Furniture decoupage technique - principles and varieties

Decoupage old furniture is a simple and popular decoration method that can revive objects and give them a second life. Using this method, you can also design new items, giving them originality.

Thanks to the decoupage technique, real works of art are obtained from simple objects.

Decoupage technique concept

The technique of decoupage on furniture dates back to the Middle Ages. For many centuries, people have been using this decor method to decorate furniture, walls and other interior items. This method appeared in Venice, which is famous for its sophistication.

The essence of decoupage technique is decorating furniture and other objects with pictures cut from paper. As a rule, floral napkins or special decoupage cards are used for this.

Decoupage technique replaces complex furniture painting techniques, which require special skills, sophisticated equipment and caustic paints. For decoupage, only a small amount of auxiliary materials are enough, which can be purchased in a regular stationery store and a set of beautiful napkins.

Decoupage does not require any special surface treatment. For paper decoration, you just need to clean the surface. The technique can be used on any material - from plastic to antique solid wood.

Using this method, you can decorate the entire surface of the furniture, if it requires serious restoration. And you can highlight only certain elements, giving the object an original and unusual look.

Varieties of techniques

During the existence of decoupage, several different techniques have been created that differ slightly from each other. The choice of technique depends on the type of surface, as well as on the visual effect that needs to be obtained as a result.

Classic decoupage. The simplest technique. Its essence lies in the simple gluing of images to the surface. The furniture is first cleaned, primed, then napkins or decoupage cards are glued to it. At the end, the item is covered with a finishing fixer or varnish so that the paper does not deteriorate during the operation of the furniture.

Reverse method. It is used on glass, transparent surfaces. The picture is glued on the back. Then, from the outside, it is drawn. Thanks to this, a sense of volume and depth is created, as the picture seems to fall into the object.

Artistic decoupage. This method mimics painting.It involves blurring the boundaries between the picture and the background. The picture is first carefully cut out, then glued to the surface, and then its borders are shaded or painted with paint. Shadows and tone transitions are also drawn separately. Finally, the surface is varnished. Thanks to this, it seems that the picture is not pasted, but painted on the surface. In this method, three directions are distinguished: smoky, landscape and classic. They differ in the type of border decoration of the picture.

Volumetric method. The main purpose of the method is to emboss the image. This is achieved by gluing additional elements that copy individual details of the image: flowers, leaves. Today, special 3D pictures or elements of non-toxic thermoplastic are produced for this, which are glued by heating.

Decopatch or patchwork method. With its help, the surface is completely formed. Thanks to this, it changes its color and appearance. This method is suitable for very old furniture that needs to be completely renovated. Decopatch is considered the simplest technique, as it does not require special skills and knowledge.

Existing decoupage styles

In addition to different decoupage techniques, different styles of this art are also used. The choice of design style depends on the overall artistic solution of the interior.

Provence. It can be called classic for decoupage. It is used for rooms decorated in the same or classic style. The style is distinguished by a highlighted background, artistic method of applying images, delicate pastel colors and floral motifs.

Simple style. The option is suitable for both classic interiors and loft, hi-tech or modern styles. They use bright geometric images, old newspapers, magazine clippings or photographs. As a rule, the decopatch method is used here, with the help of which the entire surface of the furniture is glued.French vintage. For this direction, contrast, ornamental images of two or three colors are chosen. Floral motifs or photographs are rarely used here, usually limiting themselves to ornamentation. Well suited for classic or rustic interiors.

Victorian style. It looks a bit like Provence, but is more complex. Requires artistic skills. For decoration, complex images of flowers, landscapes, and various scenes are used. This style is characterized by a deep transition of colors and shadows. Usually soft colors are used with the addition of gold or silver paint.

Shabby style. Imitates an antique item. The surface is not completely decorated, but with separate elements. The borders of pictures are usually blurred and merge with the background.

Important! You should take the first steps in decoupage with the simplest styles, for example, decopatch. And then move on to more complex, artistic options.

Features of decoupage polished and plastic furniture

If the furniture has a glossy smooth surface, then you should be especially careful when processing it. Just sticking the image on a glossy surface will not work. Due to the nature of the coating, the glue will quickly come off, which will ruin the appearance of the furniture.

Therefore, when decoupage polished furniture with your own hands, you should carefully prepare the surface. To do this, it must be processed with sandpaper, giving it a slight roughness. The same should be done with the plastic surface.For plastic, it is better to use fine-grained sandpaper, and for polished wood, it is better to choose the option with coarse grains.

How to prepare the surface

Surface preparation for decoupage consists of several stages:

• Degreasing
• Sanding smooth surfaces
• Primers

You can degrease furniture with any dishwashing detergent or 1: 1 solution of vinegar and water. After that, the surface needs to be lightly sanded with sandpaper. It is important here to achieve a rough, but even coating.

After that, a special primer is applied. The composition should dry out a little. Old furniture made of wood is characterized by uneven absorption of the substance; also, some wood fibers may swell unevenly. Therefore, after the primer has dried, you should carefully inspect the surface. If necessary, sand it again and coat it again.

It is not necessary to cover the glass surface with a special layer of primer and sand it. In this case, it is important to degrease the glass well. After the surface is prepared, you can proceed to the most enjoyable activity - decorating furniture with beautiful pictures.

Advice. Before sticking pictures on furniture, you should place them on it and evaluate the overall composition from different angles. Temporarily pictures can be fixed with water. The ensemble may need to be changed or additional elements added.

DIY workshops on decorating old furniture

Here are simple ways to update old furniture with the do-it-yourself decoupage technique. All techniques are worked out in detail, so their application will not be difficult, and will give you pleasant moments of creativity.

Decoupage chest of drawers with wallpaper

One of the easiest ways to decorate furniture is decorating with wallpaper using the deco-patch method. To do this, you can use old wallpaper, or you can use the same wallpaper that is pasted over the walls.

Tools and materials:

• Sandpaper
• Primer
• Wallpaper glue
• Wallpaper
• Scissors
• Roulette
• Pencil
• Furniture transparent varnish
• Additional paints: gold or silver

Operating procedure:

1. First you need to prepare the furniture: remove all fittings, sand the surface.
2. From the wallpaper, you need to cut out the details of the desired size, try them on the surface of the furniture.
3. Apply a primer. Let it dry, if the surface remains flat, then proceed to wallpapering.
4. Apply glue to furniture and wallpaper. Glue them to the surface, carefully handle corners and difficult areas. Spread the wallpaper so that there are no voids or bubbles.
5. Allow to dry.
6. Draw additional elements separately - ornament or patterns.
7. Top with varnish.
8. Install the fittings back.

Advice. You can decorate furniture with wallpaper not only from the outside, but also from the inside. The furniture will look more elaborate and unusual.

Table restoration with fabric

Decorating the table with fabric will help protect the wood from further deterioration. It is convenient to place various objects on the surface decorated with fabric - from dishes to small appliances. Thanks to the fabric, the table top will be slightly soft and will not slip.

Tools and materials:

• Sandpaper
• Primer
• PVA glue
• Fabric: chintz, silk or calico
• Scissors
• Roulette
• Pencil
• Additional paints
• Acrylic clear varnish

Operating procedure:

1. First you need to make the necessary measurements of the table and cut the fabric in shape and size. Then you should try on the fabric on the table. It is important that the piece of fabric is slightly larger than the countertop. The fabric will need to be wrapped around the corners of the countertop to make them softer.
2. Prepare the surface of the furniture: sandpaper and apply a primer.
3. Apply glue to the table surface. Put a cloth on top, let it soak in glue.
4. Carefully spread the fabric and pull it over the countertop.
5. Cover the ends and the back surface of the countertop with PVA glue. Stick the fabric on the back.
6. Draw individual elements if necessary. For example, you can brighten the image in the center of the table or around the perimeter of the table top.
7. Allow the glue to dry and cover with a finishing coat of varnish.

Advice. Lace can be used instead of fabric. The color of the lace should contrast with the color of the wood. You can decorate with lace the entire surface or individual areas: center, perimeter and legs.

Decoupage a stool or chair

A chair or stool can be decorated completely or individual images can be glued on the seat or legs. The easiest way to do this is to use napkins.

Tools and materials:

• Sandpaper
• Primer
• PVA glue
• Set of napkins with floral motifs
• Scissors
• Pastel colors
• Additional paints
• Acrylic clear varnish

Operating procedure:

1. Cut out a napkin pattern. Place the pattern on the stool, having thought over the composition. Flowers can be arranged in corners or in the center. For food, an option is to place a large flower on one corner of the seat, a small one diagonally, and add small flowers to the legs.
2. Prepare a stool - sand and paint. Let the paint dry.
3. The places where the napkins will be located should be covered with PVA glue. Put napkins on them, gently straighten the paper.
4. Allow the glue to dry. Draw individual color details with brighter paint.
5. Top with varnish.

Coffee table update

The coffee table is often the center of the furniture composition in the room. Therefore, it should be decorated more vividly so that it immediately attracts attention. In this case, you can use not only the decoupage technique, but also patina. This is a special technique for aging objects using paint and varnish.

Tools and materials:

• Sandpaper
• Primer
• PVA glue
• Decoupage materials: napkins, lace or leaves
• Scissors
• Paints of different tones
• Patina
• Rhinestones or metal beads
• Acrylic clear varnish

Operating procedure:

1. Cut patterns out of paper. You can also use beautiful photographs from old magazines or tree leaves. Lay out on a coffee table, having thought out the composition.
2. Prepare the furniture: sand, polish the surface and cover with a primer. After the primer dries, completely cover the surface of the table and legs with paint.
3. In addition, cover individual areas of the countertop with patina or a darker paint. The result should be the effect of darkening paint and aging furniture. Option is to apply a few strokes of darker or gold paint. Gold paint will create the effect of worn out gilding.
4. Places where the paper pattern or leaves will be greased with glue. Place the cut-out workpieces on the surface, straighten. Let the glue dry.
5. Work out the pictures with paint.
6. Glue rhinestones or beads around the perimeter of the table, creating a relief ornament.
7. At the end, cover the furniture with clear varnish.

Decorating a kitchen set with napkins

Updating a kitchen set using decoupage technique is the most difficult. A large area of ​​furniture requires a competent study of the composition. In addition, kitchen furniture is constantly exposed to the greatest influence of moisture, temperature extremes, and mechanical stress.

Important! A kitchen set should not be decorated completely using the deco patch method, as over time, the paper can be damaged at the corners. In addition, this method will require a lot of materials, effort and time to decorate the entire headset. Furniture will look more harmonious, where only individual elements are decorated.

Tools and materials:

• Sandpaper
• Primer
• PVA glue or wallpaper glue
• Decoupage materials: napkins, rhinestones, magazine clippings
• Scissors
• Paints of different tones
• Rhinestones or metal beads
• Acrylic clear varnish

Operating procedure:

1. First you need to remove all the fittings from the furniture. For convenience, you can also remove the facades.
2. Prepare the surface for decoupage: sand, walk with a primer, paint.
3. Arrange the elements by trying on the composition.
4. Apply glue to the surface, glue the elements, gently straightening them. Separately work out the patterns with paint. It will look beautiful if you paint the ornament with gold or silver paint.
5. In addition to patterns and floral motifs, other images can be applied. For example, images of bottles or vases with fruit will look exquisite. On the facades, next to the slab, you can place images of a hearth or stove.
6. Cover the headset with transparent varnish, let it dry.
7. Assemble the headset back, attach the fittings.

Advice. You can decorate not only furniture, headsets, but also kitchen appliances: refrigerator, microwave. This will create a common ensemble in the kitchen.

Frequent mistakes while using the technique

To make the work enjoyable, and to be proud of the result, you should pay attention to important nuances. This will avoid common mistakes:

• Negligence in surface preparation. Novice craftsmen often immediately glue the paper onto wood or plastic. As a result, over time, the paper comes off and it looks very ugly.
• Lack of primer. If you work without a primer, the result will be the same - over time, the image will recede.
• Lack of thoughtful composition. The creation of the composition should be devoted no less time than the surface treatment. Otherwise, the patterns will look sloppy.
• Inaccuracy when gluing motifs. They can appear by accident - for example, due to a draft in the room. When gluing, it is important to make sure that there are no empty spaces or non-glued areas.

Ready-made examples of decoupage old furniture with your own hands

The decoupage technique on furniture is so diverse that there is no limit to the author's imagination. You can decorate not only furniture, but also other items in the interior:

• Caskets
• Interior doors
• Window frames
• Window sills
• Floor

When designing, you can combine several materials, not just paper images:

• Lace
• Rhinestones
• Tree leaves
• Decorative ribbons

All these options create interesting and unusual images, as well as make the interior bright and original.

Video: do-it-yourself dresser decoupage

Decoupage of furniture in the photo