Recently, I had the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite crafty activities from my childhood – Mod Podge!

Mod Podge is a three-in-one glue, sealer and finisher, all in one handy little non-toxic bottle. It’s a great introductory tool to the craft world that even young children can get involved in. Part of the beauty of Mod Podge is you can be creative and artistic without the pressure of being perfect. Even if you can’t draw a straight line you can still make some fantastic art pieces!

The basic idea behind Mod Podge is to take an object you’d like to cover and decorate, find something (typically fancy paper or simple fabric) to decorate it with, and then glue-seal-finish the decoration on there with Mod Podge. It really is a simple process, but a lot of fun!

The first step is to choose an object to Mod Podge – we chose a wooden picture frame, but you can find many different objects at home or at your local craft store. Binder covers, clip boards, and boxes are all fair game for Mod Podging.

Next you have to prepare your surface. Mod Podge readily sticks to rough surfaces, but smooth or finished surfaces are can pose problems. If necessary, rough it up a bit with a piece sandpaper, this gives the surface some texture and allows the Mod Podge to adhere to it. Our picture frame already had plenty of texture, so no problems there.

Step Two and a Half – go change into your artistic clothes.  Mod Podge is messy and doesn’t come out of clothing easily!  If you care about it, don’t wear it!

Next, sponge or paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the item you are going to decorate – we prefer paintbrushes, they seem to provide a little more control. Spread some Mod Podge on your paper or fabric and lay it on your object. Repeat the process until you have covered your object. If you’re doing a big items, work in sections so the Mod Podge doesn’t dry prematurely. Once you’ve finished decorating, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over your entire project and let it dry. You can do this several times if want to you build up the amount of finish on your project.

One of the reasons I love to blog is I get to share incredible, creative resources with you. Amy at Mod Podge Rocks! has filled me with inspiration. She has some great tutorials and how-to’s, including a great guide to the different Mod Podge products. Amy also has a video section that is very helpful if you have never Mod Podged before. There are projects from all over the web that you can do. Many of these can make excellent gifts, why not get a head start on a homemade 2011 Christmas?

Here’s a picture of the finished product:
Darrel, Co-Editor of Growing Creative Kids

If you or your child was a part of Scouts, Guides, or any similar organization, you might recognize some of the badges on the frame. We made this as a present for one of Darrel’s friends. We scanned Darrel’s old Cub Sash and several badges and printed the scans off on a regular colour printer (on regular general purpose paper). He then carefully cut them out, arranged them (dry) on the frame, and then we modpodged them on one-by-one! I think the end product was great: nostalgic, colourful, handcrafted with care and attention, and a lot of fun to make.  In other words, the perfect handmade Christmas present!

Have you tried Mod Podging with your family?