How to brighten up old furniture using serviettes

What you will need:

1. An old piece of furniture that could do with a face lift
2. A selection of serviettes
3. Easy to Decoupage by The Blanc Canvas or any similar waterbased glue
4. Small flat paint brush
5. A glass of water
6. Sealant for final application

Today was another ‘shut down’ day, so my best option was to get involved in creativity. I have a few stools in my studio, all dark brown wood and pretty boring.

I started off by painting one coat of white universal undercoat. I really enjoy doing projects that start off clean and white.

Half an hour in the sun to dry and I was on my way!

I chose loads of serviettes from my collection (being a creative I’m a hoarder of almost everything!), mainly the very colourful ones.

I love using serviettes for decoupaging!

As most brands are 3 ply, I separated the layers before starting. Always use only the top graphic layer.

Tear around the image you want to use. A really easy way to do this is to dip a small brush in water and randomly trace around the image you want. The serviette will easily pull away from your image.

Place your image onto you project. Dip a small flat brush into your “Easy to Decoupage’ glue and starting in the centre of your image smooth outwards applying a little pressure.

This process will “iron out” and prevent wrinkles and push out any air bubbles.

Continue placing one serviette after the next, close enough to blend, but without overlapping.

The reason why I tear the serviettes is that I don’t like straight borders… Blending different colours and designs gives a creative natural effect.

Once your project is completed, apply a waterbased sealant. “FurniSeal” from the Blanc Canvas is my preferred sealant as it’s easy to apply, does not create a shine and does not discolour or go yellow.

Most varnishes go yellow with age.

If your project is for outside, apply a few coats of FurniSeal to reduce element damage.

The sealer creates a thin waterproof film which protects your project and allows you to wipe down with a damp cloth when dusty.

I hope you give this a try… you will be forever hooked!

Please contact me at ray@crystalcandy.co.za for any questions you may have.

Thank you for reading this blog… I hope you learnt from it!