Years and years ago I used to love to cover and decorate boxes, I did memory boxes for both my nephews when they were born and they are 18 and 16 now! I still have a love of boxes, so when I saw the new Decoupage papers from Craft Consortium I new exactly what I would do with them.
This paper comes in a pack of 3 sheets, all the same so great for a large project. Each sheet is 35cm x 40cm. I only used 1 sheet and finished both my projects with some of the sheet over, it goes a very long way.
If you have ever uses the Decopatch papers then you will recognise these, they are printed on durable tissue paper and so are very thin but very easy to use. Just remember a few tips I'll go through in a mo and you just cant go wrong.
I have got two projects to show you, the first is a wooden box blank I bought in The Works. I painted it white to begin with and then just covered it with the paper, this one is Marine world.
I tried to use the largest pieces I could to get a nice clean look, although you can use up all your scraps as you will see in my second project. Getting in around the clasp and the hinges at the back couldn't be easier, you just use you little scraps, tear them up small and as long as you don't have a huge overlap it won't even show the joins.
The inside I chose to paint with the cosmic Shimmer chalk paint but you could use a different pattern of the paper or continue the same pattern inside too.
So for the second project I intended to make a bracelet. I bought a plain wooden one in The Works but when I got it home and went to put it on it was far too small ( I am tall for an elf and have large hands so not a huge surprise ) so I thought I would do it anyway and give it to my sister but then when I put it down on my craft table a light bulb moment occurred!!
I added a bottom using a box card circle that was also sitting on the table, just glued it to the bottom of the bracelet and turned it into a cute little bowl!
For this project I just used all the scraps I had over from my larger box. I covered all around the bowl and the bottom using strips this time, I didn't bother to paint it before I used the paper for such a small piece it wouldn't matter, and painted the inside again using the Cosmic Shimmer paint.
This paper is very easy to use and will go onto most things and most shapes as it moulds so beautifully too. There are a few tips that will help you on your way though. Here are the ones I have found out for myself -
Tips
* Tear the paper don't cut it, unless you want a straight line for an edge, this will make your seams melt into each other and you will hardly see it at all.
* Don't overlap your paper joins too much as the paper will be darker where you overlap. This can look great if you want to use geometric shaped pieces of paper but it can also look messy.
* You need to use a PVA type glue, you can buy special glue but I just use the normal PVA craft glue. Make sure you completely cover your paper piece right over the edges with a THIN layer of the glue and carefully lay it down onto your project and smooth out gently.
* I would try a small project that needs small pieces first before you try to lay a large piece down on a table top say and expect it to be smooth. Once you have got to know how the paper works then attempt your table!
* You will need to seal your piece when you have finished it. What you want to use the piece for will depend on what you seal it with. For my box I just used PVA, for my little bowl I used a glitter varnish I had.
If you want to do coasters I recommend a Yacht varnish which will take heat and water. If you use any of the glue base varnishes then they will go sticky when you put a hot drink on them and cloudy when water is left on them, trust me I have been there!! I made some coasters about 5 years ago and we are still using them with hot drinks. That would also be good for anything you want to put outside too.
With this paper you can cover anything. It will go onto paper, card, wood, glass and terracotta. If you can stick it to it, it will cover it. It is a great way to freshen up things like coasters and trays and boxes. You can also buy a huge assortment of blank pieces in all sorts of places.
I promise you if you start with this craft you will be looking for things to cover around the house in no time!
Do have a go, its a great project to do with children too, follow the tips above and they will be happy for hours!
I have plans for another project so stay tuned, mind you I have been meaning to cover this for donkeys years now so please be patient :)
Happy Crafting!
Love Katrina
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