Preventing Decoupage from Yellowing

Why Decoupage Yellows

Hi.

I am a beginning decoupager and had a wooden stool turn yellow on me.

I used a base coat on it, enamel paint, decoupaged using scrapbooking papers (a light cream color) and Mod Podge and then used an acrylic finish (Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane).

Within a month, the cream color paper decoupaged on now looks light yellow.

Can this happen from old Mod Podge, paint or acrylic.

I'd had the paint for about 2 months, the acrylic for about 6 and the Mod Podge even longer.

I don't want to keep repeating the problem and want to know if there is anything that I can do to fix the one that I now have.

Thx

Sabrina

As for the stool you already did, I don't think there's anything you can do short of removing the acrylic finish; but that would probably ruin your decoupage work.

However I can tell you how to avoid yellowing in the future.

On their website, Minwax describes its Fast-Drying Polyurethane as:

"A clear, fast-drying finish that combines superior durability with the warmth and beauty of traditional polyurethane. It is water-based, therefore it has little odor and cleans up easily with warm water. It protects and adds beauty to interior wood surfaces such as furniture, cabinets, floors and doors."

The key word here is "warmth". That's a tip-off that the finish will yellow with time - which is a look many refinishers want.

If you don't want the warmth of an aged look, buy only clear finishes that specifically say they are non-yellowing like DecoArt DuraClear Poly Varnish.

This is one I can personally recommend. There are many others.

Don't give up on decoupage. It's a wonderful art form and is very much in vogue.

Here is a list of all decoupage related articles on The Artful Crafter.