This Crafty French Decor Trick Will Update Everything in Your Home
When we’re looking to do a major home decor overhaul, it’s easy to ship our old furniture off to the yard sale and just replace it with something new. But wouldn’t it be cooler to figure out a creative way to rehab our old stuff and not just make it new again, but also give it a personal touch in the process? That’s what the art of decoupage is all about. Derived from the French word decouper (“to cut out”), it’s one of the easiest ways to spruce up a piece of furniture or home decor, and it can give an instant boost of color to any room. We’re sharing 12 awesome projects to try out, so round up that excess fabric, those spare pieces of scrapbook paper and some Mod Podge or glue and let’s go!
1. Wallpaper Dresser: Sometimes the most fun design projects are the ones that stay hidden just beneath the surface and subtly pop up and surprise us from time to time. Such is the case with this sweet dresser, whose coat of paint and self-adhering wallpaper (just add water!) made for a simple and sleek update in the span of a few hours. (via Bright + Bold)
2. Personalized Paper Pattern Keys: As with any new undertaking, some of us prefer to start small. It doesn’t get much tinier than a set of keys, so start there — maybe with a set of guest keys — and follow this simple tutorial to get your feet wet. We predict you’ll be forming a decoupage addiction before they’re even dry. (via Creme de la Craft)
3. Craft Organizers: Can you find the Crisco can and box of Frappuccino bottles in this photo? Look closely, because that’s what these two adorable craft organizers were made from. A little paper and adhesive goes a long way once you add a dash of imagination, doesn’t it? (via Under the Sycamore)
4. Paper Doily Resist Stool: Sure, this stool wasn’t decorated using traditional decoupage methods, but you could say the process of using the doily as a resist is sort of like decoupage’s cousin. With some paint, tape strips, Mod Podge adhesive and, of course, a simple white doily, this ombre-striped creation came out awfully cute, so we’ll let it slide. (via Mod Podge Rocks)
5. Glass Decoupage Project: These translucent aquamarine bottles bring back the shabby-chic aesthetic of the ’90s with more than a hint of English romanticism. To maintain transparency, choose a floral pattern on something ultra-thin —think patterned tissue paper — and delicately apply it with watered-down glue to the exact spot where you want it to stay. Smooth out the edges and repeat on a few more bottles, and you’ve got yourself a pretty little windowsill vignette. (via Founterior)
6. Photo Decoupage: For a bold, high-contrast statement, consider using a large-scale printed photo, especially one with an asymmetrical subject in black and white that makes an eye-catching pattern all its own. Juxtapose it with a warm wood tone to make it pop. (via A Beautiful Mess)
7. Marble Fabric Chairs: While this process would work with any amorphous design, the minds behind this particular project chose a stunning marble-patterned fabric that tricks the eye and looks like the real thing from afar. Curves and large surfaces require patience, but when the end result looks like this, it’s totally worth the effort. (via Design*Sponge)
8. Decoupage Lunchbox Stationery Kit: Whether you use it for craft or stationery storage or as an actual lunch pail is totally up to you, but we’re betting once you take it out into the world, you’ll get lots of compliments from envious onlookers. (via Damask Love)
9. Fabric-Covered Terra Cotta Pots: We love meta projects around here, and it doesn’t get much more meta than decorating flower pots with actual flowers. As fans of contrast and unexpected pairings, we’d totally fill these bold, bright containers with demure pastel florals like lilacs or hydrangea. Or we’d be completely on-the-nose with it and match the flowers to the pattern. With a project this cute, you can’t lose. (via Under the Sycamore)
10. Wordy Lampshade: Speaking of meta, why not cover a reading light in book pages? You can use a novel someone left behind at book club last year or a favorite illustrated children’s book — the sky is the limit. Don’t forget to give it one last read before you repurpose it into another form of illumination. (via Apartment Therapy)
11. DIY Display Tray Makeover: Instantly spruce up a wooden tray with some patterned paper (floral, plaid, stripes, abstract — you name it) and a bit of Mod Podge for a quick refresh to match or complement your existing decor. It can hold nail polish bottles on a vanity, corral keys and sunglasses on an entryway table or even be used to serve drinks or snacks to company. (via Drifter + the Gypsy)
12. Malachite Table Makeover: For a genuinely stunning visual effect, take some inspiration from the earth itself and apply some malachite-patterned fabric to a sleek black side table. For shine, apply a water-based polyurethane on top, and voila! You’ve got a decor element that’s a whole other kind of amazing. (via Weekend Decorator at One Kings Lane)
Have you tried your hand at decoupage? How did it turn out? Share in the comments below!
