The world is having a Marvel moment, with new films being released yearly and the new Avengers: Age of Ultron being released last week. Many adults fondly remember their favourite comic books as a child, and while an iPad obsessed generation still exists, kids are beginning to appreciate the smaller things in life such as comic books like the Marvel series.

If your kid (or even you) are a Marvel fan, this simple decoupage project is a great way of revamping some tired furniture and giving your room a superhero worthy makeover.

Marvel decoupage

You’ll need…

  • Comic strip. This can either be a new comic you don’t mind ruining, an old damaged comic you don’t mind ruining further, or comic strips printed using a laser printer
  • PVA glue
  • Clear varnish
  • Paint brush
  • Scissors
  • Scissors
  • Sponge

Clean the piece of furniture you will be decoupaging, ensuring there is no grease, grime or dust on the surface.

Cut out the comic strips, either in squares or along the panels for each scene. If you want to have a focus on a specific super hero, find and cut out large images of him or her and lay to one side. Alternatively, print out some large pictures or purchase stickers.

Pre-arrange the comic strips to get an idea of the order you like – this doesn’t have to be precise, however it may be worth taking a picture to help guide you through the next step.

Apply a thin layer of glue on to a small patch of furniture and lay the cut outs as desired, adding glue where needed for layers and ensuring to smooth any wrinkles or bumps. If the glue becomes too thick or builds up, lightly dampen the sponge and use this to wipe away any excess. Continue gluing and applying images until the desired surface is entirely covered. Leave to dry.

If adding large single images, do this once the surface is dry by applying glue to the back of the image, leaving a small gap around the edges, and firmly applying in place.

Leave to completely dry before painting on a thin layer of varnish. Leave this to dry then lightly sand any areas which are not smooth. Repeat between four and 15 times depending on the durability you will need (e.g. more for chairs and tables as these will be in constant use, less for decorative items).