WHY DO I LIKE ADDING DECOUPAGE TO THE FURNITURE I UPCYCLE?

It is not a secret that I like experimenting with different media. Painting or repainting the furniture gives is look new but adding extra media, either stencil, decoupage, or transfer - takes the piece to the next level of uniqueness/personalization.

Decoupage is one of my favourite media. I love it because of the versatility of the designs and application. It can be applied on any part of the furniture like:

• fronts of the drawer,

• sides of the drawers: it can happen that the sides of the drawers are not very pretty, with the signs of the usage - applying the decoupage will help hind those marks and will make the finish more elegant.

• back of the bookshelf - it can be treated as a canvas allowing for the creation of a decorative image/picture.

• on the inside of the cabinet door: it is a small detail but

• even on the surfaces of high traffic like the tabletop: in that case it just requires a better protection (extra coat - coats of varnish).

Here are couple examples of the decoupage application:

Fronts of the drawers with decoupage decor

Decoupage on the sides of the drawers

Decoupage on the back of the bookshelf

Decoupage on the top of a side table

Decoupage on the top of a side table

The application of the decoupage requires initially some patience but. Depending on the material of which the decoupage is made some tissues are easier to apply and some are trickier. Over last couple years I have experimented with couple brands (though there are 100s out there) and my learnings are limited just to those couple brands.

Decoupage Tissue Paper from Redesign with Prima is the most forgiving so ideal for your first attempts of using the decoupage. It is thick, feels more like textile than paper so even if you make a mistake when laying it down - you can reposition it without any damage to the decoupage. It does not wrinkle either. Assorted designs are available.

There are pieces of furniture that can be used as canvas and then you need a decoupage which is a piece of art. My pick: Mint by Michelle. Michelle offers gorgeous decoupage paper and amazing quality. The designs and material allow you “extending” the visual by painting around the decoupage - blending the decoupage in. Here is the example of the vanity on which I used one of Michelle's decoupage papers. The piece I had was not big enough but by combining painting and decoupage I managed to make it work.

Decoupage paper from Mint by Michelle

On other occasions the decoupage can almost replace the paint. Here is the example of a vintage side board on which I used decoupage paper from Decoupage Queen. Ideally, you should select and use the design which is available in A0 or A1 size to avoid "stitching" 2 or more sheets.

Other decoupage brands which I tried and liked:

• Belles and Whistles from www.dixiebelle.com

• Posh Chalk (available through www.wooduband.com)

If you are looking for a crazy selection of diverse designs: try Zazzle.com. All the colors, motives etc. The only disadvantage: even the thicker paper is still relatively thin, so you must be careful when applying it. But for those who have already used napkins for decoupaging it should not be challenging.

For details re: decoupage products I used in my projects visit my Projects gallery page.