There are all different types of advice on how to make Decoupaged images for handmade cards and I'm not going to claim that my way is best but this is how I do it.

Decoupage is a craft technique, used to make greeting cards or pictures, that allows you to make 3D pictures by cutting out and layering multiple pictures of the same image. You can use any amount of layers that you like but the usual is 3 or 4. Remember the more layers you use, the further it's going to stick out from your card and the Royal Mail price structure means youl'll have to pay more to have it posted if your not careful!

1. First of all I would advise investing in a good pair of scissors (go for proper decoupage ones not nail scissors), a good swivel bladed knife and a decent pair of tweezers (not beauty ones, I have Le Shu tweezers and I love them!)

2. I always use foam pads. Silicon glue is not something I can get on with! I haven't got the patience to wait for it to dry and it's too messy. I use foam pads in 1mm, 2mm & 3mm depths and 5mm wide. I usually stick to the 2mm for my crafting but occasionally I want to have different levels on a project and I will use the other depths then. You can now buy 3mm wide pads that are great for small bits and saves trying to cut up 5mm pads!

3. Pick out the decoupage sheet that matches your skill level. If your not happy cutting out a lot of tiny bits then avoid flower fairy sheets and such like. I would suggest buying a ready to cut sheet if you have never done it before, they are usually numbered and you don't have to decide which bit to cut out and which bits to leave.

4. I always sit under my daylight lamp with everything I need at hand. I would recommend getting some tiny bulldog type clips too, I find they are very useful if you want to stick parts of your decoupage down to give good dimensions to your work. Use a tiny amount of glue and use the clip to hold in place while it dries. For example, I might stick arm pieces to the layer of decoupage below it to make it look more realistic.

5. If you have small children, wait until they are in bed! They like nothing more than running off with your foam pads and sticking an entire packed all round the house, on daddy's work trousers and the floor, but that could just be in my house!

6. When you start your cutting, if you are unsure about the order then are meant to go in when you assemble your work then write numbers in pencil on the back to help you remember.

7. I tend to hold my scissors still and move the paper around instead. It makes it easier to cut out small bits. You should start with the small bits first and if there are any little fiddly bits inside the picture then use your swivel knife on them first before doing any other detailed cutting, that way you still have something to hold on to while you cut. Make sure you blade is sharp and if it starts to snag on the paper then change your blade.

8. When you have all your bits cut out, start by finding your base layer (this is the complete picture without any bits missing!) Then take the next layer down and apply foams pads to the back. Don't go mad with them but make sure you use enough on the back to give the following layers good support. Peel off the backing to the foam pads and stick this layer very carefully to your base layer. Use your tweezers to hold it and a steady hand helps too.Work like this until you have finished the last layer, add it to you blank card you should have ready and tada.. your all done!

Thanks for reading this, it probably doesn't make much sense really but it sound ok to me! I tend to sit and make a lot of decoupage toppers in an evening and then put them on cards later. This way I don't have my scissors and knives out when my little monkey is awake and ready to run off with anything I leave unattended! I hope this has help and if not them I'm sorry, try reading it agian things always make more sense the second time around!

Happy Crafting!

Jo x