Decoupaging furniture vs sticky back plastic?

[cakedup]

I've just moved and am wanting to revamp some furniture - my bookshelves and bedside table for starters.

I've got a brilliant book that gives step by step instructions on how to decoupage furniture. On the other hand, there's sticky back plastic which seems a lot less faff.

Anyone had experience of either or preferably both? Any pros/cons to either method?

Um I think sticky back plastic would look a bit awful. No think about it if I did it. You can buy some lovely decoupage paper and although it might be fiddly you might get a better result.
Probably not what you want but could you paint with chalk paint?

I've got a decoupage chest in my living room (used as a coffee table with storage inside) that I did 20 years ago when it was all the rage. I used Celtic knotwork borders and roundels that I photocopies from a library book!

It still looks amazing - better in fact because as it's aged the varnish has cgot a sort of craquelure effect to it. I wipe the surface with a wet cloth every day and it's still as waterproof and good as it was the day I first did it. Loads of people ask me about it and seem think it's an antique chest. It's not. It's just an old cheapy pine chest with some decoupage and lots of layers of varnish.

Sticky back plastic on the other hand goes brittle and faded after time, can split at the edge, start to lift etc. - it certainly doesn't improve with age but rather deteriorates in my experience.

Flossyfloof but why do you think it would look awful? I don't really get chalk paint although I see a lot of people have have used it on some beautiful hand crafted furniture on Etsy. Does it just give a more distressed/vintagy look than normal paint?

Fontella that sounds lovely. So any paper can be used for decoupage? I could print stuff off the internet for example? Or actual book pages?

Be very careful with the glue/varnish stuff if you go for decoupage. I used the stuff they sell in Hobbycraft to do some coasters, but it set really tacky and they all stuck together.

I have a great book on furniture makeovers and for decoupage either wallpaper paste (if using wallpaper) or Mod Podge is recommended. Although it is advised to use a polyurethane coating over the Mod Podge otherwise it can remain tacky.

If the surface isn't absolutely smooth th finish will be all lumpy and bumpy. Corners will be difficult to deal with, similarly larger areas. I suppose I just associate it with covering books in my childhood. Go for it, if you fancy it.
Chalk paint covers a multitude of sins and is easy to use.

Yes I thought the same initially Flossyfloof but then heard about people using it and getting a good result. Will look into chalk paint too, thanks.

Hi cakedup,

Sorry I haven't been back to thread before now.

You have to be a bit careful if you use stuff you've printed on an inkjet printer - as it will run when you put on the first coat of varnish unless you spray it with a sealer - you can get this from any good art shop or stationer

Photocopies are ok as they use dry toner and don't run when wet, or laser printed stuff should be ok too. I just used to borrow library books and photocopy designs and bits and bobs from them.

I used to live in an old cottage in the wilds of Wales and went mad doing up old bits of furniture - decoupage, stencilling, barge painting etc. etc - it was all the rage back then and as I didn't have much money I did a lot of doing up of old furniture, stripping things back and 'aging' them and all the rest of it.

I live in a 70s terrace now but I've still got the chest and also a stencilled book case. I've also got lots of 'new' bits of upcycled furniture as I just love that whole look. I haven't done any decoupage for years though.

As for chalk paint. Waste of money. Get yourself a big bag of Calcium Carbonate off Amazon (it's less than a fiver) and then add it to ordinary emulsion. Works as good as if not better than the posh, expensive stuff. I've done dressers and allsorts just using dregs of old paint, mixing it up to make my own colours.

I had seen chalk to add to emulsion on Amazon but didn't know how well it might work. I think it's a brilliant idea. The tester pots of chalk paint go a long way so using leftover emulsion and adding chalk would give you loads of paint.

It works a treat Flossy.

A couple of spoons of the Calcium Carbonate in ordinary emulsion, a bit of water if it's very old paint that has gone all claggy, and it goes on lovely!

I've used some real old dregs that I've had in the bottom of old paint tins for years, diluted it a little if needs be and mixed it up into my own colours with excellent results.

A friend of mine gave me a leftover part-used tin of Annie Sloane - and the honest verdict is think my homemade stuff is better, not to mention many, many times cheaper.

Sounds great!