The Kindest Cut

Decoupage is the French word for "cutting" - and it is also the name of one of my favorite art forms! Equal parts precision, creative freedom and therapy, making decoupage art has been my happy place for many years.

I'm a kinesthetic learner. I learn best by doing...with my hands. I think this is another reason I find decoupage so wholly satisfying. I love the feel of the different papers - from the wispy delicate feel of tissue paper to the slick pedestrian department store gift wrap and the rich, cloth-like feel of handmade paper from Italy...India...aaaahhhhhh....it's all heaven for me.

I love to find elements and patterns and colors that will combine to make a pleasing arrangement - that will make the person receiving it smile.

IT ALL STARTED WITH HGTV

I was watching HGTV many years ago, and saw a segment on decoupage under glass. I was enthralled thinking about the endless combinations I could create! I started to visit thrift shops, department stores, anywhere I could pick up clear glass vases, plates, bowls, paperweights...anything I thought I could decoupage. I incorporated original poetry, scripture, wedding invitations, birth announcements, obituaries - I began to use my art to inspire, to commemorate, to memorialize, to celebrate. Each piece was a love letter to the one it was intended for.

After a while, I broadened my reach to decoupage wood pieces, large-scale projects and decoupage on canvas. My art gave a new meaning to the phrase, "Ya feel me?"! Yes, you can feel me! You can run your fingers over the decoupaged piece and feel the crinkle, the frayed edges, the burnt boundaries of my papers. Feel the smooth coolness of the glass or the sanded silkiness of the wood. I love the fascination I see when a person picks up a decoupage piece, and flips it over trying to figure out how it was created. Or when they run their fingers over the papers, feeling the sentiment, feeling the texture, feeling the joy or pain or longing or victory that I embed into the piece. With my hands. With my prayers.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

You can start decoupaging for very little money! All you need is:

• the item you want to decoupage (you can find many items at thrift store)
• one or more decorative papers (range from inexpensive to pricey...your choice!)
• an adhesive medium to stick the paper to the item you are decoupaging (I like Mod Podge, but you can also use diluted Elmer's Glue)
• a foam or paint brush to apply the adhesive
• a sharp pair of scissors
• a sealant to protect the finished product (Mod Podge also serves as a sealant)

For scissors, I like the Fiskars 5" Softgrips - they are great for intricate cutting, like when you want to cut an element out of the paper (like cutting the little birds out of the paper in the image below) as opposed to using torn pieces as is. You can also use a craft knife for removing white space within an element you are cutting.

NEED THERAPY? TRY DECOUPAGE!

If you are feeling "some kinda way" about your life, I'd recommend you try decoupage. It's an awesome opportunity to focus on something besides what you are going through. As you begin, you will find that you can get wonderfully lost in the process of selecting bits to cut out of various papers and arranging the elements to suit the item you are decoupaging. If you are making a gift for someone, you are also activating a powerful spiritual principle; "...whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7) As you create that gift to someone else to brighten their day, to make them smile, to bless their life - rest assured that all of those beautiful acts will come back to you! So pick up the items for your decoupage starter kit, put on some happy music and get started with your paper therapy! You will find that it is almost addictive - and you'll never look at paper the same way again. You'll be buying gift wrap, specialty papers, tissue paper, handmade paper - all kinds of paper! And everywhere you go, you'll find something you can decoupage - the dollar stores usually have great undecorated wood or glass pieces that you can use. Some of the seasonal pieces that they offer as painted wooden cutouts like Easter eggs, Christmas trees, four-leaf clovers and more can also be repurposed. Yep! Decoupage right over the existing paint, or if you need to, cover it with a coat of paint and then go right in with the papers of your choice.

I hope that by sharing my love of decoupage, I've convinced you to try it - remember, the kindest cut you'll ever make is when you are creating decoupage!