How to Decoupage Furniture: 14 Tips

Decoupage furniture means the assembling of cut out pictures in a collage, in order to make a different piece of art. It can also be utilized on any other thing as well. For example, if the furniture needs some dressing up, then just keep the following tips in mind:

Tip 1 - Cleaning

Make sure that the furniture is cleaned properly before getting any work done on it.

Tip 2 - Thin Paper

Avoid decoupaging with any kind of thin paper like rice paper. The reason to avoid this is that the paper would end up causing wrinkles. So, if the particular design is on thin paper, then take it to the store for laser printing.

Tip 3 - Use of Scissors

Utilize sharp scissors while doing the cutting of the furniture. Also make sure that if the image is too small, and then just cut little pieces of the print as a sample of a patch.

Tip 4 - Painting

Make sure that the painting of the entire surface is done with the help of a foam brush. This will allow the paint to spread in a proper manner.

Tip 5 - Clean Edge

In order to have a clean edge, make sure to trim the overlaps with a sharp pointed knife, so that the paper is dry and stiff with glue.

Tip 6 - Immerse

Make sure that the paper is immersed in the water, for about 15 seconds so that it is able to relax properly. This will help in making it easy to shape the paper to the furniture.

Tip 7 - Alignment of Paper

While aligning the paper with the edges of the furniture, make sure that the hands are kept wet, or else the paper might tear into pieces.

Tip 8 - Use of Marker

If the paper is torn into pieces in the smoothing process, then fix it as best as possible, then touch up with the help of a marker, right before applying a polyurethane sealer.

Tip 9 - Use of Rag

With the help of a rag, wash away any excess of glue which comes out over the edges of the picture utilized for the decoupaging of the furniture.

Tip 10 - Glue

A number of different stores sell a variety of different kinds of glue. They sell specialty glues as well as finish coasts for the decoupage. A shiny top coating can also be utilized in order to make the decoupage of furniture look much better.

Tip 11 - Additional Protection

If the table which has been decoupaged is going to be used on a regular basis, then make sure that a layer of glass is installed on it as it will definitely provide additional protection to the furniture.

Tip 12 - Care and Safety

The decoupage furniture is definitely appropriate for a number of different kinds of settings. Though, the cut out images would make the furniture look a bit fragile, but if proper care is taken, then the furniture will last as long as possible.

Tip 13 - Avoid Sunlight

The decoupage furniture should be kept away from direct sunlight, as this will lead to fading the artwork on the furniture.

Tip 14 - Avoid Polish

Lastly, avoid any kind of furniture polish on the decoupage items, as the chemicals can lead to a buildup, which could cause a lot of damage to the piece.

Thus, keeping all these tips in mind while decoupaging the furniture, helps in creating a stylish look for the home, with just a minimal amount of expense.