Customer Reviews

Decoupage: A Practical Guide to the Art of Decorating Surfaces with Paper Cutouts

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I've read a lot of books on decoupage and to me this is the ultimate "how-to" book. The chapters in this book cover everything from selecting papers to the finished product as well as an illuminating history of decoupage. There are clear step-by-step instructions and very detailed illustrations for wood, glass, tin and ceramic projects. This book also features chapters on gilding and special effects. And what I found most helpful for myself was that at the end of each chapter there is an outline of each technique for quick and easy reference. Again, I recommend this book for the beginner as well as the serious student. There is enough material to keep everyone busy.

Decoupage is the art of embellishing surfaces with decorative paper cutouts and requires no formal training or special talent beyond the ability to use scissors and paste. It can be readily mastered, uses simple and inexpensive materials, yet can produce objects of great attractiveness and sophistication. In Decoupage: A Practical Guide To The Art Of Decorating Surfaces With Paper Cutouts, Dee Davis draws upon her almost thirty years of experience practicing and teaching decoupage to explain and illustrate every aspect of this engaging craft. With her easy-to-follow instructions, the novice decoupage artist will discover an enthusiasm for this fulfilling activity, and even experienced decoupers will find a wealth of new ideas to enhance their own practical knowledge and expertise. Decoupage is a highly recommended addition to personal, school, and community library "how to" art book reference collections.

I purchased this book because of the excellent ratings. Dee Davis's history of decoupage is excellent, giving many black and white photos, etchings and drawings, and 30 pages of color photos of antique decoupage furniture and home decor. However, the "how-to" section of the book can be challenging. Mrs. Davis is from the U.K., and although she has attempted to include resource information for both the U.K. and the U.S., the generic names of some resources that must be used for certain approaches are not given for the American market. It's frustrating for one who has never created decoupage art.

The instructions, while well enough described in her text, do not have any photos and have few (well-done) illustrations to accompany the information. If you are "visually oriented" as many artists are, "text-only" without well-defined instructions can be very challenging. If you prefer "show-me" instructions in conjunction with, or instead of "tell-me," this book may not be for you.

If you already have experience in decoupage, this book probably will not present anything new to what you have already learned. I believe that this book would work best for beginners in the U.K. because of the list of resources Mrs. Davis has given.