How Can I Channel Crafting Into Decor for My House?

Decoupage anything -- even your kitchen cabinets!

Question

I'm 25 and love to tackle craft projects, but my boyfriend suggested that I turn some attention to decorating my very plain apartment. Any suggestions for how I can add stylish touches to my place using do-it-yourself energy and some crafting projects? (Stephanie from Queens, NY)

Answer

Thanks for your question, Stephanie. As we enter a new decade, everyone we talk to is eager to make some kind of positive decorating resolutions. We just received some great how-to decoupage suggestions from the decoupage experts at Full Circle Studio and thought we'd share their suggestions for creating lovely handmade home decor. (Of course those who aren't crafters and do-it-yourselfers should definitely go to the Full Circle Studio online store to purchase some great items to dress up any room.)

For more than a decade, Full Circle Studio has produced handcrafted embellishments for the home using classic decoupage design techniques. The company’s current collection includes more than 350 different collages, stylishly applied to switchplates, paperweights, coasters, and plaques. Full Circle Studio's collages are all original and handmade by Kate Hartley DiSantis and it's her belief that a small something we use every day, such as a light switch or a coaster, should reflect a person's individual style and bring joy to the home.

So, Stephanie, we'd like you to consider applying decoupage to some of your everyday items and surfaces at home. What can you decoupage? How about some unfinished furniture, like a small end table, coffee table, or desk? You might want to try it small at first, like a switchplate. These handmade decorative decoupage touches will fill your blah rooms with color and personality and put your crafting energy to good use.

But What Exactly Is Decoupage?

Although there is a renaissance going on within the world of decoupage and handmade crafts are on the rise, very few people know the history behind this centuries-old design technique. A seasoned decoupage expert, Kate shows you just how easy it is to bring personalized flair into your home, or pass unique inspirations along as the perfect gift for special occasions.

Derived from the French word découper, which means “to cut up,” decoupage is the art of decorating objects using paper cutouts, paint effects, decorative details, and layers of lacquer and varnish.

From small household items like trinket boxes and vases to large pieces of furniture, decoupage is a fun and easy way to embellish just about any object.

Due to the multiple coats of varnish and meticulous sanding, finished products are so stunning that most think they're professionally painted.

The origins of the craft of decoupage can be traced back hundreds of years to several folk cultures, most notably in China, Japan, and Poland. However, decoupage reached its pinnacle in 18th century Europe when preprinted designs were sold commercially for customers to use on furniture and other household items. Some elite decoupage artists even achieved fame as designers in their own right. Over the centuries decoupage boasted many famous practitioners, including Marie Antoinette, Madame de Pompadour, Lord Byron, Beau Brummel and more recently, Matisse and Picasso. By the 1960s, decoupage had made its way across the Atlantic and everyday Americans were starting to decoupage ordinary household items into beautiful works of art. Today, there's a renaissance going on within the world of decoupage, and this centuries-old technique is experiencing a stimulating revival throughout the world.

So Let's Decoupage!

The decoupage process can be learned fairly quickly and the possibilities are endless. Common household materials can be used to create exquisite works of art and if you know how to cut and paste, you already have the skills necessary to decoupage. These simple instructions will allow even the most novice of beginning crafters to embellish their favorite household items with ease.

The Supplies:

1. Something to decoupage—coasters, picture frames, mirrors, and other household objects are all great options
2. Paper embellishments—These can come from a variety of sources, including: magazines, newspapers, catalogs, books, printed clip art, wrapping paper, greeting cards, fabric, tissue paper, lace, etc.
3. Scissors or Exacto knife
4. Glue—White glue diluted with water works best for the initial pasting
5. Smoother—Popsicle sticks or a craft bone can be found in most homes; many professionals use what is called a brayer, which resembles a miniature rolling pin and is designed to remove wrinkles, excess glue, and to even out pictures
6. Glue spreader—best at-home tools include cotton swaps, paint brushes, and sponges
7. Extra rags and sponges to help with clean up
8. Sealer—Glue can be used as a medium, but you can also opt for polyurethane, spray acrylic, or other lacquers (all available at craft stores)

The Decoupage Process:

1. Prepare the surface of your project by cleaning and drying it completely before beginning
2. Cut out your pictures (or chosen embellishments)
3. Arrange the pictures on your item—don’t be afraid of overlap
4. Coat the back of the picture completely, using glue or other decoupage medium. Put a thin layer of glue in the area where you are placing the picture.
5. Place the picture on the glue—don’t be afraid to get a little messy!
6. Use your finger to gently push the picture down (for a large picture, start from the center and work your way out) and push out any wrinkles and excess glue. You can also use a Popsicle stick, crafting bone, or brayer.
7. Continue with the last 2 steps until all your pictures are glued on. Let the glue dry. (Note: It's very important to allow the glue to dry completely, otherwise your pictures may warp.)
8. Coat your item completely with diluted white glue (approximately three parts glue to one part water) or other decoupage medium. Let this dry completely.
9. Continue to add coats of the glue or another sealer (polyurethane, acrylic spray, etc.) until the edges of the pictures are smooth.

Voila! Creating a fun and personal piece of artwork for your home has never been so simple and fun. Happy crafting!

Thanks to Kate Hartley DiSantis and Full Circle Studio for this great how-to information and DIY decorating inspiration. 

How About Some Tips for Redecorating Our Dining Room?

Question

We can't stand our dining room. It's tired, outdated, and our family never uses it. Do you have any great advice for us as we think about bulldozing the entire room and starting over again?  (Michelle from Buford, SC)

Answer

Michelle, thank you for writing in to us. We went to Cheryll Gillespie and our friends at casaGURU to give you some great dining room tips. Good luck!

Did you know that the style, textures and colors that you choose to decorate your dining room might actually stimulate your appetite? Conversely, they may also act as an appetite suppressant. Serving up good dining décor in your home can actually make guests feel more at home, increase their appetites and help to stimulate conversation, so it's important to consider many factors when you remodel your dining room.

Today’s dining room may need to serve more than just dinner. A dining room often serves double or even triple duty as the home office, sewing or craft room, library and reading room. For most of us, the days of the formal dining room serving a single purpose are long gone. So what is the best recipe for a simply sensational dining room?

Visualize the Future

• Take a moment and envision the perfect dining room in your mind's eye.
• If you love to entertain, you may want to keep the dining space strictly as a formal dining room.
• If your family and lifestyle demands that the space also be used as homework central, a library, or craft room then plan the space accordingly.
• Don’t try to fool yourself. Be practical and realistic about the demands that your family and lifestyle will place on the room.

Flooring

• Always plan a room from the ground up.
• If you're thinking of replacing the existing flooring, you have many options to choose from. Again, think lifestyle and aesthetics.
• A floor that looks great but is not easily cleaned is not practical. Hardwoods, ceramic tile, cork, and slate are all excellent options.
• An area rug that is easy to remove for cleaning may be added to the room anytime and layed on top of almost any flooring material. The area carpet must be large enough so that dining chairs always have all four chair legs on the carpet, even when the chairs are pulled back from the table. Too often, I see area carpets in dining rooms that fit great until you actually sit at the table.
• In any dining room, we want to linger and spend several hours enjoying good food and good company. A space is more inviting and conducive to lingering when it's defined. Inlaid ceramic borders and borders created with contrasting hardwoods are a good idea to help define the space of a room. They will also add a creative touch to ordinary hardwood or ceramic flooring.

Furniture

• When it comes to selecting the furniture for your space think "comfort." Comfortable chairs and a large table are essential ingredients to serving up great décor in the dining area.
• Don’t be afraid to mix and match chairs. Not all chairs have to be the same. Perhaps you would like both fully-upholstered chairs and armchairs around the table. Reupholster chair seats and backs in seasonal fabrics to give your chairs a facelift. In cooler weather, try covering chair seats and backs in faux furs, lumber jacket plaids, or Christmas or wintery tapestries. In warmer weather, recover with denim, linen, vibrant silks, or tea toweling for cool cottage décor. Coverings can be reused repeatedly.
• For the table itself, make sure that the table size can expand to accommodate a large party or shrink to become an intimate table for two.
• A sideboard or serving buffet is also a luxurious addition. If space does not allow for a permanent side board, plan for a portable butler tray that can be set up to hold a bar during a cocktail party or used as a service tray or side board during a dinner party.

Lighting

• Lighting is another important dining décor element, and the one that is often overlooked.
• If your dining space must serve double duty as a home office, craft room, or homework area for the kids then you will need to plan for good work light that can also be dimmed to create an ambience for dining.
• Soft romantic light makes people feel more comfortable (and we all look better under soft lighting). Wall sconces are a good addition to your lighting plan and, of course, candlelight.

Window Coverings

• Most dining rooms will have a window; plan to dress yours with floor-length drapery panels. Panels work with all decorating styles.
• If the window is small, treat it with drapery that camouflages the size of the window: wall-to-wall drapery panels.
• The drapery frames your view to the world, and dining while overlooking a spectacular city skyline or a mountain view is better than any painting. If the view is not that spectacular, simply close the drapery and focus on the view across the table.

Five Walls

• There are five walls in your dining room. Treat them all with color and creativity.
• The four vertical walls in your dining room can host both color and pattern. Large-scale patterns or heavily textured wallpapers are a designer’s trick for many outstanding dining rooms, regardless of the room’s actual dimensions. Pattern, color, and texture add warmth, charm, and sophistication to walls in small and large dining rooms.
• The fifth wall, or ceiling, is another opportunity. Actually, it's the most often missed decorating opportunity in a room. Plan to paint the ceiling in a contrasting color, several tones lighter than the wall color, or have it faux-painted to look like a blue sky or perhaps a fresco painting.

Color

• In the dining room, color can actually help stimulate appetite and conversation.
• Reds, spicy oranges, and burgundies are excellent color choices. These colors are the most passionate and stimulating on our color wheel.
• When setting a table, remember that a darker color palette will make food appear more appealing. Tonight, serve up one dinner on a white plate and another on a black or red plate and see which shows off the food best.

Accessories

• Accessories in the dining room are like the garnishes on a plate of food at your favorite five-star restaurant.
• They increase the food's appeal and make a cohesive unit out of individual elements of food.
• Hang artwork that is appropriate for the dining space and style of décor. Art that depicts oversized wine bottles, a medieval feast, a collection of black and white photographs of famous restaurants around the world, or just great art that you find appealing is appropriate.
• On a sideboard, arrange a wine bottle with a collection of glasses and a bunch of oversized grape and grape vines.
• For an English country room, accessorize with English pottery - perhaps a collection of teapots and cups.

Dining is always enjoyable but it can be simply sensational when served with stunning décor. Stir up your appetite with a few creative ideas and some designer tricks.