How to Create Napkin Decoupage, A Simple Tutorial for Beginners

How to Create Napkin Decoupage, A Simple Tutorial for Beginners

Just a few photos of some of the wooden items I have renovated using Napkin Decoupage.

The items were all lying around the house looking tired and unloved or bought from car boot sales and charity shops for a pound or two.

Here we have various wooden boxes, a bread bin, “home” sign, kitchen spice rack and display case. All these items were purchased at thrift shops for just a few pounds and upcycled.

Some items were also distressed to give a more shabby chic appearance.

Tutorial

After a coat or two of emulsion paint (tester pots are great for this) the item is ready to be decoupaged.

Personally, I use Cath Kidston napkins but any will be fine. Remember,  you must separate the layers of tissue to make it one ply only. This can be fiddly but it is really important.

Cut out the design and decide where you would like it to go. Then use a little watered down acrylic glue and smooth the napkin on top of the glue. Also, add a layer of glue to the top of the napkin also and leave to dry.

Add a clear varnish over the top to make the design more durable and give it a nice sheen.

We restored an old mug tree and cutlery drawer, also jewellery boxes and napkin rings. Its so easy to transform plain items and give them a shabby chic feel.

Hope you like the designs. It’s a really cheap and easy way to upcycle anything made from wood.

Here is a product I use to decoupage.

This product comes highly recommended by me and has been used in many of the projects. I have practiced with many other products and I feel that these are miles better than other brands.

Mod Podge  

This is used as an adhesive but also gives a gloss or matt finish.  The reason I like this product is it dries clear and for items which are purely for decoration the finish is so good that varnish may not be needed.

I like this starter kit because you can use the matt or gloss finish. When I first started using Mod Podge I wasn’t sure which one was best for my projects. This way, you can practice with both, to get the very best effect. It’s also worth mentioning that the glue goes a long way and you can complete loads of projects with just one pot.

The different sized foam brushes are perfect for moving the really delicate napkin around without tearing. I used to do this job with just my fingers and I got into such a sticky mess. These brushes make the job so much easier and I wouldn’t be without them.

Mod Podge has a whole range of products but this is the only one you need to complete any of the products I have made. The only exemption would be a clear gloss varnish which would be necessary if the item is in regular use and needs to be more durable.

Thank you for reading