Do you have a short time and limited budget for your decoupage project? Let’s learn how to make decoupage glue with 2 ingredients that save you $5 bucks.
Don’t you have Mod Podge, the most popular decoupage glue to the crafters? No matter, I’m here to help you out.
If you have any glue (regular, school, white), then you are one step ahead of your game. Just by knowing the process of making decoupage glue with PVA, you can get ready your own glue.
Follow me with this comprehensive guide. I’ll disclose all the glue-making steps, tips, faqs, and many other things. Just keep reading.
How To Make Your Own Decoupage Glue?
Basically, decoupage is French art. It means cutting papers and pasting them on wood, glass, metal, and many other surfaces. You’ll need decoupage glue to paste the paper on the surface. But, it’s cheaper to make the glue when you are running out of your decoupage glue than buying.
There are two different methods to make the homemade decoupage glue. I’ll show you both of the methods so that you can follow anyone based on your convenience.
Method 1 – How to make Decoupage Glue with PVA
Any PVA glue is a good fit to make the homemade decoupage glue. And it is the faster, easier, and simpler method between the two.
The things you’ll need
- 3 teaspoons PVA glue
- 1 teaspoon water
- An airtight container
First, make your working space and ingredients ready to begin your glue-making task. Pour 3 teaspoons of glue and 1 teaspoon of water into an airtight container. Any bowl jar or container is ok, but the airtight container is excellent. As it prevents instant glue drying out, and I’ve a ton of them at my home.
However, you can also increase the glue and water measurements if you need a good amount of glue. Here the thumb rule of mixing PVA glue with water ratio for decoupage is 3 parts PVA glue and 1 part water.
Now, close the container’s lid and shake it to mix the glue and water properly. If you have a kid in your home, you can give the container to him/her for shaking. I can guarantee you that the kid must love it.
Hey, that’s all for your first method of decoupage glue. But, what if you don’t have any gules at your home. Nothing, as there is another way to make the glue. And I am sure you must have that method’s ingredients. 😜
Method 2 – How to Make Homemade Decoupage With Flour
There is an alternative decoupage glue recipe that you can make with your cooking ingredients. But, when you make the glue with your culinary ingredients, there is a high chance of mold and mildew growing in your glue unless you use it within a few weeks. But never mind, you can avoid this wastage by making a smaller amount. Long story short. Here’s the practical approach
The things you will need
- 1 ½ cup of flour
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ teaspoon of vinegar (optional)
- A soup bowl
- A cooking saucepan
- A large-handed spoon
- A stove
First, pour flour and sugar into the bowl and stir until mixed well. After mixing, pour 1 cup of tap water into the mixture and stir them to make a paste-like pancake batter consistency. You should ensure there are no lumps in the mixture. To understand the paste consistency here I’ve attached my project’s photo.
Now, it’s time to cook the batter to make the glue. Fire the stove, set moderate flame, and cook the batter for 2-3 minutes. When cooking, stir the mixture continuously; otherwise, the paste will turn into lumps.
Now, remove the glue from the stove and let it rest to cool down. After removing the glue, don’t forget to turn your stove off to avoid fire accidents.
After cooling down the glue, use it for your decoupage project and store the extra glue in an airtight container. When storing, you should label the container as “homemade decoupage glue” to avoid mistakes and think of it as food.
You can easily learn how can you make decoupage glue at home by following my instructions. I had used my glue for glass jar decoupage and to glue fabric to wood. And I’m damn sure you’ll find the glue very much handy for your all decoupage and crafting projects.
After successfully making your homemade glue, you should remember some essential tips to improve your decoupage skills and enhance your project’s durability. Here are some tips for you
- Though I have said that any regular glue will be ok for homemade decoupage glue, Elmer’s PVA glue is the best for intense bonding.
- If you make flour-based glue, keep it in the refrigerator to enhance its longevity and prevent mold build-up.
- You should use a soft bristle painting brush or sponge applicator to bring the best outcome. If you use a rough bristle brush, the bristles may come out or scratch your surface. That isn’t very pleasant!
If possible, after drying out the glue, try to use a sealer over the decoupage paper to make it shiny and waterproof.
What can you use instead of decoupage glue?
You can use PVA glue if you don’t have or manage any decoupage glue for your project. The PVA, especially Elmer’s PVA glue, is the most similar to decoupage glue.
Can you use any glue for decoupage?
Yes, you can use any glue for decoupage. But for long-lasting performance, Aleene’s instant decoupage water-based glue, sealer, and finish combo is the best.
Is Decoupage glue the same as Mod Podge?
Slightly yes. Basically, the mod podge is made to use as decoupage glue. But it comes with a different consistency than any other decoupage glue.
That’s all for the nitty-gritty of how to make decoupage glue. Both types of glue will work excellent to bond your paper cutout to glass, wood, and metal.