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 I really liked the shape and the quality of the piece but the colors were a bit outdated.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. 

Completed Louis XIV Chest

The Sun King chest is finally finished! Since Brittany plans to take Le Roi Soleil to grad school with her I decided to tuck an inspirational quote in the top drawer. I printed "It is in difficult things that we show our virtue." -Louis XIV on cream colored card stock and trimmed the paper leaving a small border around the edges of the quote.





Top of the chest. The picture is framed in a narrow gold flake border. The red drape in the picture makes the border look wider at the top.



Decorative element on the side of the chest.




Directions for Louis XIV Chest:

Small pre-sanded wooden chest-available at craft stores
Fine grit sanding pad
Matte finish Mod Podge
Foam brush
DecoArt Americana Slate Grey acrylic paint
DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Venetian Gold
Art Minerals Gold Flakes-available at Michaels
Picture of Louis XIV
White card stock
Small stenciling brush or other stiff brush
Round paint brush-I used #2 round
White craft glue-I used Martha Stewart
DecoArt craft varnish
Jolee's Boutique Leaf Elements


1. Lightly sand the chest and the drawers to remove any rough spots. Wipe the sanded chest down with a slightly damp paper towel.

2. Use a foam brush to apply a light coat of craft varnish to the chest and the drawers. Set aside to dry.

3. Lightly sand the chest and the drawers and wipe with a damp paper towel.

4. Paint the chest and the drawers with slate grey paint. Let it dry and then apply a second coat. After the grey paint is dry apply venetian gold paint to the knobs on the drawers and the front edges of the chest.

5. After the paint is dry seal the chest and drawers with a light coat of craft varnish. Set aside to dry. Once the piece is completely dry, lightly sand it and wipe it with a damp cloth.

6. Print a 3 inch by 4inch picture of Louis XIV on card stock with a laser printer or photo copy the image. DO NOT use an ink jet printer because the ink will smear and the colors will run once the Mod Podge is applied. I scanned a picture of the Sun King from one of my books but pictures are also available on the internet. I trimmed the printed picture into an oval shape.

7. Apply a thin coat of Modge Podge to the back of the picture and center it on the top of the chest. Use a brayer or your fingertips to smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles in the picture. Using a foam brush carefully apply a thin coat of Modge Podge over the top of the chest. Let it dry at least overnight (longer if the weather is humid). The chest must be completely dry. Lightly sand the top of the chest and wipe it with a damp cloth. Apply another light coat of Modge Podge. Repeat this process 2 more times.

8. Use the #2 round brush to apply a thin layer of white craft glue around the edges of the picture. Let the glue sit until it becomes slightly tacky (about 5 minutes). Apply small pieces of gold flake on top of the glue. Lightly press the gold flake to get it to adhere to the glue. The gold should stick to the glue but have a slightly raised appearance. You are trying to achieve the look similar to a carved frame. Once the glue is completely dry add another layer if necessary. I brushed glue on the flat areas and added more gold flake to get a raised appearance around the entire frame. Let the glue dry overnight.

9. Seal the top of the chest with a light coat of Modge Podge. Carefully apply the Modge Podge to the picture first, then dab it on top of the gold flake and then coat the rest of the top. Let it dry completely. Lightly sand the picture and the top of the chest. Be careful not to sand the gold flake. Wipe the top with a damp cloth.

10. Using the #2 round brush apply small amounts of Venetian gold paint to the gold flake frame. Let the paint dry. Seal the entire top with Modge Podge and let it dry. Then lightly sand the top (except for the gold flake frame) and wipe it with a damp cloth.

11. Paint the leaf elements with Venetian gold and let them dry. Position them to the right and left of the picture and glue in place. Position the leaf elements on each side of the chest and glue in place. Cover the entire chest with a light coat of Modge Podge and let it dry. Lightly sand the chest (except for the leaf elements) and wipe with a damp cloth.

Since the Jolee's Boutique Leaf Elements were no longer available at Michaels I made a mold and molded the elements from polymer clay. I baked the molded leaf elements, painted them and a glued them to the chest.

Decoupaged Louis XIV Chest

I have been reading The Sun King's Garden by Ian Thompson. Inspired by the Sun King I dropped everything on the first warm day and headed off to Lowes and Home Depot for plants. I spent the last two weeks planting and getting the garden in shape which left little time to work on my Sun King project.

I really like decoupage and wanted to do another project. I also wanted to do another historic project. Brittany really liked the Marie Antoinette chest and asked for a similar one with the Sun King. Since she thinks "the Sun King is awesome" I chose him as my decoupage project. The project is taking longer than I anticipated so I am posting it as a work in progress. I will post the work as it progresses and the directions when the piece is finally finished.



Small wooden chest-sanded and varnished




Drawers-painted slate gray and accented with gold





Chest painted and varnished.






Picture of Louis XIV decoupaged on top of the chest.





Decorative elements molded from polymer clay

Decoupaged 18th Century Chest

I have always liked decoupage but my projects never turned out the way that I had envisioned them. After reading the decoupage section in Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts I decided to give decoupage one more try.

My daughter Brittany's friend Mitch was the inspiration for this project. Mitch collects Marie Antoinette memorabilia. On their trip to Versailles Mitch was disappointed that the only collectibles were pictures of Marie Antoinette. He told Brittany that he wished he could find something that he could display on a table. Brittany knew that I wanted to do another Marie Antoinette project and was looking for an idea. I had just recently finished reading a book about Versailles and decided to do a small chest that resembled some of the chests in the book. I decided to replace the painted images on the top of the Versailles chests with a decoupaged picture.









I used Jolee's dimensional stickers for the trim.





The frame was cut using Cricut Home Decor and card stock. It was then painted with metallic gold acrylic paint and sealed with Modge Podge.

Directions:

1. Lightly sand a pre-sanded wooden chest to remove any rough spots. Wipe the piece down with a damp cloth to remove dust. Paint the chest with Folk Art Italian Sage acrylic paint. Let the chest dry over night then apply a second coat of paint.

2. Paint the trim with Dazzling Metallics Elegant Finish Venetian Gold acrylic paint. Let the chest dry over night then apply a second coat of paint.

3. Scan a picture of Marie Antoinette and print on glossy photo paper (I used an inkjet printer). The printed picture is approximately a 2 1/2 inch oval. Carefully trim around the edges of the picture. Apply the picture to the top of the chest using a foam sponge and a very thin coat of Modge Podge. Using light pressure roll a brayer over the top of the image to remove any air bubbles. Let the image cure for about a week and then lightly sand it with very fine sand paper. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove any dust and let it dry. Apply a second coat of very thin Modge Podge and brayer the image. Let it cure for about a week. Since I was working under humid conditions I let the piece sit for a week between coats of Modge Podge to be sure that the piece was completely dry.

4. Using a foam sponge and Modge Podge lightly coat the entire chest to seal it. Let it dry completely and then seal it again.

5. Using the Cricut Home Decor cartridge and cream card stock cut an oval frame at 2 1/2 inches. Paint the frame gold and when it dries paint it again. After the frame is dry lightly coat it with Modge Podge to seal it. When the Modge Podge dries glue small pearls around the edges of the frame.

6. Glue the dimensional stickers to the top, sides and front of the chest. Glue the frame around the picture of Marie Antoinette.

Tip: Instead of a traditional palette and disposable palette paper try using a large glazed ceramic tile. They are available from Home Depot for about $1.50 per tile. They clean up with soap and water.