Mod Podge Tips and Secrets

Dear friends being a passionate crafter I often feel one of the best things about living in Bangalore is that the largest manufacturer ,importer and seller of Craft supplies in India, Itsy Bitsy is right at my doorstep!

Mod Podge tutorial 

I have guest designed for Itsy Bitsy challenges thrice in the past [Recycled Shadow Box tutorial ,Castle shaped Slider card tutorial ,Origami Basket]but was especially thrilled when Itsy Bitsy owner Rashmi Closepet called me up recently and asked  me if I could showcase any newly launched Itsy Bitsy product!

Decoupaging with Mod Podge 

Mod podge is a product so many crafters rave about and I had been very excited that Itsy Bitsy now stocked Mod Podge + a beautiful range of MDF products just begging to be decoupaged so I chose to work with Mod Podge in a trice!

I am not a professional crafter and most crafty lingo sails right over my head so these tips  are a small attempt to demystify Mod Podge and share a beginners travails!

What is Mod podge? Is it a glue?

Yes Modpodge is a glue …and more!

It can be used to

1. firmly stick paper,tissue paper,beads,cloth etc to surfaces such as wood,cardboard,metal,terracota clay,glass [Plastic is a bit difficult but I’ll come to that later]
2. give a protective coating
3. give an attractive shine and feel to your product

If you have crafted with paper you ‘ll know how fragile the object is..you have to be so careful the paper craft doesn’t accumulate dirt as it literally cant be cleaned!And if you have children then your project is often declared a “no touch” object! [Breaks my heart if I have to tell that to my daughter]

The best thing I like about Mod Podge is you can actually wipe it clean! You may not get away by chucking a mod podged item into a bucket of water but it can take on handling by kiddy hands and some spilled juice!

And I love how mod podge transforms the look and feel of a surface!

What are the types of Mod Podge and how do you choose one?

Mod Podge types

The Mod Podge official website has an impressive though rather intimidating chart of Mod podge types : Plaid Mod Podge Types

Here is a link to a more user friendly  write up :Amy’s Guide to Mod Podge Types

I agree it can still be difficult  to decide which type to use or buy as its expensive and tempting though it is ,one cant buy every Mod Podge variety on the shelf!

The secret to deciding is understanding that the different Mod Podge types just vary in the 3 basic properties of Mod Podge I have numbered above!

Choosing Mod Podge type based on what you want to stick

• To stick paper or tissue paper [see napkin decoupage]on MDF/cardboard/glass- choose Matt [Yellow bottle]
• To stick paper /other objects in a scrapbook choose Paper Mod podge[blue bottle]- as its acid free and dries faster.
• To stick fabric to fabric or other surface choose Fabric Mod podge as it also prevents cut fabric from fraying if you apply it and let it dry before cutting.If you are not going to wash it you can also use Matt Mod podge like I did on the lace of my tissue box

Choosing Mod Podge type based on Protective Property required

• Regular decoupage decorative item-Matt Mod Podge
• Furniture-Hard Coat Mod Podge[Purple]
• Project which will be used a lot-Hard Coat Mod Podge [Purple]
• Project will be outside-eg clay pots,furniture – Outdoor Mod Podge[Green]
• Paper Quilled jewellery- Matt,Gloss,Satin Mod Podge

Choosing Mod Podge type based on final appearance/finish required

Satin , Gloss ,Sparkle, Glitter ,Brushstroke,Antique,Glow in the dark – can be applied as top coats on your project to get the effect their name suggests.

Tip : If you are just starting out and want to buy just one bottle

Get either a Matt or a Satin Mod podge.

Secrets to Succeed in your first Mod Podge Decoupage project

Decoupage is not the easiest or quickest of crafts as it requires quite a bit of patience!There is a bit of a learning curve in decoupage as most of us tend to rush things and in decoupage you wont realise the mistakes till the project is nearly done !

Here are some secrets to be super happy even with your first Mod Podge project.

Choosing what to stick

Mod Podge tips

• Paper is the easiest medium to work with
• Type of paper -Pattern Paper is the easiest to decoupage. Yes I am a recycling fan and would love to Modpodge with magazines and newspapers but the inks on these papers can bleed when you apply the top coat of your decoupage medium!
• Thickness of paper –Medium thickness pattern paper is the easiest to decoupage –will stick more easily and wrinkle less.Try napkin decoupage only after you’ve got the hang of decoupaging normal paper!
  

  
• Pattern paper design- a busy design or a natural textured design such as I have used here will hide mistakes beautifully and you can get away with a bit of wrinkling on your project!
• Pattern paper colour-Choose a pattern paper design with dark or bright colours. If your pattern paper colour is of a light shade you need to go the extra step to paint the surface you are going to decoupage on plus wrinkles and bubbles show up clearly

Choosing what to decoupage

• MDF products are the easiest to decoupage as the surface is smooth and even and you dont have to waste time sand papering the surface
• An object with straight symmetrical sides and flat surfaces like a square or rectangular box is the easiest to decoupage .It will be easier to accurately cut your pattern paper as well as stick it !Believe me negotiating curves and corners is tricky!

Mod Podge technique Tips for beginners

Mod Podge tutorial 

These tips are brought to you by my 7 year old daughter who has donned the Itsy Bitsy Designer Apron for this project!

Mod Podge tips

Mark out the dimensions of each side of your decoupage object

• lightly – no need to put pressure and get indentation marks on your paper!
• on the reverse side of your pattern paper
• using a pencil- pen or marker inks can bleed into your paper when wet

Mod Podge tutorial 

Cut out paper for all the sides of your object

• Dont worry if you fall short for one side-If  the chosen design of your pattern paper is a busy one you can use bits and pieces and the final product wont show it.
• Be as accurate as possible in matching the paper to the sides –I found it was better to err in cutting out a paper smaller than larger.
• Problems if your paper is larger than your decoupage object’s side –it looks unsightly and has an irritating tendency to lift up and to salvage the situation you will have to trim it, sand it or nail file it later [all time consuming un-enjoyable processes] !

Mod Podge tutorial 

What to use to apply Mod Podge – Paint brush or sponge ?

The humble paint brush is easily available  so an obvious first choice

• Use one with a flatter head and not the bushy type I have shown above as its easier to apply the Mod Podge and gives a more uniform stroke even in nonexpert hands! [see how messy and un uniform the strokes are with the paint brush.

Mod Podge tips

• If you are a young crafter,a non artist[translate to not an expert at painting] or a decoupage beginner ,the sponge applicator is a much easier tool to work with

Mod Podge tutorial 

• You can use the paint brush for the base coat but we found the sponge  gave neater covering and uniform strokes which is more important for the top coats.

Mod Podge tutorial 

• Beware of hairs from cheaper brushes falling off and sticking to your decoupaged surface marring the whole appeal!
• Sponges soak up a lot of the expensive Mod Podge and if you are a frugal crafter like me you will cringe when you go to wash the sponge brushes and see how much Mod Podge goes to waste!
• Normal paint brushes are easier to clean[With sponges you will have to squeeze and splatter Mod Podge everywhere!]

How to stick your paper

Mod Podge tutorial 

Ha ha what’s so special about that you may ask! Well…everything!!

• Mod Podge dries fast so as soon as you have applied your base coat stick your paper
• Make sure you have applied a good coating of Mod Podge – too less and your paper will lift and bubble [quite irritating to see!]
• Align the paper on the decoupage object and gently but firmly smoothen out the paper with the edge or your hand or even fingers to get a good adhesion- a key step to avoid wrinkling and bubbling .Alternatives are a plastic old credit card /a stamping brayer/local foam roller from hardware shops.
• If your paper is of the thinner variety or you are too rough you can tear the paper!

Mod Podge tutorial 

How to Mod Podge an aperture

Mod Podge tutorial 

• If you are decoupaging a tissue box make sure you apply Mod Podge all around the aperture

• After sticking on the paper make slits like above using a sharp pointed scissors or craft knife[ha ha no need to be as untidy as shown here!]from the centre to the aperture rim,apply Mod Podge on the under-surface  and fold over and stick the paper triangles . 

Applying the Top Coats

Mod Podge tips

• The most important thing in this step is to not rush to do it!Wait for the base coat to dry for at least 15 mins!
• We are all impatient souls and yes my kiddo and I did discover what happens if you try to apply a top coat too soon…your paper will try and lift right off!!
• Apply the Mod Podge in one direction and evenly – this will ensure a masterpiece!

Decoupaged tissue box

How to Mod Podge fabric lace

Decoupaged tissue box

• If you are not going to wash your project you need not use fabric Mod Podge variety to Mod Podge fabric.We used Matt Mod Podge here



Mod Podge lace

• You can use Mod Podge to adhere your lace but a quicker option is to stick double sided tape [also called wonder tape] on your surface, stick on the lace firmly and then apply a generous seal of  Mod Podge

Fabric decoupage

Coating the lace with  Mod Podge  gives a secure adhesion , a nice seal and a beautiful shine to it.

Mod Podge tutorial 

I wanted our tissue box to be truly functional so avoided fragile paper embellishments [see an earlier Altered Tissue box]and used some gorgeous Jesse James buttons from Itsy Bitsy [chopped off the backs].

Altered tissue box

These button embellishments are expensive but so cute my daughter begged me to buy them!And since I am not much of a seamstress what better way to showcase them than in a 3 D project we can look at everyday

Tissue box Mod Podge 

I love the little cup and saucer with the deep pink spoon!The little doggy buttons are my daughter's favourite…which ones are yours?

Mod Podge tissue box

I used regular white glue to stick on all the plastic buttons and to my delight when I accidentally smeared a bit of extra glue on the Mod Podged surface I could wipe off the glue without leaving any stain—thats the magic of Mod Podge!

Mod Podge tutorial 

Though decoupage is not a kiddy craft I purposely let my young crafter undertake it to see what would be the mistakes a beginner working with Mod Podge would make..I hope our tips will prove beneficial.

Do share your own tips and decoupage aspirations
Edited : If you face the problem of mod podged items become sticky ...apply   Asian paints Aquador Varnish

Supplies : All from Itsy Bitsy : Mod Podge ,MDF tissue box, DCWV decoupage paper, Pearl-Rhinestone stickers,Jesse James buttons,Wonder tape,Pink pearls