Decoupage

Decoupage is a handmade technique in which the surface is decorated by pasting an image on it and covering with several layers of varnish. So you can create the effect of painting or incrustation on different subjects: dishes, furniture, jewelry, interior details, candles, bags. Also decoupage decor is typical for many interior styles, such as vintage, retro, Victorian style, shabby chic, Provence, country. Moreover, decoupaging allows ′reanimating′ old things - a successfully selected image can make an unnecessary thing into an exclusive one.

Decoupaging is one of the most popular kinds of handmade as it allows expressing yourself in creativity without possessing the artistic skills. The technology can also become an additional expressive way for experienced designers and decorators, among other things - as a simple and quick alternative to painting.
Decoupaging technology allows you to decorate different surfaces: wood, glass, plastic, ceramics, fabric. It can be combined with other types of handmade, for example, it can be used to design jewelry. Moreover, subsidiary techniques are often used in decoupage: gilding, painting, relief decoupage, aging (with the help of craquele finish).

At first, the images made of leather, paper, fabric were used for decoupage, but nowadays the most popular is paper decoupage, less often - fabric.

Different pictures can be used for decoupage- for example, clippings from magazines, newspapers. And the black and white newspaper font on a yellowed paper looks very stylish on jewelry and accessories, and can give a bohemian, saloon character to the interior.

Most often craftsmen use special paper napkins, cards or rice paper for decoupage: these materials are thin, absorb varnish well and lay on the surface without any additional processing. The range of napkins, cards and rice paper is very diverse, but most often retro motifs, images in Victorian and baroque styles, floral patterns are found. There is also a thermal film for free decor: with the help of a laser printer, the desired drawing can be printed on it and transferred to the surface for decoration.

Using printed pictures, clippings from magazines and newspapers for decoupaging, you will have to make more efforts: the paper will have to be soaked with water so that it could stick to the surface well and absorbs the varnish. Coated paper from the glossy magazines (very interesting pictures can be found there) will have to be additionally softened (carefully crushed, straightened and only then soaked with water and pressed on a decorated surface).

History

Decoupage is one of the traditional technologies for European urban culture - this type of decor has been known since the Middle Ages. Decoupage subjects were popular during French Rococo. The technology came into a wide use during the time of Victorian England: then they began to produce not expensive sets with pictures for cutting. Later, in the 20th century, decoupage came to the United States from England - the technology there was especially spread in the period between the First and Second World Wars.

Modern decoupage arose on the wave of the popularity of handmade and creative master-classes. The abundance of shops with a wide range of art materials and also sites dedicated to handmade, made the technology available to everyone.



Learning

The first works designed with the help of decoupage can be done on your own - focusing on illustrated or video master-classes. Live master-classes will be good for those who want to learn more about the technology, master additional decoration technologies, understand the assortment and use of various materials.

Expenses and income

First of all, a special water-based glue will be required for decoupage. You should select it depending on the surface you want to work with. The usual decoupage glue allows you to design wood, metal, glass, ceramics; for glass and fabric, the specific glue will be needed. The cost of glue for decoupage is from 40 hryvnia (150 ml bottle), glue for fabric or glass is usually more expensive.

Also the acrylic lacquer will be required for decoupage. It can be matte or glossy, the cost is from 30 hryvnia per 50 ml. In addition to usual varnish, it is also possible to use varnishes for aging, craquele finish, varnishes with a patina effect. The cost of these is about 50 hryvnia for 50 ml. It is worth considering that for aging or craquele effect it is often necessary to use several components.

It is quite possible to do without napkins and cards in decoupage, but they significantly facilitate work and are well suited for those who only try themselves in the technology, as well as for the design of products for sale. The cost of one three-layer napkin for decoupage is about 3 hryvnias, cards are from 15 hryvnias, the price of rice paper is about 37 hryvnias per sheet 33x48 cm. As for the film for free decor, it is quite expensive - 25 hryvnias per sheet A4.



It is worth talking about the items for decoration. Those who want to earn money on decoupage should add this column to the list of expenses. In art shops you can find blanks for decoupage - caskets, frames, trays, etc. However, the basics for decoration can be ordered from folk craftsmen (it will be cheaper), blanks for jewelry can be made on your own from phimo clay or ceraplast.

Decoupage products are sold quite well: the neatly made decor looks noble, allows you to imitate luxury goods, makes things individual and interesting.



Of course, the amount of income depends on what products are offered to the buyer, the possible range is very wide - from cupboards to earrings. In general, in business, decoupage should be perceived as a design technology, and not an independent one.