Art that every home needs

Decoupaging is a French word which means to decorate objects through paper cut-outs. Sarah Thomas elaborates on how you can employ this technique to embellish your home

Art is all around; home owners  are now beginning to look at novel and fun ways to spiff up their homes. While there are many ways to go about it, and several decor shops to help you out, do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiasts will vouch for the fact that there is no better way to go about it than by getting your hands dirty. A new trend that has caught up is to decoupage elements in the house, turning them into fancy decor.

Decoupage is an old art form that began in the 12th century and has continued to mesmerise people till date. It simply means, to decorate objects with paper
cut-outs. While this may seem too silly for modern homes, it’s no child’s play; the art form requires a decent level of dexterity and patience. Pooja D Gupta, a decoupage artist and founder of POSH Creative Studio, a company that specialises in decoupaged, upcycled and innovative home decor elements, states that this art form was previously used to embellish Victorian furniture and precious collectives.

Her love for decoupage began way back when she was in school, and has grown ever since. Pooja loves how innovative you can get, not just creating art, but also
upcycling different things and giving them artistic value. She explains this art form as an artistic sleight of hand, turning anything ordinary into eye-catching beauties nothing short of brilliance.

“Decoupage is a French word, meaning the art of decorating objects through
paper cut-outs. It is said to be perfect when the ‘stuck out’ vanishes and work looks like painting or inlay work,” she describes. It is not confined to any particular place or object and can be used to decorate any space, be it your office or homes. She points out to furniture, wall art, tiles, plastic stools, shadow boxes, lamp shades, photo collage, storage boxes, planters, trays, boxes, cutlery, oil containers, coasters, placemats, clocks, crockery and fridge magnets as some of the many things that can be decoupaged.

Krithika Janakiraman, an artist and decoupage enthusiast, tries to make all things lovely in her bedroom by decoupaging. She has painted her chest of drawers black and stuck magazine cut-outs of beautiful plants of just the drawers. The images are all stuck on to a sheet of paper cut to the exact measurement of the drawers and then stuck on to them. This adds a lovely contrast of green, white and black and looks classy.

Krithika opines, “While this generally takes a long time, for an art-lover like me, it took hardly two days. But the outcome is beautiful and something you would not spot at anybody else’s house. That makes it unique, and the fact that you created it adds to the charm of the object.” One advice she gives beginners is to always make sure to add other complementary elements if furniture is being decoupaged.

Old coffee table or side table

Have you ever looked at an old coffee table or side table and thought of getting rid of it? Instead, decoupaging it can be the solution. Pooja explains the use of comic books to give old coffee tables a makeover. Speaking from experience, Krithika says that all decoupage art is similar in the
manner in which it is done.

“Begin by making patterns of your cut-outs. Use a thick painting brush and use an adhesive that can be made thinner with water; you can either coat the entire area with the glue and then stick the cut-outs, coating it completely with glue, or you can just coat the back of the cut-out and stick them,” she advises.

Krithika also uses decoupage medium, which can be bought at any craft store. She puts a layer of that after the cutouts have dried on the furniture. To make sure there is no wear and tear, Pooja suggests the use of a sealer or varnish and giving the object some finishing touches.

Vintage photo frames

You can use any ordinary wooden photo frames, preferably something you haven’t used or cared for.

Buy paper gift wraps with patterns that please you, cut them to the shape of the photo frame and stick them with glue. You can use varnish to help it last longer. Pooja states that actual pictures printed on paper too can be used on fridge magnets. Those would look lovely as well.

Convert old tin boxes

Old tin boxes do not see the light of day as they age. One way to bring them out and have heads turn in your house is by upcycling them with the use of old newspapers or funky cut-outs. Your Marvel comics would do as well — you’re not destroying them, but giving them a new life. These look beautiful if placed in the house to store books, so that guests too can admire the beauty while picking up the newspaper or a magazine to read.

Bottle art

Bottle art has been popular among most people, but one other technique of creating this centrepiece of attracting is through decoupage. Pooja says, “By using any tissue paper or rice paper, you can upcycle any glass bottle and convert them into waterproof flower vases or beautiful decor pieces. Floral cut-outs usually do wonders to glass bottles.”

Some love for gardening fans

Some wallpaper, terracotta pots and Tim Holtz distressed ink is all you would need.

Follow the same technique and use shorter cut-outs and have them glued to the pots and have the Tim Holtz distressed ink used on those areas where the wallpaper is lighter in comparison with the other pieces.

Pooja advises that while you let your creativity loose and have your decor look wonderful, always remember to seal them properly and blend the object, paper and colour together. The use of primer, sealer or varnish and a decoupage medium to stick the paper are the ways to avoid creating a mess and going wrong while decoupaging.

For those worried about its longevity and use, Pooja says, “Your decoupaged things, be it trays, coasters or mugs, can be made waterproof and dishwasher-safe as well. There are varnishes and lacquers available for this purpose in the market. I have been using trays, some placemats, coasters, and also a coffee mug, for five to six years, and they are still intact.”