There are two different types of Decoupage, Traditional Decoupage and Mille Fleurs Decoupage...

TRADITIONAL DECOUPAGE leaves some parts of the background showing or uncovered. With this technique it is important to get the background colour right. It must blend in with the prints you have chosen. Some designs look good with a dark coloured background and some with a lighter colour. It is also a matter of personal taste and considering where the piece is going to be displayed is important.

MILLE FLEURS DECOUPAGE covers the entire surface with cut outs. more often than not, overlapping each other to form a collage of prints blended into a design. It is a good idea to pick a colour scheme and pick prints that blend in with this colour scheme and also to pick prints that are related to each other in design such as "Chinese prints" "animals" "The 1900's" and so on. The possibilities are endless. With this method of decoupage you do not need to have a perfect background paint job or perfect colour as it will be covered with prints.

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So you have all your prints cut out, you project has been cleaned, sanded, washed ,coated and sealed and you have painted on the background colour. Now is the time to lay out your design.

It is very helpful to sketch out the shape of your object on paper so that you can arrange your prints before gluing.

If working on a box your can make a template of each surface and then lay them out flat so you can plan how and where the prints will lap over edges.

If you do not want to lay out the design on paper, use small pieces of blue tac to hold them in place until you are happy with the design. You do not have to be very formal with the design but it usually looks better when prints are chosen with matching colours and all belong to the same type of theme such as "animals", "Egyptian", "Antique Cars" etc.

You can overlap some of the prints if you like.

With Mille Fleurs Decoupage it is a good idea to start your design with the larger prints in the background and then fill in the gaps with smaller and smaller prints as you go along. You will need lots and lots of prints to cover the surface of your project so make sure you have plenty at hand.

In many ways this type of decoupage is easier to design and you can build on the layout as you go along. If you are a perfectionist you can lay them out on paper first to get a rough idea of where each print will go. The prints will overlap each other as you go along.

You do not have to be very formal with the design but it usually looks better when prints are chosen with matching colours and all belong to the same type of theme such as "animals", "Egyptian", "Antique Cars" etc.

DECOUPAGE TIPS ..... LAYING OUT YOUR DESIGN

 
When laying out your design it is helpful to draw the shape of your object on a piece of paper so that you can arrange your prints before actually gluing them to the object.
I use a spray-on adhesive. I spray it on to the paper (the one I am using to plan the design) and I allow the adhesive to dry to the point that it is only slightly tacky. Just tacky enough to hold my prints in place with a temporary bond. Your spray on adhesive should have instructions on how to create a temporary bond. You do not need to be too precise with the layout, but you should try to work to a theme or either colour or type (for instance either Victorian, or hand painted flower prints or faces, Reds with Grey, or Totally Pink etc,)

The prints can be overlapped if you wish. When doing a box, it sometimes looks nice to have the prints reach over the edges. When placing a print that overlaps both the lid and the box, glue the whole print across both pieces first with the lid shut and when the glued print is completely dry, slit the print where the cover meets the box. That way you will have a perfect match where the two pieces meet.