Sicilian lace is an exquisite kind of decoupage technique
Decorating objects by sticking cut out images. With its help decorate caskets, bottles, trays, Christmas balls.
It is believed that the history of lace-making originated in Italy. It happened during the Renaissance. It took the craftswomen 7-10 days to create a meter of lace, so it was not cheap.
It was used in the tailoring of women’s and men’s clothing. It was a pity to throw away the scraps and they began to be used to decorate various products. This tradition is still alive today.
With the help of pieces of lace, a variety of objects are decorated, for example, you can decorate an ordinary bottle.
Decoupage bottles
At the first stage, you need to prepare a bottle or other decorated item. To do this, the surface is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and degreased. In the case of a bottle, it must be washed, wiped and wiped dry with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. The last stage of preparation is the primer. For a primer, paint the base surface white and leave to dry.
At the second stage, lace elements are selected, cut out, “tried on” on a dried bottle and outlined with a finely sharpened pencil. The cut parts are soaked in glue.
They also lubricate the circled areas on the surface of the product. Then, with tweezers, parts are pulled out of the glue and its excess is removed. They put it on the surface of the bottle, straighten it, removing the “wrinkles”, and press it with your fingers. You can make small cuts with scissors so that the material does not bulge.
Leave the bottle to dry, preferably for a whole day. Then cover the decor with acrylic paint of the desired color. It is important to use a sponge or a brush to try to remove excess paint from the holes of the lace until it dries.
So the “chasing” will be more expressive and convex. On this, the decoupage of the bottle can be considered complete.
To decorate any product in the style of “Sicilian lace” with your own hands, you will have to work hard. It will take several days. You can not rush and move on to the next step until the glue or paint has dried.
It is not recommended to use a hair dryer to dry. It is better that it occurs naturally. Excess paint and glue should be removed with cotton swabs and napkins.
Imitation of embossing in the “Sicilian lace” technique
If the goal of the work is to get a decor in the Sicilian style, then to imitate embossing, it is necessary to carefully coat the lace pasted on the bottle with bituminous wax. This will give you a more voluminous pattern. After the wax dries, it is covered with mother-of-pearl acrylic paint and left to dry.
Now you need to paint the product in the color of the decor and cover with acrylic varnish. As a result, it should “merge” with the surface of the base. This is the main distinguishing feature of Sicilian lace: as a result of work, the product should look like it is covered with skillful carvings on marble or wood.
You can give even more decorativeness using ribbons, rhinestones, beads. For example, before final painting and applying varnish, microbeads can be glued around the neck as if they were random smudges from champagne foam.
Ideas for crafts in “chased” technique
The Sicilian technique can be used to create original gifts and home decorations. You can create souvenirs with your children. They will be happy to apply glue or paint under the guidance of their parents.
Christmas decorations decorated with lace elements look beautiful. You can simply wrap the ball with braid, give it volume with wax and cover it with mother-of-pearl acrylic paint.
As an original gift, you can make a “carved” box. The working process is the same as in the case of a bottle. You just need to choose two colors of paint with a hint of dark and light wood. You will also need a special rubber grater with a relief pattern of a wood cut.
First do the decoupage. Then the box is covered with light paint. When it is completely dry, apply a second, dark layer. A grater is carried out directly on a wet surface to form characteristic stains. Fix the work with acrylic varnish. It is better to apply it in two layers.
Following the same scheme, you can turn a cheap plastic tray into a magnificent decorative product with imitation of wood carving.
Bruges lace
Bruges lace was originally bobbin lace. The hook appeared later – as a simpler imitation.
Bruges lace is one of the most refined and airy laces. The alternation of columns and chains of air loops gives lightness and weightlessness to finished products.
The basis of knitting is a curved strip, neatly laid out in fancy patterns. The lace is smooth and even, it resembles knitting on bobbin.
Bruges lace is crocheted and requires special attention. It is knitted without interruption, the processing of knitted products is carried out with vilyushki. To create it, you need a thin thread and a hook up to 2 mm.
Lace features
Lace is made in one piece, the elements are connected in the process of knitting.
A feature of lace is the absence of volumetric elements. This type of lace is ideal for tablecloths, napkins, pillowcases, shawls.
Bruges lace has a rich history, because at the moment there are many techniques for knitting such lace.