Decoupage Starter Kit. Where Should a Beginner Start? Part 2

We discussed the tools you'll need for the work in this article. Now let's figure out which materials are needed for decoupage itself:

Primer. Beginner crafters often neglect this and to their detriment. First, primer guarantees a long life for our piece. Second, it ensures reliable adhesion of paint and the motif to the surface. Third, primer can replace white paint, which is used most often. Fourth, the consumption of background paint is reduced by half.

Patterns and motifs. Decoupage is about working with ready-made designs; drawing from scratch is not necessary. You can use ready motifs on rice paper, special decoupage sheets, but the easiest way to start is with decorative napkins. It's much easier and cheaper, and you can buy them in any supermarket.

Glue. To start, you can use ordinary office or construction PVA. But in its original form it is not suitable; it needs to be diluted. How to make it can be read in the article. There is also special decoupage glue, but in my experience there is no big difference, and I prefer PVA. Read here about the difference between decoupage and office glue. There is also glue-varnish for decoupage, which combines glue and finish coat, but this option is suitable only if you make single-layer pieces and already know how to work with different materials.

Paints. Gouache, watercolor, spray cans – are not suitable for this work. Only acrylics. You can choose any brand; with experience you'll understand which you like best, so you don't need to buy large quantities at first. As for colors, 7–8 colors are enough; with them you can create new colors and shades:

• white;
• black;
• ochre;
• red;
• yellow;
• blue;
• brown;
• you can add green.

If you plan to continue working in decoupage technique, I recommend picking up acrylic contour pens. They will help quickly and conveniently highlight even the smallest details.

Acrylic varnish. This is the final layer, the use of which is mandatory. The material differs in gloss level. For the first projects it's better to take a semi-matte water-based varnish (it has no smell and dries quickly).

All of the above is not expensive, and with such a simple set you can easily decorate any pieces for a long time.

If you know which items can be substituted with others, or if you have other tools in your arsenal, write in the comments — maybe I can learn something interesting too.