How to Make a Decoupage Plaque for Dad

Are you looking for a unique handmade gift to give to Dad? How about a decoupage plaque with family photos and quotes about fatherhood? You can even have the kids paint their hands and put hand prints on the plaque for a heartfelt finishing touch.

Things You'll Need

• Large piece of wood (at least 11"x14")
• Sandpaper
• Wood stain (optional)
• Paint (acrylic works best for the lettering)
• Small lettering paintbrush, fine-tipped
• Snapshots of the family (or just the kids)
• Decoupage glue or adhesive
• Polyurethane spray (to seal and protect everything)
• Slightly damp sponge

Instructions

1. Find a piece of wood that is in good shape. To have enough room for photos and quotes, you'll want a piece at least 11" x 14".

2. Grab the rest of your materials: sandpaper, paint, paintbrushes, wood stain (optional), acrylic paint, paintbrushes, clear coat spray, photos, and decoupage glue.

3. Sand your wood until it is nice and smooth.

4. Stain or paint the wood, if desired. If it is a nice piece of wood you can leave it with an all-natural finish. If you stain or paint the wood you'll need a couple hours of drying time before going on to the next step.

5. Figure out where to place the photos, but don't glue them on yet. Write some inspirational quotes about fatherhood on pieces of paper and place them on the wood with the photos. Move everything around until you're satisfied with the placement. If you want, have the kids put their handprints on paper too, so you can work them into the collage.

6. Now you can start gluing your photos in place. Follow the manufacturer's directions for the decoupage adhesive. To get a good, firm hold, make sure the photos are securely glued down. Get all air bubbles and creases out from under the photos. This is best done by pushing a slightly damp sponge over the photos after they are glued on. This will get out the excess adhesive and flatten all air bubbles.

7. Let the decoupage glue dry overnight. In the meantime, you can paint your quotes on the plaque. Some good fatherhood-related quotes are: "Fatherhood--the toughest job you’ll ever love"; "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother"; or even "A father carries pictures where his money used to be!"

8. Add the handprints to the plaque if you wish. Make sure there is no excess paint on the kids' hands. Do a test run on paper before you put the prints on the wood.

9. Once the paint and glue are dry, you can now spray the clear coat on the plaque to seal everything.

10. If you want to hang the plaque, you can add one of those teeth-like hanging brackets on the back of the plaque.

Tips & Warnings

• If you make a mistake with any of the writing or handprints, just take a wet cloth and wipe the paint off before it dries. Acrylic is water-based, so it is very easy to fix messes before the paint dries. Let the spot dry and start over. If the paint doesn't come off entirely, you can lightly sand the spot before painting again.

• If the kids are very small, don't try to do the handprints; it may too hard to get a good print without paint smearing everywhere.