In this blog, I'm going to guide you through how to apply decoupage on wood furniture. Specifically, to a single drawer on this antique vanity.
Have you ever admired artwork on a piece of furniture wishing you had the skills to paint something similar only to find out the "artwork" is actually decoupage? Which means you CAN create something similar!
Sounds simple enough...right? Nope....it got complicated! The good news is.....I learned a few things and I'd like to share them with you! So consider this Decoupage PLUS!
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Decoupage is simply pasting pieces of paper to any object to make it attractive! This art form has been used on furniture since the 17th century!
And I can say for a fact, this is a game changer for those of us in the furniture painting world!
Nothing about decoupage is difficult as long as you are working on a flat space free of any objects. And even if you're not, I can teach you the tricks to make it a smooth process!
My Kidney Shaped Vanity Project
This adorable antique kidney-shaped vanity is my project today! My design plan is to decoupage the three drawers.
The left and right drawers were a walk in the park once I got around the knob......as they are curved outward (convex).
But that center drawer?? It is CONCAVE (curved inward).....AND has a knob that cannot be removed.
Watcht this week's YouTube video to see How to Apply Decoupage on Wood Furniture:
Choosing Decoupage Paper for Your Wood Furniture Piece
When choosing paper, there isn't a right or wrong choice. Go with what you love! For this project, I LOVE this decoupage paper - Lovely Sonnet by Dixie Belle! It is so soft and feminine and really fits beautifully with the dainty theme of this vanity.
Choose your paper and cut to size always leaving ample room around the outer edges.
PRO TIP: Excess paper can be trimmed away easily and it is always better to have too much than not enough. I will show you this process further in the blog.
How to cut decoupage paper around a knob
If the hardware can be removed, do so before you cut the paper to size!
Unfortunately, for this piece, the drawers all have a non-removable giant knob smack in the middle that I have to work around.
I used a surgical technique called the keyhole method to get around the knobs...so we are getting really fancy today folks!!!
First, I cut a vertical line straight up the center of the paper to where the knob will be.
Then, I slide the paper down over the knob to check for a good fit.
Once I had the vertical cut to the correct length, I then made a crisscross cut right where that vertical cut ended just to allow the paper to lay nicely around that knob stem.
This allows me to lay the paper completely flat and marry the two pieces back together under the knob.
This way we only have one small seam to worry about when decoupaging the paper down with the top coat!
Genius right?
Click HERE to see this process in action on my YouTube video!
When You Apply Decoupage on Wood Furniture... The Right Adhesive Matters!
Picking the right adhesive is so important! I use Dixie Belles Satin Clear Coat as my adhesive. It is sooooo much easier to work with than Mod Podge.....as in no comparison!
It is thick, but not gummy....goes on clear...and dries clear and dries fast.....but not too fast....still gives you plenty of time to move your paper should you need to.
Just brush on an ample amount on your furniture surface.
Then gently lay down your paper into the position, starting from top to bottom for larger pieces.
This drawer is small so I am able to do this all at once.
Once the paper is down, you will want to spread out any wrinkles.
PRO TIP: You can use your fingers, a waddled-up piece of cling wrap, or my personal preference.... the Thing-A-Ma-Jig silicone spreader. Just be aware, your fingers tend to pull and tear the paper where the silicone tool or cling wrap will slide easily to smooth out wrinkles.
How to Apply Decoupage on Wood Furniture with a Curved Surface?
This drawer is convex, which means it doesn't want to lay flat on the drawer. It has tension pulling - not allowing me to smooth it out completely to the edge.
So, I made small snips in the paper!
If you find yourself trying to decoupage on a curved surface, make these little cuts around your outer edges....and it gives the paper just enough slack to lay down on the "convex" curve! It worked like a charm!
Sometimes it's easiest to WATCH this process, click over to my YouTube post to see exactly how this is done.
Sealing the Decoupage Paper
Once the paper is flat and bubbles and wrinkles have been smoothed out, you can then apply a layer of top coat on top of the paper. Again, I went with a coat of Dixie Belle Satin Top Coat.
Again, use your thing-a-ma-jib silicone tool or plastic wrap ball to spread this around and smooth it out one last time.
I am a recovering perfectionist and let me just say that my creative life is much more enjoyable now that I have released myself from those chains! I highly recommend it!!
How to Best Remove Excess Paper
Finally, you can remove your excess paper.
Depending on what type or weight of paper you are using, you may be able to wet your edge slightly and just gently pull away.....like magic.
This particular paper is a heavier weight and needs a bit of sanding with a sanding pad to knock off the excess. I just wet the edge with a brush and pulled down against the edge with my sanding sponge to remove it.
It's very easy, and thank goodness, because as you can see it has a decorative edge around the bottom. Even with the fancy edge, the finish is clean and crisp!
And that's it! I already applied a top coat over the paper so it's just a personal preference if you choose to add a second top coat to it.
Just let dry and call it done!
The FINISHED LOOK: Kidney Shaped Vanity with Decoupage Drawers
I did enhance the edges of each drawer with a deep blue-green using a dry brush technique.
Then, I gold-leafed those knobs (click here to learn more about How to Apply Gold Leafing) and added a WoodUBend floral to each one!
I also applied a silk screen stencil called Delicate Lace on top of light pink & white stripes along the side. This Blue Shaker cabinet is another project with a silkscreen that makes a big impression!
And a faux wood grain pattern to the top of the vanity. See how to apply the faux wood grain here! And if you are really curious about faux wood grain, you can check out this painted white cabinet with a faux dark wood grain top.
I encourage you to seek out some decoupage paper that speaks to you and give it a practice run on something really simple like a lazy susan or a wood box!
It's pretty addicting so I don't think it will take long before you're cutting and pasting away at something much more fancy!
Feel free to leave a comment and tell me how you will apply decoupage to wood furniture. What's YOUR next decoupage project??
Until next time, please click HERE to visit my YouTube channel. And CLICK HERE to be the first to see all my most recent projects on Instagram!
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