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Crackle Decoupage Finishes

Vintage Look Decoupage

Crackling medium is used to give a distressed painted look to (usually) wood items. If you simply decoupage a picture on top of a crackled finish, part of your item will look vintage while the picture will be smooth. However there is a way to crackle your art work too.

Crackling medium is not strong enough to pull regular paper apart. You need to transfer or print your art work onto thin tissue paper like that found on 3-ply cocktail napkins.

Since decoupage is usually done with multiple cut out images, you can even apply this technique to large items like furniture.

How to Apply Crackling Medium

Print Your Images

Select your image(s) from your clip art collection or scan image(s) into your computer. The size of your pieces is limited by two things: your computer printer; and the size of your tissue paper.

Peel the two unprinted backing layers from a 3-ply napkin.

Lay one piece on top of a scrap piece of card stock to carry the tissue paper through the printer. Secure the tissue paper with a strip of transparent tape on both the top and bottom edges. Make sure the tissue is smooth so it won’t catch in your printer. Print the image(s) and set aside to dry.

Paint and Crackle the Surface

Follow label directions to apply your base color and top (crackle) color. I used a dark blue base and white top coat in the example above. DecoArt Weathered Wood is the crackling medium.

Apply and Crackle Art Work

[If your crackling medium needs to be applied on top of the coat to be crackled, simply adjust this step accordingly.] Apply crackling medium.

Wait the recommended drying time.

Spray tissue paper image with water. This is to weaken the paper and make it similar in tensile strength to wet paint. Position each image and watch it crackle.

Seal and Finish

Coat your vintage look decoupage with your choice of sealant.

For more on decoupage, visit The Decoupage Index Page.

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Recommended Reading

These books are excellent resources for decoupeurs. Not only do you get tips and techniques, but also artwork that you can use in your own projects.

New Decoupage: Transforming Your Home With Paper, Glue, and Scissors By: Durwin Rice The Victorian Scrap Gallery: A Collection of over 500 Full-Color Victorian-Era Images By: Dee Davis Absolute Beginner's Decoupage: The Simple Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Beautiful Decoupage By: Alison Jenkins Collage Discovery Workshop: Make Your Own Collage Creations Using Vintage Photos, Found Objects and Ephemera By: Claudine Hellmuth 930 Matchbook Advertising Cuts of the Twenties and Thirties (Pictorial Archive Series) By: Trina Robbins Decoupage: A Practical Guide to the Art of Decorating Surfaces with Paper Cutouts By: Dee Davis

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