When I moved into my apartment last year, I wanted to do something extra with my decor. My apartment is one half of a house that's over a hundred years old and contains wee gems like a fireplace in every room and gorgeous aged wallpaper. Regular furniture wasn't going to cut it.
So first, I went shopping. I found a decent table for at the Salvation Army. The top was uneven with any dissimilar colors of wood grain and, as if that wasn't enough, yellow and blue paint splatters. I decided to sand and stain it.
ELECTRIC FIREPLACE LOWES
Two weeks and a lot of wasted time later, I decided to try something else. The color didn't turn out right and the exterior still wasn't as level as I wanted. That's when I decided to try my hand at decoupaging.
Step One: Go Shopping
After choosing your piece of furniture, get an idea for your design. You can use anything from family photos or album covers to cute character cutouts for a child's room. I chose vintage magazine clippings for mine. You can get an old magazine at an aged store for a dollar or so. Try to use magazines published on glossy paper. It will hold up much good than the flimsy newsprint used for older magazines.
There are any things you'll need for this project.
1. As we've already covered, you're going to need a table and collage materials, first and foremost.
2. Craft glue. My personal beloved is Mod Podge- gloss. I bought some six years ago and it still works!
3. Spray Adhesive. Any kind will do.
4. A Spray Lacquer like Minwax or Rust-Oleum.
5. A craft knife like Exacto. You can get one for about four or five dollars and they're great for precision cutting delicate paper. I use mine all the time for multiple projects.
6. A small paintbrush with a tip no wider than your pinkie finger. You can get a pack at any dollar store.
7. A piece of glass the same dimensions as your table-top. Try a local glass shop or a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes Hardware.
After you've got all your materials, you're ready to start your project.
Step Two: Clean Your Table.
You're only going to be exterior the top of your table so if there are any faded spots, chips or splintering on the legs, that' needs to be taken care of beforehand. Do all of your sanding/staining and then, once all is dried, use a water-based cleaner to take off any dirt. Do not use furniture polish. It will weaken the bond in the middle of the wood and the paper. I learned this while painting someone else table and the paint kept smearing.
Step Three: originate Your Collage.
Start by cutting out the pieces you want to use with your craft knife. Cut some pieces in the shape of rectangles or circles and cut smaller pieces more intricately. This will make it easier to cover the whole table. If, however, you only want to use a few images then it doesn't matter.
Once you have all of your pieces cut, dispose them on the table without gluing. Then paste each piece of paper together using a small dab of glue without attaching them to the table. The less you use, the better. You can always add more later. Decoupaging is a creative process and you may convert your mind about how you want things layered. It's easier to undo a mistake if you don't use a lot of glue. If, however, you don't want to cover the whole table top and are only using a few pieces, gluing directly to the table is fine.
Step Four: Attach the Collage.
Wait at least an hour for all of your glue to dry. I tried to hurry this process and ended up tearing some of my collage. After that, take your table and collage outside. This next step can get messy. Take your spray adhesive and spray a thin coat onto the table. Next you're going to apply your collage to the table top; kind of like wallpapering. I recommend getting person to help you to avoid bumps and ripples in the paper. Lay your collage as flat as possible, meeting all the edges of the table. Lightly level the collage and leave it to dry for someone else hour.
Step Five: Add the Finishing Touches
Are there any collage pieces that won't lie flat? Cover the edges with small dab of glue. Once you're finished, let all glue dry for someone else hour, then use your spray lacquer to cover the whole table top. You'll want to do this exterior as well. It's foremost that you don't use paint-on lacquer for this step, especially if you're using thin paper like I did. Paint-on lacquer is very heavy and oil-based and will leave spotting on your collage. I learned this the hard way (pictured below).
How to avoid a mistake when decoupaging
Once the spray lacquer is dry, you can put your glass piece over the table. Spray lacquer keeps your collage pieces in place but it will not be sufficient to protect your table from spilled drinks or pets. Glass is the best way to ensure that your table is protected. Now you have a one-of-a-kind piece that you'll be proud to show your friends!
How to Decoupage a Coffee Table ELECTRIC FIREPLACE LOWES
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