In the master class we will analyze the simplest decoupage technique and typical mistakes newcomers.
Materials and tools
For work we will need:
- wooden tray- blank for decoupage
- napkins 2 pcs
- primer "Vintage Design" (or "Sonnet" or "TAIR")
- decoupage glue (or regular PVA glue)
- matte transparent varnish for decoupage
- acrylic paint white, brown and light green
- wide brush
- dish sponge
- candle
- sandpaper
- optional - black stamp and ink pad
- optional - hairdryer
Master class on decoupage tray
1. Take a wooden tray and sand it with sandpaper over the entire surface
2. Cover the workpiece with soil in one layer.
The primer helps protect the wood from moisture and allows you to waste less paint, which is applied on top.
The primer can be applied with a wide brush or dish sponge.
Let it dry. You can use a hairdryer to speed up drying.
3. After drying, apply a layer of brown acrylic paint.
In some places, light green paint can be applied to brown paint to create the effect of smooth color transitions in the finished work.
4. Rub the corners and side surfaces with a candle.
5. Paint the entire tray with white acrylic paint. Let it dry well!
6. After drying, we go through sandpaper in those places where the candle was applied.
7. Take napkins for decoupage
8. Carefully tear out the pattern that we want to glue onto the tray. Place face down on the file (multi-fork, package).
9. Apply decoupage glue or PVA diluted with water with a brush.
10. Place it on the tray in the places where we want to place the design and gently smooth it out. We remove the file (multi-fork).
Apply the rest of the patterns in the same way.
11. At the last stage, you can apply a text stamp to the tray.
To do this you will need a stamp and a stamp pad. "Distress Inc" stamp pads are not suitable for this, as the next layer of varnish will smudge them.
12. Apply a layer of transparent matte varnish for decoupage. Let it dry well.
Finished tray in shabby chic style:
Ready-made tray in the "shabby chic" style using decoupage technique.
Examples of errors in decoupage:
1. If you apply a napkin to dark paint, the design will not be visible. The dark layer shows through the napkin.
2. If you glue the drawing before applying the last white layer of paint, then you need to “outline” the drawing so as not to paint it over. There are no smooth transitions between layers. Drawing and upper layer the tray does not create the impression of integrity.
3. Don’t overdo it with a candle and sandpaper! The paint comes off very badly from the sandpaper in the place where the candle was applied. Too many abrasions, gives the impression of an overly old and sloppy thing. It's not "shabby chic" anymore!
To create multi-layering and smooth transitions, you can create the effect of a pattern shining through from below.
To do this, apply another layer of primer (very thin) to the varnished tray. Then, with a damp cloth, we erase the soil in the places where the design was applied.
The drawing is visible, but covered with a thin whitish layer.
Next, glue the napkin pattern next to it and apply a layer of varnish to the entire tray.
These manipulations complicate the process, but allow you to achieve an interesting effect: the flowers on the tray are both pale with a slight whitishness and clearly expressed, light abrasion and handwritten text. It's truly shabby chic!
From time to time you really want to refresh your interior and bring something new into it. The decoupage technique allows you to quickly and without special costs update furniture and interior items, give the old furnishings individuality and sophistication. Today we will show you how to transform an ordinary bedside table into a stylish piece of furniture.
DIY bedside table decoupage
The bedroom is a room where comfort and harmony traditionally reign. If it is decorated in light or pastel colors with floral motifs, then shabby chic furniture will fit perfectly into such an interior with its light color scheme, smooth lines, scuffs and floral patterns.
For work you will need: a primer, structural paste, a stencil with an ornament, sandpaper, acrylic paints, brushes, PVA glue, transparent matte varnish, two-component craquelure, napkins with roses.
1. So, first you need to prepare the surface for work: wash it, degrease it with any alcohol solution and remove the fittings.
2. Apply one layer of primer to the prepared surface, which will provide good adhesion and protect the paint from peeling.
3. Since our bedside table is quite angular, and smooth lines look better in the shabby chic style, we will apply three-dimensional ornaments to the façade using structural paste. The structural paste is applied with a palette knife to a stencil with an ornament. After the patterns have dried, remove the stencil and lightly go over them with fine sandpaper so that the pattern becomes smooth.
4. To give our ornaments a sense of 3D effect and “age” the surface, we apply dark acrylic paint - this is what will appear through the cracks on the white bedside table. To get this gray shade, you need to add a little black to white acrylic paint. So, we apply a dark shade only to the facade and corners, and only white to the tabletop.
5. Next, we move on to decoupage the tabletop: select a suitable floral pattern on napkins, carefully tear it off and peel off the two lower layers. Glue the ornaments onto a dry surface in the corners using PVA glue. If the glue is too thick, it is better to dilute it with water 1x1. For gluing, choose a wide flat brush or a fan brush - it will be more convenient. You can apply glue directly to a napkin: apply the ornament to to the right place and apply glue on top with smooth movements. After the glue has dried, coat the tabletop with clear varnish. It is better to use a matte varnish, since glossy surfaces do not look very good in the shabby chic style.
6. The next stage: paint over the remaining surfaces with white acrylic paint and sand the protruding parts of the bedside table and volumetric ornaments made from structural paste with sandpaper - a dark shade appears, and the bedside table acquires an “aged” vintage surface.
7. Then we do decoupage on the front of the bedside table: select a floral pattern on a napkin, peel off the top layer and glue it with PVA glue. To prevent the flowers from appearing too flat, you can lightly paint on the shadows with pale pink paint. As soon as the glue dries, we varnish everything with a transparent matte varnish.You can apply 3-4 layers of varnish: the more layers, the longer the furniture will last.
If you are a fan of the shabby chic style, then you probably like not only interiors, things, souvenirs made in its theme, but also everything that is done in this direction with your own hands. Of course, it is done with talent. So, a lot can be done to suit the style, thanks to decoupage. The technique is not so complicated as it requires diligence, attention, and patience. But as a result, you will receive something that you will not get anywhere else.
It’s still worth going over the style a little. All fans of shabby chic definitely know the name of Rachel Ashwell, a British woman who changed the world a little. In the late eighties, she became interested in an unusual business: in order to move away from the minimalism that was fashionable at that time, Rachel began buying at flea markets old furniture and other interesting things in the spirit of old English traditions.
She restored these things - from large furniture to accessories. And soon the interior of her home attracted everyone's attention. Rachel had to make things to sell, and that’s how the shabby chic style was born. Once you love him, it’s hard to stop. And by turning ordinary furniture, dishes, boxes and bottles into a stylish shabby chic item, you will probably want to continue making these amazing transformations.
Where to get shabby chic pictures for decoupage
You can, of course, look for suitable three-layer napkins on sale. You can download the necessary backgrounds on the Internet, and you can purchase decoupage cards on websites for craftswomen. Often the necessary pictures are found on Polish sites and English resources.
So, where to get the pictures:
- Download backgrounds, images on the Internet;
- Order decoupage cards on special websites (usually foreign ones);
- Buy napkins (three-layer) with the desired motif.
Better yet, save up material for decoupage. Sometimes the desired fragment can be cut out of fabric. Another time, in a regular store, you will see napkins with gorgeous faded roses on them. You can communicate on forums, in groups for decoupage artists, and share your finds.
Is it difficult to decoupage furniture in the shabby chic style?
Often the complexity of decoupage is determined by its volume. Sometimes, of course, it will take longer to decoupage one bottle than to decoupage an entire chair or shelf. It all depends on the final goal, the number of layers, variations of decorative effects.
But if you are in love with the shabby chic style and want to start changing the look of your home, then, of course, the start will be not with accessories, but with furniture. She defines everything. It can start with one chair new life rooms. And only then the little things will catch up. For many, the easiest way is to transform the table.
Ordinary wooden table(perhaps already initially white) needs to be slightly tinted and decorated with images in a shabby chic style. And this means no juicy and bright colors. Shabby chic is considered the world pastel shades. WITH color accents you also need to be careful.
What else will become the interior center after decoupage:
- Dresser - old chest of drawers paint, decorate with decoupage, replace fittings;
- Old piano - it can only serve a decorative function;
- Picture frames or panels – start small;
- Stools - yes, the most ordinary ones, I would like, of course, with curved legs and other decorative features, but decoupage of ordinary stools may surprise you.
If you start the transformation from the kitchen, then it can be decoupage of a bread box, plates, and cans for bulk goods. Or decoupage a watering can, an ordinary metal one, which is inexpensive in a hardware store. Decoupage of a plate is the very first step towards renewal kitchen interior. This, by the way, will most likely be decorative plate on the wall.
Elegant decoupage: tray in shabby chic style
To do this, first of all, purchase a wooden blank. Be sure to sand it to remove defects. Wipe with alcohol, degreasing the surface. Then prime the tray with wood primer. After drying, the tray is painted with brown paint, not all of it, but only those areas where it is planned to imitate scuffs.
Then rub the candle on the edges, bottom of the tray and sides. After this, paint with white acrylic paint twice. Do not make even strokes, let them be chaotic, directed in different directions. This is the basis of this work, please pay attention to these steps.
Decoupage tray: master class in shabby chic style
After this great job I need to do some flowers. For example, print flowers on a printer, and then cover them with several layers of varnish, preferably matte. Then you cut out the motifs along the contour, making sure to leave so-called allowances.
- Next, the printouts need to be thinned. Place them in water for 15 seconds, and while the water is wet, rub the bottom layer of paper with your finger. Do this until the drawing becomes transparent.
- Printouts are glued to PVA, pour glue under the printout. Still, there will be a waterproof varnish layer on top.
- You need to press a napkin on top, blotting off the excess glue, but the picture should not “move away” or wrinkle.
- The entire tray is covered in the same way.
And then comes the tinting. Tinting floral motifs done in several ways - either art pastels or highly diluted acrylic paints shadows. Use a kolinsky brush to shade the pastel, first diluting it with water.
Finishing work with the tray: decoupage in shabby chic style
After this you need to take sandpaper, quite grainy, and sand the areas that were treated with a candle. First this is done outside, and then inside the tray. Then the tray is coated with matte acrylic varnish twice, and take the matte varnish. Gloss and shabby chic are polar things.
If you do not accept strong abrasions, then do not do them so desperately - you should not blindly follow the style, you can only follow its motives. Therefore, achieve an effect that is aesthetically closer to you. In an ensemble with such a tray you can make a tea house.
Fashionable decoupage box in shabby chic style
You can decorate the box in the same way. The main thing is to understand the main features of the style and techniques in decoupage that will help recreate this style. There are several nuances that are worth keeping an eye on.
Helpful information:
- Acrylic paints will fit well only on a prepared surface - it needs to be sanded, remove dust, and wipe with a damp cloth. And then apply acrylic primer in three layers.
- Scuffs are drawn with a candle, paraffin will take on the function of reserve. There should not be too many abrasions; do them at different distances from each other.
The next point is to always leave the paint to dry thoroughly. Do not speed up the process by drying with a hairdryer, this can lead to defects. The best thing to do is leave it to dry overnight.
Chic decoupage of bottles in shabby chic style
And the bottle will be decorated according to approximately the same scenario. Be sure to wash the bottle with soap and wipe dry before decoupage. When applying layers, let each one dry thoroughly. After applying all layers of paint, the surface is sanded.
The motifs are glued to the bottle with a fan brush. It is convenient - it will not tear the design. The neck of the bottle should not be empty, so the design is applied to it tilted to the side. The dried motifs are covered with a very thin layer of varnish. It is better to do this with a synthetic brush.
Decoupage in shabby chic style (video)
The shabby chic style is gentle, sophisticated, it has both vintage and nobility of tones, it is full of grace and some special perception of the world. And this is expressed both in large things and in the most seemingly insignificant little things. Let creativity be your pleasure.
Good results!
Shabby chic(English shabby - worn, shabby)– the name of a style in interior, decor, fashion. The name itself can literally be translated as “shabby shine” or “shabby chic,” which reflects its essence. American style appeared in the late 1980s; its author is Rachel Ashwell. Rachel Ashwell). She started by decorating old furniture purchased at sales and flea markets, at first own home. Over time, the hobby turned to new level, sales have begun. Furniture restored in soft, light colors has become very popular. Over time, Ashwell created a number of accessories in the corresponding style for furniture; the range expanded from tea sets to textiles. 
The shabby chic style was greatly influenced by the vintage style. Vintage (from the French vintage - wine aged for many years) - a direction based on the combination of modern and old, and sometimes even antique objects in the interior. Shabby chic can be called vintage turned inside out, since the interior decor in the shabby chic style suggests a kind of protest against excessive luxury. 
The essence of the style is that furniture and interior items are artificially aged. Shabby chic - shabby chic. Items can be both antique and new, painted predominantly light pastel shades and in places worn out, with delicate roses or birds, or without patterns at all, a lot of delicate textiles, napkins, pillows, bedspreads, covers on chairs and armchairs. 
Basic elements of the Shabby chic style:
- use of gentle pastel colors: boiling white, ivory, soft pink, light blue;
- objects used in decoration should have a worn effect - several layers of paint should be visible (as if the table or stool had been painted many times), patina;
— pastoral motifs are used as ornaments, which are similar to shabby chic and the “rococo” style - roses and angels of pastel colors;
— forget about geometric patterns! Only “classics of the genre” are acceptable - thin stripes or checkered patterns;
— hand-made is only encouraged;
- use of traditional, high-quality items from natural materials.
Flowers are a very important part of this style, especially rosebuds. Leftover fabric, old sheets, old curtains and other fabrics can all be used to create your style. Use them for pillows upholstered furniture and woven rugs. 
In decoupage, the shabby chic style is very popular. Furniture, plates, boxes, mirrors, and wall panels are decorated in this style. For work they use various aging techniques, smoky (shadow) decoupage, volumetric decoupage, less often - deco patch, gilding and gold leaf, but only if these elements do not overwhelm the overall meaning of shabby: bright hues with an advantage of boiling white, pastel accents, a feeling of light, spaciousness, romance, a soft touch of antiquity. 
Shabby chic decor items: also antique. Antique clocks, bronze, faded paintings in antique frames, old televisions, gramophones, vases, candelabra, an antique telephone, various small objects from past eras, even a rusty charcoal iron. Flowers enliven the interior, but again in aged pots or even boxes. Since the shabby chic interior does not express a specific style, the decorative items will be those whose “aging” expresses the style you have chosen. There may be aged country items, as well as various classic styles. 
In any case, it should be remembered that the shabby chic style prefers a demonstration of quality and good taste in everything. Shabby chic in the interior is a combination of two incompatible concepts - beauty and shabbyness. The style takes inspiration from antiques, and plays with the same antique finish. 
The shabby chic style is not afraid to show defects as a result of the ruthlessness of time in relation to objects, but on the contrary, it openly demonstrates it. Do not confuse a shabby chic interior with a junk dealer's home. Shabby chic style uses traditional, high-quality items made from natural materials. The antiquity of such items only increases their value. 
Shabby chic design can be called bold. This interior design solution is not suitable for everyone, and even then, one room or a thematic area of the house is often done in this style rather than the entire apartment or house. The shabby chic style is suitable for people with an artistic streak, creators, photographers, painters, or studios. 
One day, about 20 years ago, designer Rachel Ashwell was dreaming up an interior for herself. She walked through flea markets, antique stores, bought antique beautiful furniture different styles. She put it in order, updated it appearance, used various decorative techniques. So the old “junk” acquired a new, incomparable style. And then Rachel decided to give this style a name Shabby Chic.
Not everyone now correctly interprets the meaning of the term “shabby chic”. This is the style of furniture, decor, textiles. In general, the interior style. Currently, the same name is given to some handmade techniques, for example, in decoupage.
It is in this romantic style and decoupage technique we will do bottle for interior decoration. But first, let's find out what it is.
What is shabby chic? From English this phrase translates as “shabby chic, shine.”
Shabby chic is characterized by the use of soft pastel colors. This is boiling white, very rarely cream, light lilac, pale blue and baby pink, ivory, creamy, sea foam. All the colors are beautiful, but seem to have faded with time. Gilding is used in decorative items. Shabby chic is a style associated with romance and airiness. It is to the liking of all creative, dreamy and gentle natures.
Many people confuse Shabby Chic and Provence styles. What is their difference?
Shabby chic is luxury, elegance, and Provence is simplicity and a certain rustic roughness. In Provence there are many images of roses, but there are no angels like shabby chic. In turn, in shabby chic you cannot see bunches of dried herbs and cockerels, as in Provence style (imitation of a French village). Shabby chic allows for subtle stripes and checks.
Decoupage bottles and shabby chic style
To transform the bottle we will need:
- empty bottle beautiful shape with a smooth surface;
- snow-white construction paint and whitewash;
- zero skin;
- sponge and brushes;
- three-layer napkin with flowers;
- scissors with a thin blade;
- colored acrylic paints;
- decoupage varnish;
- water and container;
- small cloth napkin;
- PVA or decoupage glue;
- nylon mesh, bead, needle, thread;
- gold outline.
The first thing you need to do is wash the bottle with soap and wipe dry. Now we prepare the construction white paint, whitewash and sponge. You can buy a sponge in a store or make it yourself from a pencil and a dishwashing sponge.
The main rule when applying layers is to dry each layer. Or, more precisely, they applied one layer and dried it, applied a second layer and dried it, etc.
Dip the sponge into construction paint and “splash” the bottle, applying 5 layers. Afterwards we make 2 layers of white.
When the next (last) layer has dried, sand it with sandpaper.
The surface of the bottle is prepared for drawing. Cut out fragments from a napkin. Separate the layer with the pattern.
Dilute PVA glue one to one with water if it is too thick. And three parts of glue with one water, if the PVA is of normal consistency. We try on a flower fragment, choose a place where it will be better located and look.
We will glue the motifs with a fan brush. It is very convenient because it covers a large surface of the napkin and does not tear it.
The image on the bottle can be made the same on both sides, or different.
To prevent the neck from appearing empty, we apply a design on it tilted to the side.
We cover the dried motifs with the thinnest layer of varnish. It is better to use a synthetic brush.
The glued flowers will look hand-drawn if we paint them. For these purposes, we select paint and paint directly on top of the flowers and leaves.
As you can see, the painted motifs acquired shine and there was a feeling that they were painted.
Now it's the background's turn. The most difficult thing in application is not to step into the floral motifs.
We recommend using a thin brush to make it easier to get into hard to reach places. But before we start, let's go over the varnish. This will give us protection that if we accidentally walk into the flowers, then there is an opportunity to quickly erase them. A thin layer of varnish in this case plays the role of a layer.
The background color for the bottle was chosen to be delicate with beautiful name- sea foam. Mix white and green paint in such proportions to obtain the intended shade. If you overdo it with greens, you will have to dilute it again with white.
After thoroughly mixing the paint, cover the bottle.
This is a stage that requires a lot of patience. We coat the bottle with varnish in 10 layers. Don't forget the rule written above! Let's dry!
Using a golden outline we make a little chic around the rim of the bottom, neck and here and there we “poke” on the background. On forefinger squeeze out a drop of contour and press it with quick touches.
We varnish the bottle again, but two layers are enough.
For decoration neck bottles we will make a flower from tulle. Cut two centimeter-wide strips approximately 40 cm long. Small rectangles for leaves.
In two containers we dilute red and green paints. We throw tulle at them and wait. Since tulle is a nylon fabric, it is reluctant to dye. But we will achieve our goal! After 30-40 minutes we take it out. Let's dry it.
We paint the edges of the thin strip with red acrylic paint.
We cut out leaves from light green rectangles and paint the edges with green. On top of each we draw veins. Waiting for it to dry.
We roll up a flower from a red stripe and secure it with thread. Sew on a trio of leaves. Sew a bead into the center.
We wrap a thin strip of delicate light green color around the neck of the bottle. Sew on the flower.
The work must be done carefully, but do not forget that shabby chic requires the effect of a certain negligence, precision and perfect order- alas, not his strong point.
Shabby chic is a feminine style of “Victorian romance”, which was born in the late 80s of the last century and became popular among young people. Bottle in technology decoupage, completed shabby chic style, will be great decorative element in the interior, adding a touch of nostalgia to it. Using the decoupage technique you can also make unusual vase or funny New Year's balls .
Especially for the site Handicraft Lessons Anna Dranovskaya.