Decoupage Projects

When time permits, I love to browse through craft supply stores because I always discover new and interesting products. I also like being able to share these products with you. On my last excursion to Michaels I discovered Mod Podge Hard Coat and the Mod Podge silicone craft mat. This is a great idea! The mat protects work surfaces from paint, Mod Podge, glue and ink and simply wipes clean. The Mod Podge Hard Coat was designed for use on wood, glass, terra cotta and furniture. I used it on a glazed pottery vase with good results.

I love art, especially paintings by Van Gogh and the Impressionists, but there is only so much wall space to hang prints. In an effort to find ways creative ways to display my favorite prints, I have turned to other objects.  The vase I use as a paint brush holder was a good candidates for the makeover. The vase was a pottery piece that I had purchased from a street vendor in Washington, DC in the 1980's. It had originally held wooden spoons but eventually found its way into my studio as a brush holder. I really liked the shape and the quality of the piece but the colors were a bit outdated. On a recent trip to Home Depot I found Martha Stewart Metallic Paint Specialty Finish in Cast Bronze and decided to use it to paint the vase. The Martha Stewart paint went on smoothly and dried to a beautiful bronze finish.

Original vase with coating of gesso.

Finished Vase

 




Directions for Mod Podge Vase:

Pottery Vase
Laser or toner based prints-do not use original pictures or prints
Martha Stewart Living Metallic Paint-Cast Bronze-available at Home Depot
Foam craft brushes
Mod Podge Hard Coat sealant
Mod Podge Sealant Spray
Gesso



1.  Apply gesso to the vase. Completely cover the piece including the top rim. Let it dry. Repeat the process if you are covering a glazed piece of pottery. Once the piece is completely dry (I let mine cure overnight), apply a thin coat of metallic paint with a foam brush. Let it dry thoroughly. Do not use heat or a hair dryer to dry the piece or it will damage the paint. Once the vase is dry apply another coat of paint and let it dry. Again I let my piece dry overnight so the paint would harden.

2.  Position the print on the front of the vase. You may have to make small slits around the edges of the print where the vase curves so the print will be flat. Don't worry you won't see the slits after the Mod Podge is applied.  Apply Mod Podge to the back of the print and adhere to the vase. Apply one end of the print and smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles as you glue it down. If there is a small gap where the print won't lay flat against the vase, cut a small V in the picture and a matching square from the duplicate print. Apply Mod Podge to the square a place it over the V, smoothing it out so that it blends with the picture. Coat the entire vase with Mod Podge and let it dry. Coat the vase two more times. Once the Mod Podge is completely dry, spray the vase with the sealant.

Decoupaged Wooden Stool

I would like to take this time to wish all of you a very happy New Year and thank you for supporting my blog.

 As we are putting away the Christmas decorations and trying to get back to our normal routine, retailers are gearing up for another holiday. Michaels is clearing away Christmas stock and filling the shelves with Valentine's items. It's only a month until Valentine's Day but I'm not quite ready to start crafting for another holiday. The next two weeks have been set aside for projects that were on hold during the holidays.

Finished stool.

J'aime Van Gogh! He is my favorite Impressionist artist. Van Gogh was often criticized by his peers for his hurried brush strokes and thick impasto painting, but this is what originally attracted me to his art. It's the hurried brush strokes that give his paintings an energy that I don't find in the other Impressionist paintings. I had wanted to do a project based on Van Gogh's paintings but wasn't sure what direction I wanted take. I decided to give the stool in my atelier a makeover.

Creating the pattern for the top of the stool.

Measuring print to the top of the stool.

First coat of Modge Podge applied.

Directions for Decoupaged Wooden Stool:

Gesso
Acrylic paint
Modge Podge
Foam Roller
Small foam brush
Sanding pad with fine grit
Wooden Stool- available at Walmart for less than $20
Drop cloth or old newspaper
Color print-I used  standard 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch card stock because I didn't want to distort the print. If you want a print that will cover the entire top of the stool, you will need a print slightly larger than the diamater of the stool. Use the newsprint template to trim the print.
Strathmore Newsprint pad
Acrylic Sealant


1.  Choose a color of acrylic paint that coordinates with your print. I used acrylic craft paint from Michaels. I chose ultramarine blue because it was closest to the color in my print. I really like the look of natural wood and chose not to paint the legs. If you decide to paint the legs you will need to buy extra paint.

2.  Wipe the top of the stool with a damp cloth. Then wipe with a dry cloth to make sure the stool is dry.

3.  Open the pad of Strathmore Newsprint and lay the stool top down on the pad. Trace very close to the stool with a pencil. Cut out the the circle that you just made-this is your template.

4.  I scanned in one of my Van Gogh prints and printed it with an inkjet printer on white card stock. Cut away any white borders around the print.

5.  Lay the print on the top of the stool. Mark the measurements of the top of the stool on the print. I marked the corners of the print. Line the newsprint template along the marked edges and cut away the excess corners of the print.

6.  Apply a light coat of gesso to the top and side of the stool, using the small foam brush. Let it dry completely.
 
7.  After the gesso is completely dry, lightly sand it using a fine grit sanding pad. Wipe the top of the stool with a damp cloth and dry it. Ultramarine blue was too dark, so I added white and a small amount of black and mixed the paint. Be sure to mix enough paint to complete your project.  Using the foam roller paint the top and sides of the stool. Let the paint dry then apply a second coat of the paint. Let it dry completely ( I let mine dry over night).

8.  Apply Modge Podge with the small foam brush liberally to the back of the print. Center the print on the top of the stool and press in place. Apply a thin coat of Modge Podge over the print.  If you used an inkjet printer to make a copy of your print, apply the coating very slowly to avoid smearing the ink. Do not go back over any areas while the Modge Podge is wet to avoid smearing the ink.Once the Modge Podge becomes tacky to the touch, use your fingers to smooth out any remaining air bubbles from the surface of the print.  Let the Modge Podge dry for several hours.

9.  Lightly sand the top of the stool using the fine grit sanding pad. You want a smooth surface in which to apply the second coat. It will be hard to see any bumps or raised places, especially if your print had dark colors, so glide your hand over the surface to make sure there are no raised places. Wipe the top of the stool with a damp cloth. Make sure the stool is dry before applying a second coat. Repeat this step until you have built up several coats. Don't rush this step; it provides the protection for the top of the stool.

10.  After the stool is completely dry seal it with two coats of acrylic sealant. I don't like using sprays and chose DecoArt's DuraClear satin varnish.