the image may not stand out as well against a dark or black background. If you paint the furniture black, leave the areas of the sheet white.

A white painted base is the most common starting point if you want the colors on the sheet to be reproduced as accurately as possible.

You can use Lazy Range: Whitey White or Wedding Cake as a base, for example. Experiment with different options.

Sheet layout

Consider the layout of the sheet and the image, but don't let the furniture's decorations, locks, handles, doors or drawers limit the layout.

The sheet is laid out and fixed as a whole, and finally all necessary seams and box edges are opened with a sharp knife, just like when wallpapering. You can also press or tear the edges open, so that the sharp edges are not so easily visible in the final result. It is a good idea to remove handles and knobs before laying out the sheet.

Torn edges

You can get invisible edges by tearing a strip of paper, which is easy to blend under paint. On the other hand, if you leave the original, sharp edge of the sheet visible, it is almost impossible to blend under paint, and an edge cut with scissors is usually difficult to blend.

Fastening

There are a few different ways to attach the sheet.

Crumpled sheet

The most natural or artistic result comes when you wrinkle the sheet before attaching and smooth the surface with a spatula or a small plastic card like a 'credit card' - from the center outwards.

The brush will create some wrinkles in the paper, which will look beautiful and natural in the end. You can further emphasize the wrinkles and folds by sanding and waxing.

The surface becomes vivid and three-dimensional, like old oil paintings.

Smooth sheet - Cellophane

To reduce wrinkles, you can use plastic wrap/film over the paper. In this technique, a layer of Finishing Coat is first applied to the bottom of the furniture. The sheet is placed on a wet surface.

The sheet can also be attached like wallpaper - from top to bottom: apply a strip of Finishing Coat adhesive to the top edge of the furniture surface.

• • Position the top edge of the sheet in place, as if you were wallpapering.
  • Lift the sheet and apply a new strip of adhesive.
  • Brush the sheet from top to bottom, over the adhesive.
  • Repeat until the entire sheet is attached.

This technique gives you a smooth surface and works best on a flat surface.

Tip!

If the sheet is delivered folded, you can remove the creases with steam - use a small handheld garment steamer or the steam function on your iron.

Heat bonding

Applying heat gives a smooth and even, but not as vibrant, finish. Apply at least two coats of Finishing Coat to the base and allow the coats to dry.

The sheet is ironed on medium heat, from the center outwards, through the baking paper. This technique can be challenging if the surface of the furniture is not perfectly flat.

Painting

Use dark tones as the main tones on the outside of the sheet if you wanted a dark result.

Capture other shades from the subject and add shades to the surface using different techniques.

Use a sponge to dab on the shades, blur the edges, and apply paint to the sheet, not just the edges. Feel free to experiment with different tools.

You can try 'extending' the image a little if you want. The end result is usually unique and personal, not printed.

There are several options for finishing

You can lightly sand the wrinkles on the sheet with sandpaper and or highlight them with dark waxes once the adhesive has dried. You can speed up the drying process, for example, with a hair dryer.

If you want a patina, waxes are the best way to 'age'. Add brown wax to the edges and trim of your furniture, the areas where dirt and grease really accumulate over the years.

You can add a layer of Finishing Coat to protect everything, giving it a beautiful shine. Or you can wax everything with a clear wax.

Colored, for example brown Frenchic wax would add a patina to the surface and set the image even better. Read more about using waxes here.

Using decoupage sheets is easy and convenient.

With this technique, you can take your furniture to the next level!

Finishing Coat is an excellent bonding and coating agent for Decoupage techniques.

It dries quickly, in about 20 minutes, and the surface becomes bright and shiny.

The end result is a surface that is resistant to splash water. Application to large surfaces is easy with a sponge. Finishing Coat is a non-toxic and certified product. You can buy Finishing Coat here.

Supplies for your decoupage project

It takes about two to three hours to make a small piece of furniture - Easy Crackle takes the longest to dry, and its drying can be accelerated with a hairdryer, for example.

Here's how to get started:

1. 1. Select a sheet here
   2. Hair dryer
   3. Plastic bag or cling film
   4. Grinding tools
   5. Detergent
   6. Brushes of different sizes
   7. Finishing Coat for fixing and protection
   8. Patina Brown Frenchic Wax
   9. For making cracks Easy Crackle
   10. White primer and brush
   11. The overall shade of the furniture and a couple of other shades (use the old paint can residue first!)
   12. Get inspired by our FB group , where you can see decoupage projects from our customers!
       

Watch a useful video on how to give an old dresser a beautiful and completely new look using paint, a decoupage image, wax and crackle remover!