While studying 18th century France I researched a neat craft project for the kids.
Recalling all the decoupage art I had made in my own elementary school years, I wanted my kids to experience that technique.
Decoupage History
First used as a word in 1946, decoupage has a long history. The short story is that the derivation of the word decoupage, comes from the Middle French, de+couper, meaning to cut.
Far Eastern furniture became famous for its decorated paper cutouts protected by lacquer.
Inspired by the lacquered furniture of the Far East, the French duplicated the process.
Even Madame de Pompadour and later Queen Marie Antoinette enjoyed creating decoupage items.
Decoupaged Memory Boxes
Because my kids collect a lot of stuff treasures, a decoupaged box would be a lovely place to keep them.
On a trip to our favorite store, Hobby Lobby, I bought plain cardboxes, tissue paper of their preferred colors, and modge podge.
Any other items they wanted to use as paper cutouts, either found in their own stash or purchased at the store, were collected.
My daughter pressed flowers from my garden to decoupage onto her pink and purple tissue-covered box. I’m sad that I didn’t take a better picture of that, but you can barely make out the top of the lids.
While my daughter decoupaged her box in a Garden theme, my son’s theme was Under the Sea, covered in aqua blue tissue paper.
Mother’s Day Surprise
On Mother’s Day my son surprised me with a decoupaged memory box of my own!
He purchased a wooden box from Hobby Lobby, which he painted in my favorite color, then he decoupaged pressed flowers from my garden.
I now have a place to store all my historical garden seeds!
