Decorating with Beautiful Decoupage

Beauty comes in many forms, and combinations of materials can be used to create art in almost any venue. For artists and crafters who are seeking unique items, decoupage has long been a source of artistic creation that is fun as well as easy to accomplish. Its simplest form requires using one or more pieces of printed paper and affixing them to a surface with glue, and the piece can be finished within only a few hours. Those with an artistic flare will often find they are inspired to find unusual shapes and prints to make their creations stand out.

When decoupage first became popular, it was Chinese artists who filled the world with their beautiful objects. They began with pieces of paper coloured and cut out to be affixed to many common objects, but their art form soon grew as it became more popular. Artists in that culture managed to spread their works throughout the world, and other cultures began to copy it. Demand for decoupage was exceedingly high, and artists who were eager to make a comfortable living learned this unique paper art.

While it originated in the East, many Western cultures found decoupage to be an enticing way to add colour and decoration to their homes. The techniques were quite easy to master, so even those with little or no training found they had the ability to create their own pieces when they could not afford originals from known artists. It filtered down through many cultures, and it is still widely practiced in the modern world.

The original Chinese artists began with coloured paper, and they branched out into other materials such as cloth. They focused on bright or bold colours, and these were covered with clear lacquer to keep them in place. As time went on, the glue used today was developed. Modern decoupage artists have a wide variety of choices, and it can be done on a professional level or as a hobby.