Decoupage suitcase ideas.

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Decoupage suitcase ideas. Decoupage on a suitcase instruction for beginners. Can you decoupage on a suitcase? How do you decoupage a suitcase with fabric? How do you make an old suitcase look new?

To give the interior a certain style and fill it with a special atmosphere, it is not necessary to buy expensive items in stores. You can create them with your own hands. Today we will talk about decorating an old suitcase in the styles of Provence and Vintage.

Decoupage – what kind of technique is it?

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The technique of decoupage dates back to the Middle Ages. Decoupage was popular at the time of King Louis XVI of France. The first mention of this technique as an art form was at the end of XV century in China. Later, in XVII century, decoupage became popular in Europe. At that time it was fashionable to have in interiors furniture items, decorated with elements in Japanese and Chinese styles.

The essence of the technique is simple and consists of gluing pictures on various objects. Such applique always looks beautiful and gives a special charm to individual items. All the necessary materials can be bought in specialized stores.

Pictures for decoupage should be chosen according to your idea of decoration of a particular object. There are pictures on rice paper, napkins, and even transfer paper which are applied with the help of water.

The variety of pictures is so great that you can easily find an image for every taste, including the vintage and provincial styles.

Tools required

To perform the decoupage technique you will need:
decoupage pictures;
fine-grained sandpaper;
acrylic paste;
stencil;
acrylic primer;
PVA glue or special glue;
acrylic paints;
narrow roller;
brushes;
masking tape;
scissors;
ruler;
pencil;
painting knife;
acrylic varnish.

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Preparation of an old suitcase

As you might already have guessed, today we will make a Decoupage suitcase. But before you start decorating an old suitcase, you need to prepare it. To do this, process its entire surface with fine sandpaper, paying special attention to the irregularities. If the item is so old that holes have formed over time, it is necessary to patch the surface with an appropriate piece of leather. The patch should be attached using glue or self-tapping screws, which should subsequently be plastered. Plaster or acrylic paste is used for this purpose.

Assess the internal condition of the suitcase. If necessary, remove the old lining inside. To get rid of the musty smell, first, wipe the surfaces with a soapy solution, then with a cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide, or make cotton bags with baking soda inside, tie them with string and leave them inside the suitcase. The bags should be changed every week until the smell is completely gone. Scented sachets are also used for the same purpose.

Decoupage suitcase. Step by step instructions

In today’s master class, we’ll take a step by step look at how to decorate a suitcase in the styles of Provence and Vintage with your own hands. To begin with, the entire surface should be covered with primer using a roller, in hard-to-reach places you can use a brush.
It is better to use a roller made of foam, so the layer of primer will lay more evenly.

If one layer is not enough, it is better to cover with the second one, and don’t forget to dry the first one. After that, you need to lightly scrape off the primer with fine sandpaper in some places to give the effect of antique.

For the Decoupage suitcase in the style of Provence, the most commonly used color is a bleached olive shade, as well as lilac, purple, yellow, and pink. If it is vintage style, muted chocolate, gray, and pale blue tones will do. Colors in both styles should not be overly flashy – on the contrary, they should be faded and washed out.

Before you glue the pictures on, arrange the napkins to make a good composition. Depending on which napkin you choose, you will need to cut out the design or glue the entire applique onto the lid of the suitcase. If the napkins are three-layered, only the top layer can be used for the work. If you use rice paper, such a napkin is already ready to use. Put the picture in the right place, take a small amount of glue with a brush and apply it carefully from the center to the edges over the napkin, simultaneously smoothing it to remove air bubbles.

To give an additional antique effect, you can also not smooth the surface, deliberately leaving wrinkles. Here it all depends on the idea of the decor and your imagination. After the glue dries completely, you can apply an additional pattern directly to the resulting illustration through a stencil, which will give the visual effect of several layers of decoration. To do this, using a sponge with a small amount of paint, you need to slightly press over the stencil.

The pressure should be light, so that the pattern looks a little bit fuzzy. As you can see, make a Decoupage suitcase is very easy.

You can not only paint through the stencil, but also apply acrylic paste to make the pattern three-dimensional. To do this, put it in the desired place, press it with your fingers and use a painting knife to apply the paste, filling in the empty areas. If you need a pattern in a certain color, mix the paste with the necessary shade of paint, and then there will be no need to patinate the pattern after it dries. You can also use a dry brush technique – thus you can give your pattern the color you want. This method consists of dipping the brush in the paint and then swiping it on the paper, shaking off the excess. When all the excess remains on the paper, you can make light brush strokes on the ornament, drawing along its entire length. Here is an example of a suitcase decorated in a New Year style.

Instead of a stencil, you can use lace both for the decoration itself and for the pattern which was applied with paint. For this purpose, the coloring substance in a spray can is more suitable. Before using the spray can, you need to shake it well, put the lace in the place where you want to get a pattern and from a distance of 25 centimeters spray the contents on the lace. After that, gently remove the lace.

Another way to decorate is with the help of volume, and this option is cheaper. For this you will need:
An empty glue tube with a thin spout and a lid;
flour;
PVA glue.

Mix the glue with flour until it becomes a thick sour cream, and put the resulting mass in a glue tube. Use a ruler to measure equal distances from the edge of the lid or the base of the suitcase. Make a pencil sketch and apply the mixture along the lines. Some areas can be covered completely if the drawing requires it. Thus you can make the Decoupage suitcase even more beautiful.

All metal parts should be covered with bronze or copper paint. The paint that was used for the general background can also be used. It all depends on the idea and the mood of your soul. Before applying, you should treat all rivets, locks and reinforced metal corners with an alcohol solution to degrease the surface. If there is rust on some parts, do not get upset, as it will look organic and increase the effect of antiquity.

The rust should be sanded down. Then wipe off the dirt and dust. After that, just varnish it. You can also paint if it spoils the overall picture.

For decorating the suitcase handle, you can use twine, lace, or fabric cover. You can leave the old handle without additional decoration if it is in good condition and does not break the general style. Additionally, if desired, the suitcase can be decorated with a braid or cord. Once all the work on the decoration of the suitcase is complete, it should be covered with varnish in several layers. it is very important to dry each layer. You can choose from matt, glossy, semi-matt varnishes and even varnishes with glitter. Varnish should be applied by roller, brush or by spraying. Varnishes are sold both in cans and in spray cans. They can be used indoors because they are odorless.

Cover the inside of the suitcase with a suitable cloth, wallpaper, and old yellowed pages of books and magazines. The corners and perimeter of the bottom, if necessary, can be decorated with braid, textile cord, and lace to hide uneven connections. Let the glue dry completely before using the suitcase. Act in stages, all layers must dry and only then apply new ones. That’s how giving free rein to your imagination and creative impulse, you can update an old thing and complete the interior with a completely unique art object. All thanks to the Decoupage suitcase.