How to Decoupage a Hat Box

Decoupage your plain hat box with printed images to add an artistic look.

The art of decoupage is to adhere cut paper images to almost any surface and apply layers of varnish, or acrylic decoupage medium, to achieve a hand-painted look to your surface. This process is an ideal way to embellish a plain hat box. Your favorite images can create an original piece of art. As a novice, you can achieve beautiful results with your first project..

Things You'll Need

• Newspapers or a sheet of plastic
• Printed paper image
• Craft scissors or craft knife
• Acrylic decoupage medium
• Foam brush

Instructions

1. Protect your flat, clean work surface with newspaper or a sheet of plastic. This project can get a little messy when the acrylic medium is applied.

2. Cut the paper image from its background. Sharp craft scissors or an craft knife with a thin blade will produce a clean smooth edge. Carefully cut around the outline of the image so background color does not appear around your subject.

3. Brush decoupage medium over the entire front and back of your paper image. This will act as a sealer and glue so you can adhere it to your hat box.

4. Remove the lid from your box and brush the acrylic medium onto the section where you wish to apply the paper image.

5. Place your paper image onto the acrylic medium that has been brushed onto the hat box Smooth wrinkles and air-bubbles with your fingers. If the image is large, use a blank card to remove bubbles and wrinkles from your paper. This step must be done while the medium is still wet. When your paper is positioned properly, allow the medium to dry.

6. Brush acrylic medium over the entire hat box including the adhered paper image. Let that coat dry and repeat this step two or three more times until you can no longer feel the edges of your cut-out image. It should look as though it is painted on the original surface.

Tips & Warnings

• If your paper image is printed on its reverse side, paint the back of the paper with white liquid, acrylic paint. This will prevent the image on the back from bleeding through to the front.

• Handle the craft knife with care always cutting away from your fingers. The blades are very sharp and can cause injury.

References

• Online Schools: What is Decoupage?
• Full Circle Studio: A Lesson in Decoupage