DECOUPAGE GUIDELINES

EXHIBITION REQUIREMENTS:

Materials:    Pictures, prints, decals, stickers, wood stain, paint, wooden sealer, paint brushes, "wet" sandpaper, tackcloth, white glue, brayer, cheesecloth, scissors, #0000 steel wool, wax, rotten-stone.

Skills:    True decoupage takes many coats plus some time and patience.  The process is finished when the picture can no longer be felt.   Mod-Podge, One Step, Decopour, etc. are finished in one or two steps, only.

Finishing:   Pictures and plaques should be ready to hang.   The surfaces should be smooth and free of broken bubble spots. A final shine with rotten-stone and oil or #000 steel wool followed by wax should be used.  Seal the back sides with 3-4 coats also.

Size:    Appropriate to age of exhibitor and fit on exhibition table with no overhang.

Cleanliness:    No fingerprints in the sealer or dirty prints.  Cure these problems before exhibiting.

BEGINNING PROJECT IDEAS:

Skills & Project Ideas:   Learn to sand, paint, seal wood.  Learn to apply pictures and decals correctly.  Use tack cloth and paint thinner to remove fine dust.  Cover sealed wood piece with large cardboard box to dry.  Learn to polish finished article with rotten-stone, oil, and cheesecloth.

Exhibit:   One small picture, plaque or other wooden item.

INTERMEDIATE PROJECT IDEAS:

Skills & Project Ideas:   Learn to burn or teach (dechirage) edges of prints, smoke wood, distress pieces.  Try antiquing or crackling.

Exhibit:   Show collages or montages, or sets of prints. Try boxes, etc., instead of flat pieces.

ADVANCED PROJECT IDEAS:

Skills & Project Ideas:   Try working on glass (reverse work), mosaics, three dimension, or repousse (embossed cut outs).  Show boxes, lamps, groupings or mosiacs of egg shells on torn paper, etc.