A friend of mine came over with her children during one of those long summer days when the kids were all home, and it turned into National Art Project Day, compliments of my friend who taught us decoupage. Papers, glue and brushes were flying, and eventually everything got glued to something — whether or not it was supposed to be, but that’s another story, one my husband probably would like to tell you about (what’s wrong with a pink flowery decoupaged guitar case? My daughter found it quite charming!)
For centuries, the art of decoupage has been used to transform ordinary objects into unique treasures. One reason it has been so popular for all these years is that it is easy enough for even the novice crafter.
Here are a few ideas for you to apply this decorative technique:
A nightstand or small dresser — If you are bored with a piece of furniture, you can create a totally different one by just doing a little decoupage. Cut out pictures of flowers, birds or whatever you want and apply to the front of the piece of furniture. Make your eye-catching design appear seamless by cutting some of the images on the horizontal and aligning the cut edges with the drawer breaks.
Bowls and plates — An ordinary dish or bowl can be transformed into a festive piece of art. Use colored pencils to touch up cutting goofs and small tears in your cutouts, if necessary. Once you glue your images in place, top your design with several layers of thinned glue for a smooth sheen.
An ordinary box, serving tray or anything else around that is just “blah” — Just take a look around your house — can you find something you would like to “spruce up?” You can do just about anything, just make sure you have the “OK” from a loved one if the something “blah” turns out to be a special guitar case that holds memories from yesteryear. (He or she might like that beat up thing just the way it is!)
Have fun with this, it will help to take away the late winter fog in your head!
Kristin McClellan is a professional home stager and redesigner who runs her business, HomeCharmers, with her husband, Nathaniel, a flooring expert and furniture craftsman. They work together to make people’s homes more buyer-friendly and help homeowners who are staying enjoy it more. You can reach her at 899-1239 or www.homecharmers.net.