The Provence style, popular in modern interiors, is reflected in modest floral motifs, light shades and natural materials. In the spirit of French country, you can decorate any piece of home furnishings. Even an ordinary wooden box decorated with Provence style decoupage will ideally complement the overall impression of lightness and romanticism.
Decoupage technique allows you to create real masterpieces of applied art, regardless of the chosen direction. It can be especially advantageously presented in the "Provence" style, and even an inconspicuous wooden box at first glance will become an exclusive work of art.
Preparatory work
Before starting work, prepare all the necessary materials: a wooden blank of a box, a paper napkin with a suitable image, a white primer, acrylic paints, PVA glue, craquelure glue, acrylic varnish and fine sandpaper. Sand the wooden box with fine sandpaper to remove any irregularities on the workpiece. The next step is to coat the entire surface with a white primer or acrylic paint. In order for the paint to lay flat, it is advisable to do it with a regular sponge with light blotting movements. Let the box dry completely.
On the selected Provence style paper napkin, mark the desired pattern and cut it to fit the box. Remove excess layers from the cutout image, leaving only the upper surface with the pattern. Carefully place the image on the box and glue it with PVA glue diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio. It is more convenient to glue with a thin wide brush, while it is advisable to start from the middle. Movements should be very careful so that the napkin soaked with glue does not break.
Imitation of an aged surface
Cover the side of the box with acrylic paint that matches the color scheme. When it dries slightly, apply a special decoupage varnish for craquelure to the surface - when it dries, it will slightly squeeze the top layer of paint, forming cracks. To enhance the effect of the aged surface, the edges of the box can be treated with acrylic paint in the color of burnt umber or another suitable shade.
However, you can do without craquelure varnish, using only the usual and more affordable PVA glue. It is also applied to a second coat of paint that has not yet dried. Moreover, the thicker this layer was, the wider the cracks will be.
Finishing works
To finally consolidate the result, after all the decorative work, the box should be covered with matte or glossy acrylic varnish. It is desirable that there are several such layers - thus the effect will be longer-lasting. However, it is important to allow each layer of varnish to dry thoroughly, otherwise the box may stick unpleasantly to your hands.
The box made in the style of "Provence" will be not only an unusual interior decoration, but can also become an excellent souvenir. It will take a little time for decoupage decoration, while the result will surely cause admiration and delight.
