Add
fun and whimsy to a baby’s room with a simple technique called
decoupage (day-koo-paj). This process can be applied to any smooth
painted or unpainted wooden surface. On the following pages, we’ve
supplied animal templates and suggestions for paper patterns. Before
beginning for real, practice on a piece of scrap wood. Once you’re
comfortable with the process and you’ve gathered together your
materials, you can easily complete a project in an afternoon—perhaps
during your child’s nap.
The animals shown here were made by simply attaching paper cutouts to furniture with coats of glue. Our animal templates and step-by-step instructions will help you get started. |
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| Before
beginning, practice on a piece of scrap wood. Once you’re comfortable
with the process and you’ve gathered your materials, you can easily
complete a project in an afternoon—perhaps during your child’s nap. |
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Animal Parade
Harriet
the Hippo may be the leader of the pack, but Mr. Giraffe is in charge
of keeping a sharp watch for any approaching bad dreams—because, of
course, he’s got the best sight line. To create this quartet of
creatures, we painted the bottom and legs of a wooden crib light green;
then we added the decoupage animals and a yellow sun. |
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Whale of a Tale
To
make William the Whale, enlarge the template and place it on an
unpainted stool. With a pencil, extend the waterline that runs through
William’s body so it goes to the edges and down the sides of the stool:
This creates the sea and the sky. Remove the template. Paint the sky
and legs of the stool a light blue, and the ocean a darker shade. After
the paint is dry, decoupage the whale; we used darker blue for the eye
and underwater section, and different patterns for both of his other
parts.
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Scottish Terrier
What
suits a friendly Scottie better than plaid? If you aren’t able find the
perfect pattern in a decorative paper, simply photocopy a favorite
fabric to make a paper version. |
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Bird Trio
Who
wouldn’t enjoy waking up to these little chicks? You can almost hear
the chirp, chirp of their cheery conversation. By positioning the birds
along the bottom of a drawer, we made them look as if they’re perched
on a wire. Our bluebirds are of different patterns and shades of the
same color. You can achieve a similar effect using reds (for
cardinals), yellows (for canaries), or pinks (for any bird at all). To
show the birds’ cheeps, you might add a few musical notes. |
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The Three Bears
Your
little girl or boy will be happy to learn that Goldilocks’ three bear
friends live right in the bedroom closet. These cute and useful hangers
are easy to produce: Each bear’s face is constructed of just nine
circles. A set of these would make a lovely gift for any newborn. |
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| HOW TO DECOUPAGE |
Materials
Origami, craft, or construction paper, or wallpaper or card stock
Water-based glue sealant such as mod podge
Quality bristle brush
Scissors
Transparent tape
Utility knife
Straight edge
Hole punch
Pencil
Water-based polyurethane (optional) |
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Technique
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| 1. Enlarge the animal templates
to no more than 4 inches wide or the final pieces may pucker and bubble
when glued. Make one copy for each major part of the animal (for
example, you’d make two copies of the elephant—one for the body and one
for the ear; use a hole punch to make the eye). Cut out each piece of
the templates about 1/4 inch from the outline; tape on top of
decorative paper. Cut out along lines using scissors; use a utility
knife and a straight edge for straight lines. Mark the body lightly
with a pencil to indicate the positions of the other elements. |
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| 2.
Clean the surface of the item to be decoupaged; let it dry. Make a mark
with a pencil to indicate where the animal body will go on the surface,
and brush a coat of glue over that area. Then set the cutout on top of
the glue. Smooth out any bubbles with clean, wet fingers (so fingers
don’t stick to the glue). |
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| 3.
When the glue is still tacky but mostly dry (about 4 minutes), brush a
coat of glue over the top; place smaller cutouts in designated spots.
Wait about 4 more minutes, and then brush on another coat. If you
notice bubbling or puckering, again smooth out the cutout with clean,
wet fingers, but don’t overdo it; at this step the paper usually
flattens as it dries. Wait 20 minutes, then brush on another coat. Add
two more coats (or more if paper is particularly thick), waiting 20
minutes between each. If desired, finish with a coat of water-based
polyurethane once glue is completely dry (apply according to the
manufacturer’s instructions). The polyurethane will provide extra
durability and will also help protect your design in case it is exposed
to moisture (as in a bathroom). |
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| Note: if in the future you decide to remove the decoupage animal from the surface, any underlying paint will be removed as well. |
