I guess decoupage- using paper napkins (not those use see at eateries) for arts and craft, is not very common in Singapore. The first time I saw it was in Bangkok, which is also the place I've got all my nice colorful napkins.I guess it's pretty common in Bangkok as there's a lot of people crowding at the stalls selling paper napkins at Chatukchak. So here I am to share what I bought at Bangkok and also how to use them to decorate a plain basket bag (and basically everything else).
Here's some of the cute napkin I've got from Chatukchak weekly market and some shopping malls in Bangkok (the image shows 1/4 of the napkin i.e. it can be opened up like normal napkin into a bigger piece):
Which girl can resist the temptation of having beautiful cupcakes and an adorable teddy dressed in sailor suit for their tea party?
Floral, floral and more floral. I guess floral print is the easiest to use when comes to background for arts and craft, thus I've got a a lot of them. Mostly roses and carnations in different colors as I think it'll be simpler to mix and match (you wouldn't want roses, carnations, hibiscus, lilies, tulips, orchids all in one picture right??)
And Victoria style! I love Victoria style a lot, it's so ENGLISH. But there's not a lot of variety so I've only got these two designs.
Here's what I used to give my plain basket bag a personal touch:
1. A plain basket bag (I've got mine from chatukchak).
p/s: I took this picture when I was half way done with painting for the background so the bottom was in white while the top was still in its original color.
2. White acrylic paint for base
3. A painting brush
4. Decoupage glue- literally glue for decoupage art
5. Varnish- a protective layer to make you end product looks glossy
6. Sponge
7. Scissors
8. Napkin papers
For paper napkins, I've chosen sailor bear as the focus of the project.
And using pale, watercolor-look-alike roses as background.
First, paint the bag with 2 layers of white acrylic paint.
Then, cut out the images you want and arrange them accordingly on the bag (or a piece of paper or anything you want to paste on) so that you can visualize how they will look like when you actually glue them on the bag.
After you've decided on the arrangement, add some water to the sponge and gently tap the image one by one using the damp sponge.
Do not use too much water as it will spoil the fragile napkins.
Then, paint a layer of decoupage glue on the napkins when they are almost dry from the water.
Paint SLOWLY and CAREFULLY as the glue tend to make the napkins stick to the brush.
Wait for the glue to dry completely and add a layer of varnish to protect the image.
And you're done!
p/s: Adding varnish could be your last step. Here, I choose to change the button so it looks cuter =)
I am so going to bring this bag for picnic REAL SOON =))
