help needed to finish my present!

Space Mountain

Hi all,

As someone who knows nothing about arts and crafts I could really do with some help finishing off something i'm currently making for my girlfriend's birthday tomorrow (she insisted i make an effort with at least one of her presents!)

basically, i've taken a thick cardboard jewellery box i bought and glued (i.e. pritt sticked!) a montage of her favourite artist's paintings onto it which i took from a glossy book of prints. it now looks really good but i know the pics are going to peel off very easily so i want to stop this from happening and give the box a more professional look and feel in the process.

whats the best thing to do - varnish, glue or something else?!?! :-)

all advice be much welcomed!

MagDee

Space Mountain wrote: »

Hi all,

As someone who knows nothing about arts and crafts I could really do with some help finishing off something i'm currently making for my girlfriend's birthday tomorrow (she insisted i make an effort with at least one of her presents!)

basically, i've taken a thick cardboard jewellery box i bought and glued (i.e. pritt sticked!) a montage of her favourite artist's paintings onto it which i took from a glossy book of prints. it now looks really good but i know the pics are going to peel off very easily so i want to stop this from happening and give the box a more professional look and feel in the process.


whats the best thing to do - varnish, glue or something else?!?! :-)

all advice be much welcomed!

great idea looks like some varnish for decoupaging would work here. try any of the craft shops listed in this forum be it online or physical, email/call them to ask for a varnish for ur project. art and hobby if they don't have it they can probbaly order it if you need it fast.

eyefordetail

If you cant find the varnish in time you could try PVA glue, its an old school favourite but it does really work! I'm currently using it to finish off a canvas collage i did for my boyfriend for christmas, i stuck on the pieces of paper with PVA and then brushed it over the top aswell, its holding all the pieces of paper flat and it gives it a hard finish aswell.(im just using an old artist paint brush to apply it - if you find its too thick you can add a few drops of water - it will try to s transparent finish) Also its not glossy so i think it looks really well. I hope she likes your gift, it sounds like a lovely idea.

Space Mountain

thanks guys - thankfully she's been kept down the country a couple days extra due to the weather so i've had time to buy the crafts varnish and the PVA glue you advised - have used both and it looks good so far have to say! now just hoping it dries and sticks properly by tomorrow :-)

thank you!

--LOS--

awww that's schweet

any chance of pics?