How to do decoupage on plywood – a guide for beginners

Decoupage on plywood is easier than you think

Decoupage means covering an object with a design from a napkin or paper and sealing it with varnish. Plywood is ideal for it because it is smooth, light and easy to paint. Below are the steps that work for our hanging ornaments and other plywood blanks.

What you need

• a plywood blank, for example a hanging ornament,
• fine sandpaper,
• acrylic paint (for the background),
• a decoupage napkin or rice paper,
• decoupage glue or diluted water-based glue,
• a flat, soft brush,
• acrylic varnish,
• string for hanging.

Step by step

1. Gently sand the surface and edges with fine sandpaper, then wipe off the dust.
2. Paint the plywood with a light acrylic paint, preferably in 2 thin coats, and let it dry well.
3. Separate the thin top printed layer of the napkin. Cut or tear out the motif you want.
4. Brush a thin layer of glue on the plywood, lay the motif on it and smooth it with the brush from the middle outwards.
5. Seal the top with a thin layer of glue and let it dry well.
6. Smooth the edges gently with sandpaper, then apply 2–3 thin coats of varnish, drying each one.
7. Thread the string through the hole and hang the finished ornament.

Tips

• use thin layers of paint, glue and varnish, because wet plywood can warp slightly,
• smooth the motif from the middle outwards so it does not wrinkle,
• a light background makes the napkin design stand out,
• paint the edges and the back too so the ornament looks finished.

Most common mistakes

• too much glue, which makes the napkin wrinkle and tear,
• gluing two or three layers of napkin instead of one,
• no varnish, so the design rubs off easily,
• varnishing too soon, before the glue has dried.

Where to buy blanks

You will find wooden hanging ornaments and other plywood blanks for decorating in our offer on Allegro.

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