DIY cardboard decoupage with a napkin

Decoupage is an interesting and affordable technique that allows you to turn the most ordinary items into original souvenirs. Cut out the elements of the ornament, make an unusual composition, and even a preschooler can top it all with varnish. And experienced craftsmen create real masterpieces. Do-it-yourself cardboard decoupage with a napkin - is it difficult? What other materials can be used? All this will be discussed in our article.

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Where to begin?

In fact, with a carved ornament you can decorate both a bottle and a vase, but the easiest way is to start with something cardboard. Do-it-yourself decoupage of the shoe box should begin with a search from the box itself. Any suitable:

• from under shoes;
• from under milk formulas or pasta;
• packaging from cosmetics;
• boxes in which computer equipment was sold.

Important! In the first case, it is better to take a larger box and such that the cardboard is of medium thickness, not too thin, but not thick either. The best option is from under winter shoes. If found - over it and we will conjure.

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Decoupage Types

Choose the type of decoupage that you prefer. There are only five of them:

• straight;
• back;
• volume;
• smoky;
• de-patch.

Important! The most common is direct, it is also called classic. If you are just starting to engage in this type of art, this is the most suitable option.

Styles

In addition to species, there are also decoupage styles. This type of creativity (or similar to it) is among many peoples, therefore, there are a lot of styles. Most Popular:

• Provence
• Country
• Ethno
• Victorian.

Important! You can also find objects made in styles that seem to be not very suitable for such a technique. For example, Military.

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What else to cook?

Work is a pleasure if you prepare for it properly. You will need the simplest materials and tools - for sure, you have a lot at home, and if not, you can easily find everything you need in the nearest stationery store or even in the hypermarket.

So you need:

• the box itself;
• acrylic paints, including white;
• three-layer napkins;
• wide brush with soft pile;
• primer roller;
• thin brush for watercolor;
• fine grain sandpaper.

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Training

Let's say you are thinking about how to make a box-napkin holder with your own hands. The decoupage technique is just perfect for this. But you can’t immediately take and start gluing elements of the picture onto the first cardboard box that comes across. Nothing good will come of it. Like any item that is supposed to be turned into something magical, the box must be prepared:

1. Tear off the labels.
2. Separate the pieces of tape if they were.
3. If the excess pieces of paper do not come off completely, clean these places with a fine sandpaper.
4. Coat the box and lid with white acrylic paint on the outside.
5. Do the same from the inside.
6. Let the paint dry (this takes about an hour at room temperature).
7. Turn the box over and paint the bottom on the outside.
8. If necessary, apply another 1-2 coats.

Important! It is best to paint with a roller, but you can also use a wide brush. The main thing is that the layer is smooth, without gaps and sagging. Acrylic paints go well, but you still need to make sure that there are no bulges.

If the box is glossy

A glossy box of thick cardboard should not be painted right away. The surface must be made rough so that the soil holds better. For this:

1. Take a skin with a fine fraction.
2. Carefully walk it along all the walls of the box.
3. Prime the workpiece.

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We make an ornament

For the first product, it is best to come up with an ornament consisting of individual elements. Actually, you don’t need to invent anything - just take a three-layer napkin with a pattern and a picture, and some of the problems will be solved by itself. Ornament elements are removed from the napkin in one of two ways;

• using scissors;
• by cutting off.

Important! Oddly enough, carving is the lot of experienced craftsmen. Better to start with clipping. The reason is simple. When you cut elements with scissors or a blade, the joints are very sharp and too noticeable. Experienced craftsmen are able to cope with this, but for beginners it is better to do without unnecessary problems. As a result - you should get a piece of napkin, torn off along the contour of the picture.

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Glue elements

The most crucial moment is coming - you need to carefully glue the element from the napkin to the right place to make a decoupage of the cardboard box with your own hands. To begin with, of course, we must try on everything.

Important! For the first time, you can even mark the position of each part with a pencil, but in general this should not be done.

Working process:

1. Separate the top layer of the napkin, being careful not to tear it.
2. Glue it with PVA glue to the right place.
3. Smooth from the center to the edges so that there are no wrinkles.

It is necessary to glue very carefully. The napkin soaks superbly, making it very fragile. Therefore, you can use a simpler gluing method:

1. Put the napkin in the place you identified for it.
2. Moisten a soft, wide brush with glue.
3. Carefully move the brush over the napkin until it is saturated with glue (it is better to drive from the middle to the edges).
4. The ends can be decorated with an ornament that goes along the edge of the napkin.

Important! Do not be discouraged if it is not possible to straighten the napkin the first time - few people succeed, the skill comes with experience.

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Varnish

How to decorate a box for napkins or for a gift? Sticking an ornament is not all. Your box in the form in which it is now, will get wet from the slightest moisture. The napkin will depart, and from an elegant hand-made your creation will turn into something tattered. Therefore, the work must be varnished, preferably acrylic.

After the first layer of varnish has dried, the surface needs to be leveled again. This is done with fine sandpaper. By the way, it is quite capable of removing some of the most noticeable folds.

Important! The glue should dry completely.

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We supplement the figure

Decoration of the box is not always limited to decoupage alone. Of course, experienced craftsmen can even do something unique from a pack of napkins. But, taking up such work for the first time, you are unlikely to be completely satisfied with the result. To avoid disappointment, apply an additional pattern with acrylic paints.

No, you won’t have to write a complex plot picture. You will need to do just a few actions:

1. Align the background, if it doesn’t turn out exactly the same color as you planned - acrylic paints are opaque, so any background can be done.
2. Apply additional elements of the picture - twigs, trees, snowflakes, leaves and everything else. It is better to do this without a preliminary pencil sketch.

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Process completion

So, the background has become smooth and beautiful, the ornament has additional elements applied with a thin brush. One more step remained - to apply the last coat of varnish. After what you have already done, this will seem like a mere trifle. This must be done. Apply an even layer, let it dry, and you can give your box to a close friend or put different little things into it.

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Some subtleties

Napkins with a plot pattern are not always on sale. But you can make decoupage from another paper. For example, an ordinary A4 stationery sheet. Where to get the drawing? Search the Internet, translate it in black and white and print.

Important! The smaller the small details in the picture, the better. You can not apply drawings at all, but make an ornament from small pieces of paper of various shapes.

To make the item seem old, you can use the most ordinary instant coffee - it will give the paper a nice brownish tint. The process itself will be somewhat larger than when decorating the box with a napkin ornament:

1. Sheets of paper with a pattern should be sprayed with water - it is best to take a spray bottle, but you can moisten them with a sponge.
2. Sprinkle a little instant coffee on each leaf and spread over the entire surface.
3. Let the paper dry - to do this, lay it on a flat, horizontal surface.
4. Cut or tear off the printed pattern at the edges.
5. Tear blank sheets of paper into pieces, but not too small.
6. Prepare the box the same way as for decoupage with a napkin.
7. Paste all its surfaces with small pieces of paper.
8. Top all well glue.
9. Glue the elements of the picture.
10. Dry your creation.
11. Top it all with a layer of acrylic varnish.

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Stock footage

The box is ready! Figures can also be made voluminous, if you take, for example, soft thick cardboard. Decoupage can also be made of fabric, and in recent years a separate genre has appeared - the design of boxes with patterns of self-adhesive film. You can gradually realize all these ideas, improving your skills and creating original gizmos for home and for a present. I wish you success in the creative field!