Introduction: How to Decoupage a Guitar

By Lana Jane Fox
About: Have you been looking for inspiration? So have I! My name is Lana and I am 24 years old, married and living in Melbourne. I love to network, to share my ideas and projects. I am creative and definitely a dream…

Let me first start with a brief explanation as of why I decided to do this project on the first place. The guitar was given to my husband 10 years ago and it belonged to his uncle. It has a great sentimental value, but unfortunately it no longer produced the clear sounds it used to. After my husband saw he won't be able to play on it anymore, the guitar spent around three years in his garage and one day after we got married I just decided something should be done about it. I took it out and I decided I will decoupage it. I apologize in advance for the lack of step-by-step pictures, but I had no one around me to take photos and doing that was the last thing on my mind, since the glue was drying quickly and I had to work fast.

Whenever it comes to a decoupage project, I always say the same to everyone who asks me - techniques don't vary that much whether it is a jewellery box, or a fridge! And yes, you can also do a decoupage to a fridge! Drop me a message and I will share tips with you! In any case don't let appearances fool you. The only thing you should consider is the surface and the size of the paper cut outs. But first things first, here is how to prepare and begin your decoupage project.

Preparation:

Depending on how large your project is, ​professional cleaners from Sydney advice that you always cover with old sheets and cloths the area you work on. This is done in case you drop some glue on the floor, or on the table. It could be really hard to get out, especially if you don't notice it straight away and allow it to dry. In my case I just took an old table cloth and covered the table. I placed the guitar and covered the floor with some sheets. In addition, it is a must to clean and prepare the object of your decoupage project. It should be dust free, clean, smooth and perfectly dry.

Materials:

Sand Paper: Even the smoothest surfaces (at first sight) may have bumps and particles and for this reason you should always sand the object first.

The Paper Cut Outs: you can use absolutely everything - paper from calendars, wall paper, greeting cards, music notes, encyclopedia pages, phone book paper (yellow pages), comic book paper, postcards, napkins or serviettes, old book pages, or pages from illustrated children’s books, newspaper, magazine cuttings, wrapping paper and tissue paper, pages from books in other exotic languages like Arabic, French, Bulgarian, etc. If you are skilled and love to work with Photoshop you can create your own design.When you have your paper cut outs arrange them on the kitchen table or counters and see how they work out together. You can "rehearse" it until you are happy with the final picture. Here you can find some inspiration: http://ihatecleaning.com.au/the-art-of-decoupage/

The Knife: crafting scissors, sharp knife and razor, all work fine. When you cut, think about the type of look you wan to achieve - smoother or a more edgy one. You can even tear the paper with your hands, if you want to. How do you see it in your head?

Glue - one of the most important aspects of your project. You can use Mod Podge, white diluted glue, or even wallpaper paste (but I have never tried this one)

Paintbrush - You will need it to apply the glue on the item/back of the paper cut-outs.

“Sealing the deal” - Once you glue the pictures to the item and the glue has dried, you can use a water-based acrylic sealer. It will preserve your project for longer.

How To

Decoupage is pretty straightforward, but you still need to follow these steps:

1. Sand the surface.

2. Apply a thin layer of glue on the surface of your item and a thin layer of glue at the back of the paper cut outs and press. Repeat with all paper cut outs. Remember, your fingers should move from the middle of the paper cut out towards the edges. Get an old damp cloth and remove any excess glue.

3. Leave it to dry. Once dry, top it off with another layer of glue, or two. A woman that has attempted a project of this kind shares that she applied 5 layers of the acrylic sealer and other people do 10 to twelve coats. It is really up to you and your previous experience of decoupage.

4. Paint over it? In my case I took the paint and brush and enhanced a little bit my paper cut outs by painting over them. 

If you want to actually see with your eyes how it works in practice here is a video that I found useful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hhz0RxCtqo