Decoupage (or découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts

onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and so on. Commonly an object like a
small box or an item of furniture is covered by cutouts from magazines or from purpose-
manufactured papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (often multiple coats) until the "stuck
on" appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work. The traditional
technique used 30 to 40 layers of varnish which were then sanded to a polished finish.

3D decoupage (sometimes also referred to simply as decoupage) is the art of creating a 3D image
by cutting out elements of varying sizes from a series of identical images and layering them on
top of each other, usually with adhesive foam spacers between each layer to give the image more
depth.

Pyramid decoupage (also called pyramage) is a process similar to 3D decoupage. In pyramid

decoupage, a series of identical images are cut into progressively smaller, identical shapes which
are layered and fixed with adhesive foam spacers to create a 3D "pyramid" effect.

Origins

The word decoupage comes from Middle French "decouper", meaning to cut out or cut from
something. The origin of decoupage is thought to be East Siberian tomb art. Nomadic tribes used
cut out felts to decorate the tombs of their deceased. From Siberia, the practice came to China,
and by the 12th century, cut out paper was being used to decorate lanterns, windows, boxes and
other objects. In the 17th century, Italy, especially Venice, was at the forefront of trade with the
Far East and it is generally thought that it is through these trade links that the cut out paper
decorations made their way into Europe.

Florentine decoupage[edit]

Further information: Florentine crafts

Artisans in Florence, Italy have produced decorative objects using decoupage techniques since
the 18th century. They combined decoupage with other decorative techniques already popular
in Florence, such as gilt with gold leaf and carved wood designs. These older techniques were
already used to produce articles such as furniture, frames for paintings, and even tooled leather
book covers. Known as Florentine style crafts, these items are now highly collectible antiques.
Florentine artisans made use of decoupage by adding it to the space within a carved gilt frame,
or by adding the decoupage to a wooden plaque. Artisans used pasted reproductions of famous
artworks, nearly always religious depictions. Florentine triptychs using decoupage images of such
Biblical scenes as the Crucifixion are a common motif. As society became more secular in the
early 20th century, and non–Roman Catholic tourists began buying more crafts from Florentine
artisans, decoupage images became less religious in orientation and more reflective of famous
Italian artworks in general
Materials for decoupage crafts

This section contains instructions, advice, or how-to content. The purpose of

Wikipedia is to present facts, not to train. Please help improve this article either by
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Decoupage Florentine style box

Common household materials can be used to create effects.

Here is a short list of supplies:

 Something to decoupage onto. Examples include: furniture,

photograph albums, plates, ceramics, shelving, frames,
mirrors.
 Pictures to decoupage with. These can come from myriad sources: newspapers,
magazines, catalogs, books, printed clip art, wrapping paper, greeting cards, fabric, tissue
paper, lace, paper napkins
 Cutting utensil. Scissors, craft knife or razor blades can be used.
 Glue. Standard white glue works best if it is diluted with a little water. Specialty glues can
be found in most crafting stores.
 Smoother. Popsicle sticks work well. A brayer is a specialized tool like a miniature rolling
pin designed to help remove wrinkles, remove excess glue and smooth pictures.
 Glue spreader. Many things around the house can be use for this: cotton swabs, paint
brushes, sponges.
 Rags, sponges, tissue paper to help wipe up glue and other clean up.
 Sealer. Glue or other decoupage medium can be used as a sealer. Alternatively,
polyurethane, spray acrylic, epoxy resin or other lacquers are usually used.

Notable decoupeurs[edit]

Someone who does decoupage is known as a decoupeur, or "cutter". At the age of 71, Mary
Delany achieved fame at the court of George III and Queen Charlotte of England thanks to the
18th century decoupage craze. In 1771, she began to create cut out paper artworks (decoupage)
as was the fashion for ladies of the court. Her works were exceptionally detailed and botanically
accurate depictions of plants. She used tissue paper and hand colouration to produce these
pieces. She created 1,700 of these works, calling them her "Paper Mosaiks [sic]", from the age of
71 to 88 when her eyesight failed her. They can still be seen in the Enlightenment Gallery at the
British Museum.

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

 Manning, Hiram (1980). Manning on Decoupage. Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-24028-

2.
 Rice, Durwin (2008). New Decoupage. Potter Craft. ISBN 0-307-
How to Decoupage

Decoupage—from the French word découpe, meaning to cut out—is a craft or art form that
entails pasting cut-outs (typically paper) to an object and then covering them with several coats
of varnish or lacquer.[1] The process gives flat cut-outs an appearance of depth and makes
patterns and pictures look as though they are actually painted on the decoupaged object.
Decoupage is a fun and easy way to decorate just about any object, including household items
from small vases to large pieces of furniture--the possibilities are endless. Best of all, decoupage
can be learned fairly quickly in just a few steps.

1. Get your materials ready. Select an object you want to decorate, and collect materials to
decorate it with. You can use just about any materials for decoupage, including cards,
tissue paper, wrapping paper, paper shopping bags, magazine clippings, rice paper, thin
fabric pieces, or (of course) decoupage paper. You can even Make Paper to use. Generally,
however, the softer and more flexible the material, the easier it'll be to work with if you're
decoupaging a curved surface.

 Don't use any images printed on an ink-jet printer as the color will smear with the
top-coat. Instead, make copies on a color copier which uses toner that won't
blend.
 Try using fabric or wallpaper to cover a large surface area very quickly. You can
even use these as a background before adding other decoupage items.
 Avoid using anything too thick, as it will stick out from your project and be more
likely to be knocked off accidentally. You want to keep your surface as smooth as
possible.
 Use found goods to decoupage to save money on supplies. Clippings from junk
mail, free hand-outs, newspapers, and old books and magazines work perfectly
for this.

2. Cut your cut-outs. You can use whole pieces of paper, you can tear it, or you can cut your
paper to make interesting shapes and designs. Use scissors or a craft knife to cut around
out the shapes you desire, holding the scissors so that they are angled slightly to the right.
This will create a smoother, beveled edge.

 Tearing your paper will help to create smoother edges. To tear your paper
smoothly, fold it along the tear-line and create a strong crease with your nail. Do
this again in the opposite direction, and then tear the paper.
 Don't feel like you must completely cover your surface area with cut-outs. Only
prepare as many as you feel you will use for your project.
 3. Plan your decoupage project. Make a sketch of the layout or simply put the cut-outs into
place without gluing them and then take a picture so you'll remember the arrangement.

 If planning isn't your style, feel free to glue your pieces as you go without deciding
ahead of time. Keep tabs on your composition to make sure that you are gluing
things in a consistent manner.
 Consider the color and texture of the things you are gluing. Mix and match
different colors or try color-blocking areas of your project.

4. Prepare the surface. Make sure the object you are decorating is clean and dry, fill in deep
gouges, and sand it down to remove bumps and imperfections if necessary. If you want
to paint it or refinish it, you should do this before pasting anything onto it.

 For some materials, such as wood and metal, you may need to prime the surface
with a coat of latex paint to help the cut-outs stick better.
 If you wash off the object, make sure it is dry before you start gluing so that
everything sticks better

5. Protect you work area by covering it with newspaper.

Use a glue appropriate for both your surface and your cut-outs. You can generally use plain
white glue, but it'll be easier to use if you mix it with water it should be the ratio of 50% glue and
50% water. Make sure your lid is closed and shake, shake, shake.

7. Apply the glue. Use a paintbrush to brush a thin layer of glue onto your surface and
onto the backs of the cut-outs. Make sure you apply the glue evenly and over the edges
of the cut-outs.

8. Glue the cut-outs, piece-by-piece, to the object. Lay a piece of your cut paper onto the
area to which you applied the glue. Apply the paper carefully to avoid bending or
crumpling it, and smooth it out with a brayer (a small roller) or with a Popsicle stick,
rubbing outward from the center. Repeat with each piece.
  For a more complex appearance, make several layers of cut-outs. Lay down the
first layer and then glue subsequent layers on top, partially overlapping the layers
below.

9.Let glue dry. Make sure the whole piece is thoroughly and completely dried before
proceeding. If you are applying several layers, make sure each layer is dry before starting
on the next.

 If there is a rim or an edge that the decoupage wraps around, you can trim it with
a razor for a cleaner look.

10.Apply varnish or lacquer. Seal the decoupage with a couple coats of an appropriate
sealant, such as specially-formulated decoupage finish (available at art and hobby stores),
varnish, or lacquer. Let each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next.

11.Sand the sealed decoupage. When the sealant is dry, sand it with 400 grit sandpaper
to remove imperfections. Use a damp cloth to remove residue from sanding. Do not sand
until you have enough coats of sealant to completely cover the underlying surface and
cut-outs

12.Continue applying varnish or lacquer. The unique appearance of decoupage is created

by multiple coats of sealant. The number of coats is up to you. Depending on the sealant
you are using, you may need as few as 4 or 5. Some decoupage artists use as many as 30
or 40 coats. Remember to let each coat dry before applying the next, and sand the
decoupage after every couple coats for best results.

Finished