Decoupage Tutorial!

I heart decoupaging.  I do it in almost all my (Kristen's) paintings.  I also incorporate it into these lovely little wood mounted poems I do.  So since these little guys are some of my top sellers, I figured they would be perfect to use in a demonstration.  So, here we go!!

Start with the basics.....mod podge, a sponge, whatever you will be decoupaging and your working surface.  For our purposes here, I'm using wood....my favorite product to decoupage onto. 

I measure and cut my scrapbooking paper to fit the wood piece I'm using, first of all.

Next, I literally POUR on my mod podge.  Using a sponge I spread it all over the surface (quickly....before it tries to dry).  While I'm spreading, I stop to squeeze the glue from the sponge and continue spreading it around.  Waste not want not!

After the glue is on, I quickly lay the paper in place and smoooooooth it out.  Don't be afraid to use your thumbs to push out the creases.  They are annoying little things.

I love to use the antiqued, vintage look in my artwork so I rip the poem (on cardstock) all around the edges before I decoupage it over the scrapbooking paper. 

Next I pour that mod podge right over the decoupaged paper, use my sponge to spread it around and then quickly place the poem in the center of the wood and use the same method of smoothing it down.  Afterwards, I apply another thin layer of mod podge over the poem.  This paper is thicker and needs a little extra TLC.

Now we could be finished.  I go further and sand my edges down, add an antiquing agent (thin brown paint!), stamps and varnish and then call it quits.

And this is how my finished product turns out.  Tons of fun, easy to do and it really looks great.

So, for your own fabulous project, be sure to have....

1.  A good, porous working surface

2.  Lovely paper, ephemera, old book pages, beautiful papers, etc.

3.  Mod Podge

4. Craft varnish for a nice, shiney protective coat

Now, go decoupage something!

http://www.sanctuaryofdavidson.com/