A DIY project to bring out your inner geek

Comic book decoupage

By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor

Looking for a fun, DIY project that won’t take days? Freshen up your space by breaking out your old comic books and the hodgepodge!

Decoupage is a way of decorating something by collaging different paper cut-outs all over its surface. It provides a fun aesthetic that will liven up any boring old piece of furniture, or even a notebook cover! If you have a lot of spare comics lying around, it also allows you to cater to your inner geek, but in a way that will come out looking like one of those “conversation” pieces interior designers are always going on about on television.

To start, find yourself a lot of old or damaged comics. You can go for new if you want to, but usually if the comics are damaged the shops will give them to you at a massive discount, and sometimes even for free. Generally comics are fairly inexpensive, so they lend themselves perfectly to crafting—but if superheroes really aren’t your thing, you can do the same process with regular books as well. Just maybe avoid the romance novels unless you don’t mind your morning cup of coffee resting on someone’s “heaving bosom.”

Next, begin cutting. For comics you can do this in any number of ways. I would suggest cutting out entire panels (framed sections within the page) or pages. Avoid just cutting out figures, as this may come off looking a little juvenile.

Once you have plenty of cut-outs, work in sections, layering outdoor hodgepodge, then your cut-outs— proceeding until the entire surface is covered. Applying the outdoor variant will ensure that the seal is waterproof and easy to wipe off should you spill something on it. Allow it to dry for an hour or so, before doing a second layer of hodgepodge overtop. This will seal the paper and protect it from damage.

Leave this to dry overnight, and come morning, you’ll be done!