>Home>Craft Ideas>Decoupage>Bubbles in Mod Podge

Bubbles in Mod Podge

Getting a Smooth Decoupage Finish

“Turn Off the (Mod Podge) Bubble Machine!”

How to cure bubbles and wrinkles in Mod Podge.

I've been using Mod Podge, and I have a problem---though I'm not sure if it is with the product I'm using or my technique.

I am decoupaging pieces of scrapbook paper (about 4" x 6") onto painted wooden plaques.

I am careful to spread the glue evenly, and when I'm finished, I do one top coat.

About half the time, air bubbles appear as the glue starts to dry. I can't get them out at that point, which means I need to essentially start all over again---sanding the plaque and making new cutouts.

I've worked really hard to insure that there aren't any air bubbles beneath the paper, but I don't seem able to do this consistently.

Should I not be doing the top coat at the same time as I'm gluing the paper to the plaque? I think I've tried to wait until it dries and had the same things happen anyway.

Any advice for me? I'm feeling very frustrated!

Lisa

---

Ooooo, I feel your pain. I’ve been there – done that.

I think you’re talking about bubbles and wrinkles on the paper rather than bubbles that form in the Mod Podge from over-brushing.

Patience is the key.

Mod Podge never reaches a hard cure. So every time you add another coat, the previous Mod Podge coat absorbs some of the new moisture and softens again.

The paper you thought you had smoothed so flat, buckles and bubbles as it too takes in some of the new moisture.

Do not panic. Do not undo all your hard work. Leave the room and come back tomorrow.

Chances are that, given sufficient time for the newly introduced moisture to evaporate, your images will flatten right back down again.

Mod Podge is a wonderful product – once you understand its properties.

---

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

  |Top | Decoupage | Crafts | Home |