Wednesday 24 October 2012

Decoupage – the art of decorating.


The name 'decoupage' comes from French word 'decouper' which means cut. Decoupage is a technique which allows you to decorate almost everything. You can embellish wood, metal, glass, even fabric or plastic. You could be surprised, but I'm pretty sure that you have in your house everything you need to create some beautiful things. :)

If you have some spare time, I encourage you to create a decoupage box.
It will take about 30 minutes, depending on your dexterity.
You will need:
- glue (Wikol is great for wooden boxes), if you don't have any glue you can use the white part of egg.
- scissors
- a nice napkin (if you don't have any you can print picture, but remember thin paper is recommended)
- a brush
- optional varnish
- optional acrylic paint.

Option: If you like you can paint the box with acrylic paint.
1. Take the napkin or a piece of paper and cut the pattern you like.
2. Glue it very carefully to the box. If the napkin has layers, glue only the painted layer.
You can use the brush to get rid of  all bubbles between the box and the napkin.


Option: When it is dry, paint it with vanish to protect the pattern.
You are done! Congratulations :)


Pictures from:
http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/projects/ss/DecoupageBox_5.htm

 



Here are some other tutorials from YouTube:
  
 

Why should you buy a new thing and make it look old?

 

One of the techniques in decoupage is to make a decorated surface (it could be wood, glass, ceramic) look old. What I mean by that is that paint will look like it was old, it is cracked. Like old paint on a wooden window.
For me, it looks pretty amazing. In only a few seconds you can create unique cracks. Some of you can ask a question, 'Why should I buy new things and make them look old?' Because some people don’t like modern furniture. For them it could be just ugly and without 'soul'.
Little things, like boxes for fruits, tea or coffee can make our home cozy.  It won’t look like another hotel room.




1. Do you like handmade things? Why/Why not?
2. What do you do in your free time? Do you like to do something useful?
3. Describe your perfect room,
whether it would be full of new technology or would have a fireplace and books?
 

 

12 comments:

  1. I think decoupage is a great thing! I know a lot of people who do this in their free time, some of them sell things decorated by them. I have never done it by myself, but I like their works a lot. Decoupage looks like a nice hobby, artistic and practical.
    I like hand-made things because mass made ones often do not have style, they are mode for everyone- which means for no one. Hand-made stuff is not only unique, it's also created with care and dedication, which makes it more beautiful.
    As I wrote, I haven't tried decoupage myself, but I tried making wood furniture and frames, using table saw and old planks.
    Speaking about my perfect room- I like new design, simple, even raw interiors. But I realized that old furniture is what makes the home a cozy place. So i like mixing, I could call it a "trash style", because it can look chaotic and is full of stuff I took from basements, attics, even refuse heaps. I also have a lot of books. I live in a flot now, but someday I will certainly have a fireplace.

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  2. 1. As a typical guy,I do not pay much attention to the interior designs or differentiate between handmade or mass produced items. Of course,I understand the value of handmade items,their sentimental value,and appreciate the hard work that was put into making it. Also it is nice to see something which was handmade opposite to buying something with the label "made in China". I like to buy unique items as gifts as a token of appreciation and love.
    2. In my free time I like to read as well as I collect cigars as a hobby. Even though,I do not roll the actual cigars,I am fascinated by them. I love to learn about their orgin,history and even smell. It is a hobby that you can never get bored with or tired.
    3.My perfect room would have a combination of two styles.It would definately have a corner with the newest technology computer and gadgets,but it would also have a sentimental corner.That corner would have a shelf with lots of handmade cigar boxes( of course with cigars inside) and a large leather seat for me to relax. This would be my perfect room where I could blast the music and smoke cigars.

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  3. Lol thanks for free instructions :) I made a couple of things by my hands in my life, but not too many. I think the most "handmade" thing i've ever made was a real bow, which was inspired on Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I guess everyone loved Legolas for his charisma and his bow skills and shooting with surgery precision. I am a guitarist for 8 years now, so i am really into playing guitar and the whole equipment stuff, so i plan maybe to make an electric guitar and i don't expect it to sound great, but it would be really awesome if i could ever teach playing guitar my kids which i don't have now, using the guitar i plan to build :) I like handmade things, because they always come from the heart and this is what makes them really priceless even if they don't touch your sense of sight, they certainly bring memories. When you ask someone - what would you take with you on the desert island, some people answer matches etc... but i think the first thing we would take with us would be something small, handmade which belonged to someone close to us. Just to never forget. My perfect room would be a mixed everything which i love. In example a little bit of new technology and wood with the smell of elegance. I like my books to be in their place, i don't really like any kind of exposure, this looks stupid when people don't play the piano but their own one just to expose it ... :) it's just my opinion but i think i will never understand it. In my free time i don't stick to doing one thing. I always try to do something different because i hate routine. I don't know if stacking lego bricks is a hand made job but i certainly like doing this and i derive alot of pleasure from this.

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  4. I agree that little things(details) make home cozy. Sometimes you need only a few cute, little things to make your place homely, for example hangings, flowers, photos on the walls or charming lamps.
    My dad is a big fan of antiques. That is why in my familly house is lot of old staff, like the sixteenth century coffer, an old desk, a dresser and some other antiques. Even in bathroom there are antique stuff and a lot of wood. Not every furniture is old. My dad has friendly carpenter whose makes old looking furnitures for him.
    My favorite room in a house is my dad's office. There are a lot books on shelves and old Polish maps and graphics hang on the walls.
    I love a situation when my dad sits at a desk with a pipe in his mouth, drinks brandy and reads a book.
    Also one of my favourite memories are evenings when all my family sit in front of a fireplace, especially in winter. I really like being there, not only because this is my family house, also because of decor.
    Personally I prefere mixed style, things looking old with some modern stuff.
    Hand-made things are awesome:) Lots of my friends make hand-made stuff, like jewelery. One of them makes earrings in decoupage technique. Another one bracelets made of cotton threads and strings. Sometimes I also make something by myself, for example broochs. Making hand-made presents for my friends gives me great joy:)

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  5. to s10047
    In this world which is "made in China" hand-made presents are great. :) They shows that person who gives such gift have good taste.

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  6. Once I was interested in decoupage, as a child, I liked to do handmade clothes for teddy bears, jewelry with beads, later models of bungalows for the little men of clay, and finally came time to decoupage. I became interested in this technique, thanks to my friends. I got them for my birthday a book about decoupage, clean box to decorate and a few accessories, such as napkins, dried flowers. I had a lot of fun with decorating the boxes and by the way I made my own gift for mom. I think the gifts made by hand makes a lot more pleasure than those bought in the store and are often not thought out.

    In my spare time I like to read books, and when it comes to manual classes I really like to paint pictures, I have an easel in my apartment and sometimes I paint, it is very relaxing for me, and provide a lot of pleasure activities.

    My dream room certainly won’t be full of new technologies, I don’t have a TV and in the future also does not want to have. My room will be decorated very simply, simple modern furniture, a large bookcase, I think the fire is also a good idea. If it comes to new technology I would like to have in the room a good stereo, because I like to listen to music and read a book or just rest.

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  8. 1. I don't like handmade things because I tried to make some and I failed. I'm an indrustialist myself so I'll stick to mass production :)
    2. I lack free time therefore I won't be able to answer that question.
    3. Simple and easy to clean. I hate having too much stuff laying around because it's hard to keep it all clean. Like I said before, modern, simple and industrial is my way.

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  9. When I think about presents for my friends I always try to get them something useful, not just another meaningless object that they can only put on the cupboard. Even worst when they put it in some box under the bed. Present must be unique, that’s why the decoupage is so useful. That also means that you have to spent more time making a present, a specially when you normally just click and buy online. But do you really think about time when you are making a present for you friend? For sure they will appreciate it.
    In my free time I`m not making any presents I read books or if, I have a possibility I travel. Sometimes even the shortest trip can be amazing, so why don’t go to the park few kilometres further then normally.
    For the third question I must say I would choose both. Combining new technology and fireplace is like having old furniture in a modern room. I would like to have white room with fireplace and my favourite armchair, nearby will be my bookshelf so it would by cosy and a perfect place to read.

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  10. Well, I think I'm not into sweet, little decorations. Decoupage is not my cup of tea, all these flowery motifs - no. Give me something wooden, metal or made of stone and I appreciate it as long as it is plain and serves a purpose. Other thingies just catch dust and tire my eyes.
    On the other hand - I admire people who make things by hand. It is very uncommon these days. Even if it's only creating decorations on a cupboard (no offence :), it's a valuable skill.

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  11. In my opinion, decoupage is really nice but not in my taste. I like modern and minimalist interiors, where as you know there is no place for decoupage. I think that decoupage is some type of new trend, like crocheting was years ago and i think that this is some way to spent long winter evenings. I know that you must have so much precision in your hands when you doing something like this and I appreciate it, but as i said before this isn't in my taste.

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  12. Very interesting topic .... some things do not need anyone, and you can do something quite nice or renew old things. Today, I stand with my fiancee challenge renovation and furnishing homes. On these issues, I count on my pretty girl, I unfortunately do not have the soul of the artist and she's a little on the familiar.

    The ideal room is a place for me where I feel good where I can spedziać time with my loved ones. Currently, we are at home in the living room chimney and we wonder whether in our new apartment the same. Fireplace gives a lot of heat and fire creates a nice atmosphere. However, the ideal room should be fun factors of time or kill boredom - television and other wonders of technology. We like to watch movies together and how to add a good dinner by the fire, I can safely say that the place is the perfect time :)

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