Decoupage
 

I am considering making decoupage paddles as a gift or gifts for other Greeks, older members of my chapter, neos, etc.

I have a few questions, though.

1) Should I start totally from scratch, with an unstained piece of wood? Can I decoupage onto already stained wood?

2) Can I do photos?

3) How about stuff I print off of my computer....will regular white paper hold up okay?

4) Finally, for anyone who has actually done it before, could you just outline the details in this thread? Helpful tips? Common mistakes?

Thanks!

I've done a bit of decoupage in the past. It's fun and makes unique gifts.

I'm not too sure about the wood. I typically do glass or plastic. I do know some friends have done wooden stools in the past, though, so I would say stained/finished wood would be ok.

Pictures are fine. I'm not too sure about things printed on white paper. I'm not sure if they would run or not when you put the decoupage on them.

Basically the only hints I have are practice on something small first to see the right amount to use. Don't use too much or too little.

Good luck :D

this might help but....

try www.michaels.com
It's a craft store (or at least it should be on the website.) Anyway, they list tips and project sheets online. Decoupage should be one of them.

Anyway, I have heard to start with a clean surface so i would assume unfinished. And you can do magazine pictures cuz I have seen it done so I think photographs and printer paper will work. They sell the glue stuff at craft stores.

ETA: I agree though with the above post... if you use an inkjet, the ink will probably run when wet. See if you can get a sealent or print on a color laser printer... maybe.

What the heck are you all talking about? Is this like paper machet?

-Rudey

kinda...

It is basically cutting pictures, pasting them onto something, and sealing it.

Hmmm, interesting. I'm all over this! SUMMER PROJECT!! I created vases for my student's jr. prom. I printed out pics of them taken throughout the year, pasted them on the vase and sealed it. They were so cute!! I printed out the pics on my inkjet and I didn't have a problem at all.

It works better on stained/finished wood because other wise the glaze soaks into the wood and you have to use a ton of it.

you can totally use printed things from your inkjet printer or what not. Just be careful.. so use too much decoupage glue.. then it will run. I made a scrapbook for my BF for Valentine's Day.. I decoupaged the whole thing.. it worked really well.

You can decoupage wood, but as said above.. using a stained, or pre-treated wood will probably work better.

I love decouaging.. SO MUCH FUN!

:D

Thanks to everyone....I appreciate it!

:D

Just being a real Dip but why is this on Greek Life and what in the heck does it have to do with it??:confused: :rolleyes:

Okay, it is something to do with paddles, move it to Chit Chat! Sorry has been a bad day!:eek:

Paddles are traditionally given as gifts between Greeks.

VOILA!

NO STUFF! But, I think that went out with Hazing, it did with LXA!

Called a show of Hazing, get it!

While I may not agree, I dont know IF YOUR SORITITY STILL DOES IT!

You seem to be the resident Guru of Greek Life?:confused:

You just amaze me!;)

Hey, Sen...there is actually a 'how to' article about it in Good Housekeeping! I just picked it up on Sunday.

aj

Tom Earp
 

Look. I am having a hard time ignoring you, seeing as how you are a Moderator and all. But how about in the future, if you have a concern about where MY posts belong, you send a PM to the appropriate moderators. As far as I can tell, you are NOT a moderator for Greek Life, so how about you leave it to them to worry about?

Furthermore, paddles have been part of GREEK LIFE for ages, so I don't even see how you can't understand why I put this in the GREEK LIFE section. In fact, you COULD have PMed me, but you were so busy trying to "flex" you didn't even think to do the more Brotherly thing. In your words, DA! I SPECIFICALLY wanted to know whether I could decoupage onto wood, stained or unstained, and if anyone has done this before to share their experiences. You haven't, so hush your fool mouth.

Finally, please don't tell me, or attempt to tell me, what is allowed or not allowed in my organization. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., does NOT have policies against the use of paddles as gifts between members. Neither does Alpha Phi Omega. You remember them, the frat you claim when it's convenient to you?

In closing, you are not gangsta.

That is all.

ajuhdg, I think my mom might read that, I'll see if she picked it up! Thanks!

Our paddles are not now a display of hazing, and in my chapter they never were.

So yes, my chapter still does paddles (we do them by new member class, one for each NM and one for the living room of our house).

I'm not the guru of Greek Life, I'm just a little more MODERN than some of you.

Now let's all go to the Legion and talk about the good ol' days and watch Benny Hill turned up real loud.

Hey, my mom had that copy of Good Housekeeping....the article was helpful!

If I try this over the summer, I will let y'all know how it turns out.

Hmmmmmm.....maybe this can be a birthday gift for my mom!!!!! (DST, Fall '71)

So nearly two years later, I am finally decoupaging something, LOL.

Actually, I did decoupage a small box and it turned out very nicely.

So now I am finally finishing up my APO line's paddle. I will post a picture when it's done. On the back, I will be decoupaging a photograph of my entire line and pledgemaster.

I have done this once before, for my big's paddle, but that was seven years ago. I am not sure if I need to use something like contact paper to protect the photograph. I know I used something like that on the previous paddle I made.

Anybody with advice, let me know. I don't want to ruin the paddle after all this work.

http://oldgoldsoul.com/gallery/data/...paddleback.jpg

http://oldgoldsoul.com/gallery/data/...dlebacktop.jpg

http://oldgoldsoul.com/gallery/data/...addlefront.jpg

^^^^ niiiiice. uh, my Deltaverary is May 17th. :D

THAT is truly awesome. :D

Very nicely done!!! :D
Are you currently taking any orders?

Very nice.

Nice.

Nice:cool:

Thank you all. :)

The wood burning work was provided by a current undergrad -- I am really not good at that aspect. But everything else was all me, from the concept to the finish. The high gloss shine comes from a few coats of polyeurethane (sp?) finish. I applied it directly over the picture and the GU and APO patches.

Our line's paddle was the first one to use the patch form of the coat-of-arms. The standard used to be those water decals. A few paddles carved or burned in the design. In later years, they started using the wood versions available in most Greek stores.

I used self-adhesive letters and applied the finish directly over it.

As far as the picture, I used rubber cement to affix the picture to the wood, and used a VERY thin coat of the same stuff to protect the picture from the finish, just in case.

As you can see, everything turned out fine.

I will definitely be working on some more paddles over the summer, and I will post pictures if they turn out okay.

That looks great! :)