Making Japanese Decoupage

Decoupage is a classic Italian art form that originated in the 17 century, and imitated the beautiful lacquerware brought over from the Far East. The high gloss combined with intricate painting encouraged Italians to create something similar, but due to the high demand, resorted to the method of cutting out the art forms, then pasting and lacquering them to a wide variety of objects: vases, boxes, candlesticks, and practically anything else that had a flat surface. Most everyone has made an attempt of decoupaging something to make it more decorative. Using distinct Japanese designs in decoupage is fun and easy and will have your friends asking you if you have traveled to Tokyo recently.

Basic Decoupage Materials

A water-based glue is the best type of glue for decoupaging. Avoid using thick craft glues for this project like Tacky glue as this will leave lumps under the paper when it dries. Elmer's glue has long been regarded as the best glue for this art form. In addition to the glue, you will also need a paintbrush to help spread the glue, a small cup of hot water to place the brush in between usage, and a good pair of sharp scissors. Use only scissors that are intended for paper, and have never been used for cutting fabric, metal, plastic, or any other substance. A can of spray shellac or clear acrylic will provide the finishing touch to your decoupage design.

Paper for Japanese Decoupage

Traditional Japanese paper that contains pretty decorations and patterns on it can be used for decoupage. This paper is called washi and is good to use for decoupage purposes since it is thin, easy to handle, and come in a wide variety of colors, including metallic gold, silver, bronze, and copper. The Japanese Paper Place and The Paper Source carries many attractive papers with distinct Japanese designs for decoupaging. Of course, you may have come across other papers with Japanese art, such as pictures in magazines, postcards, old greeting cards, and the like. Look for plum blossom, peach blossom, cherry blossom drawings from other sources that can easily be cut out and glued to form a new design for your projects. Pictures of Japanese figures, geisha, samurai, and Mt. Fuji can also be used for decoupage. For greeting card scenes, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Shop carries a set of Japanese card called Flowers and Grasses of the Four Seasons for only $4.49. Keep an eye out for other paper based items whenever you go to yard sales, flea markets, and paper shows. Don't forget to check out your local scrapbooking supply store for papers with Japanese designs, too. Organize your collection of papers by type: washi, greeting cards, postcards, etc.

Gold Leaf and Mother of Pearl

Two distinct items that appear in almost all Japanese decoupage projects are gold leaf and mother of pearl. Gold leaf can be purchased through major craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Mother of pearl, on the other hand, is a fragile substance which makes it to work with, as beautiful as it is. A better alternative is using scrapbooking or origami paper with an opalescent finish. Michaels carries such origami paper. Gold leaf can be used as an entire sheet to form a new background for another design. The opalescent paper can be used for small flower and fruit blossom forms, animals, or clouds in a design. Draw your design on the back of the opalescent paper before cutting it out.

Japanese Decoupage Ideas

Start out with a simple project of decorating a vase with decoupage. The vase can be plastic or glass. A vase with a shiny gloss is the best for this purpose. Cut out your designs from the paper and arrange them on the table in front of you. Once you have them placed in the way desired, you can start gluing the paper to the vase. Squeeze a thin layer of Elmer's glue on the back of the paper around the edge. Use the brush to spread the glue, but make sure no glue winds up on the right side of the paper. Position the paper design directly onto the vase and gently smooth the paper with your thumb. Repeat the process with the rest of the paper: gold leaf and opalescent shapes, figures, and objects from nature like reeds and grasses. When the paper dries, take your vase outside and set it on a few sheets of newspaper. Now you are ready to shellac it. Use the spray shellac or acrylic according to the directions on the can; avoid inhaling the fumes. Apply between 3 to 5 coats, but allow each application to dry thoroughly before spraying the vase again. Once the coats have all dried, the vase can be used in your home.

Other Japanese decoupage items you can make include:

Soap dish. A soap dish made of a clam shell can be decoupaged in the same way. This time, use a sheet of gold leaf cut to the inside shape of the clam shell. Glue the gold leaf at the edges of the shell. In the center, glue Japanese figures or a blossom spray of opalescent paper.

Jewelry. Pendants, earrings, and bangles can all be made with Japanese decoupage. Wood or plastic can be used, but if the wood is plain and needs painting first, apply a coat of spray paint, taking the same precautions you do with the shellac. Arrange smaller Japanese patterned paper onto the pendant or bangles, and glue.

Chopstick rests. Use long shaped stones smoothed by the ocean or riverbed for this project. Here the stones can be painted, or left plain with their natural color. Wash the stones so they are clean and dry. Cut out small designs from paper before gluing them to the stone. The chopstick rests do not all have to look alike; experiment with different colors for each stone. Some ideal color combinations: red, gold leaf, and opalescent; black, gold leaf, and blue; yellow, green, and gold leaf.

Paperweights. Stones that are smooth and anywhere between 2 1/2" to 3" in size can be made into pretty paperweights. As with the chopstick rests, these stones can be spray painted before the paper is applied. Preferred paint colors are: gold, silver, red, blue, and black. You can create a paperweight of a geisha, Mt. Fuji, or cherry blossom spray.

Lastly, Japanese decoupage items make great gifts for friends and family members.

Decoupage of Japan, Yukiko Nomura. Tokyo: Ei Shuppan-Sha. 1985.