Decoupage Road Test Results

Happy Friday! You’ve probably been wondering what the results were of the Decoupage Road Test and I am excited to be able to share those with you today!

So the 2 brands of decoupage medium that were put head to head were Mod Podge and DecoArt Decoupage. Crafters were instructed to use each brand and make 2 crafters using the same type of surface. Here are the crafts they made and what they had to say about both brands! {scroll to the bottom to see which brand is the winner!}

Road Test Results

road test reveal results

Emily Says…

I chose Glossy because I wanted the ultrasound pictures I was decoupaging to retain their glossy appearance. I used wood panel board (left over from another project :). Since it was already white I didn’t do anything to it but sand down the edges. I used a crafting paint brush to apply a very thin layer of decoupage to the wood and the back of the ultrasound picture before adhering them together. Then I applied two thin layers of decoupage to the top on top of the picture, allowing time to dry between each coat. The ModPodge went on smoothly but seemed a little thick; the DecoArt brushed on very smoothly and had a good consistency. I can see faint brush strokes on both and both products dried clear! If I had to choose, I’d pick DecoArt because it was thinner in consistency and easier to use with a photograph!

Winner: DecoArt Glossy!

Jenny Says…

I decided on glossy because I love the look of it. I made a Halloween frame and pumpkin. I used a foam brush to apply three thin layers of ModPodge to apply the paper napkins to the wooden frame and six medium layers of DecoArt to affix the napkins to the foam pumpkin. The ModPodge went on awesome but the DecoArt left behind little bubbles. I couldn’t see brush strokes after it dried on either project but the ModPodge for sure looked more clear. I think the finish on the frame looks way better and the pumpkin felt a little tacky once it was dried. I was definitely more pleased with the ModPodge – that is the one I’d recommend to my friends!

Katie says…

I chose the glossy finish decoupage for these coasters I made from photocopies of maps and ceramic tiles. With a craft foam brush, I brushed a layer of decoupage on to the tile, and then placed the map over it. I brushed two layers of the decoupage over the top of the map, allowing 12 hours of drying time between each layer. The ModPodge seemed a little runny and the DecoArt had the best consistency. I saw brush strokes for both products but more with the DecoArt. Both dried clear and with a very glossy finish but the ModPodge was still a bit tacky after it dried. However, the ModPodge Glossy finish worked best for this project even though it was my first time using decoupage!

Winner: ModPodge Glossy!

katrina road test results

Katrina says…

I chose the matte finish because I thought it would help keep the Halloween décor jars from looking too new. I used an artists paint brush to apply two thin layers to the labels to apply them to the glass jars. Both products brushed on well but the DecoArt seemed more thick and to saturate the paper more. It also left a bit more brushmarks than the ModPodge. The ModPodge also dried more clear and I liked the finish look of it better. I would definitely pick the ModPodge to recommend to my friends!

Winner: ModPodge Matte!

decoupage road test results

Kim says…

I generally prefer a matte finish over glossy, so I chose to use the matte for my book page canvas projects. I used a paint brush to apply two fairly thin layers of decoupage to the book pages to adhere them to the canvas. Both products brushed on easily but I used less of Mod Podge Matte. I can see the brush strokes slightly more with the ModPodge than with the DecoArt, but ModPodge dried clearer. Laid side by side, I don’t think anyone could tell the difference in the products. I think I liked the ModPodge better just because I used less of the medium doing the same project as I did with the DecoArt bottle.

Winner: ModPodge Matte!

decoupage road test results

Kimmy says…

I chose to use the matte decoupage because we often use overhead lighting and I think a gloss finish is too shiny and it reflects the light. I created a paper collage and I made an “XOXO” banner. For the banner, I use a paintbrush to apply about four layers of the DecoArt Matte to apply scrapbook paper to plain white canvas. It brushed on opaque but dried totally clear. I had to go back and do a final coat to cover up brush marks and finger prints but once I did that neither showed up! For the paper collage, I used the same paintbrush to apply about two coats of the ModPodge to the scrapbook paper to apply it to the canvas. I found it to be extremely thick and not wanting to move around much at all. I could still see brushmarks but they were less obvious with this product. Overall, I prefer the DecoArt over the ModPodge – the finish is much nicer and it dries very quickly!

Winner: DecoArt Matte!

decoupage road test results

Kristi says…

I tried all four products on my Halloween pendants because I am always curious. I used two “thin-ish” layers of each product to apply the Halloween stickers to the wood background with a paintbrush. The glossy finishes seemed to soak into the wood for the first coat – the DecoArt was very smooth when I was brushing it over the sticker. The blue was smooth but felt tacky when I applied it and dried a little streaky. Once they were both dry, neither showed any brush strokes. My favorite finish is the DecoArt!

Winner: DecoArt Glossy!

decoupage road test results

Laura says…

I chose matte because I wanted the flexibility to spray a finish on my completed “works of art” and in
my experience, matte allows that better than glossy. For my wooden wall hanging, I painted three coats of paint on unfinished wood and used different types of fabric (silk, cotton, etc) to cut out the birds. The tray was one I had previously purchased and I used a set of food labels to decorate the inside of the tray.

For the wall hanging, I used one coat of DecoArt Matte before applying the birds, and two afterward. It brushed on a bit thin but handled easily. For the tray, I used one coat of ModPodge Matte before, and three afterward. It seemed to be a bit thicker but it spread too easily. I used a disposable foam paint brush for all of the applications. Unless you inspect it extremely closely, you cannot see brush marks on either project. It was a close call – I preferred the natural looking finish of the DecoArt Matte but overall I prefer the ModPodge Matte for decoupaging on wood.

Winner: ModPodge Matte!

decoupage road test results

Renee says…

I chose to use matte products to keep the consistency with the fabric. I used a cheap paint brush to apply four coats to each bracelet – one to coat the full bracelet, one over the fabric, and then two coats over the entire project on the inside and outside of the bracelet. Both brushed on great and you couldn’t see many brush strokes on either although the fabric helps hide some of that. The DecoArt seemed to dry more clearly and the ModPodge had a bit of cloudiness to it. Because of that, I’m more likely to recommend the DecoArt Matte!

Winner: DecoArt Matte

decoupage road test results

Robin says…

I chose glossy for this project; I typically use matte for everything and wanted to try something different! I used a foam paint brush to apply a total of three layers (one to adhere and two top coats) to adhere the scrapbook paper to the ceramic tiles to make coasters. Both products brushed on easily with even layers although the DecoArt seems to look smoother, but the ModPodge feels smoother to the touch. The DecoArt dried much clearer and glossier than the ModPodge. There is also a very slight amount of tackiness to each one once they were dried. I prefer the finished look of the DecoArt and thought it was slightly easier to work with so I would recommend DecoArt over the ModPodge!

Winner – DecoArt Glossy!

decoupage road test results

Shalena says…

I chose a matte finish for my letters because I’ve always used a matte finish. I used DecoArt Matte on the “Frosty” wooden letters and ModPodge Matte on the closet organizer rings, also made out of wood. I used a foam paint brush to apply 3-4 layers of the DecoArt to the letters – it was runny and I ended up having to use more where the paper was lifting from the corners. I only used 1-2 layers of the ModPodge on the rings because it was thick and held the paper to the wood right away. DecoArt was a runny and a little more messy. The ModPodge was easy to brush on because it was nice and thick. I can see brush strokes on both products but they are a little less noticeable with the DecoArt. Both were equally clear when dried and had a nice finish to them. I was most pleased with the ModPodge Matte!

Winner: ModPodge Matte!

Ashley Says…

I chose a matte finish for the memories box so it would be similar to the finish of the original stamps. For the wooden sign, I decided on the glossy finish to give them a nicer finish since they will be part of my Christmas gift baskets. I used a foam paint brush to apply thin layers of the decoupage over each project. The matte decoupage brushed on very well; however, it took more to keep the stamps from curling up around the edges. The gloss decoupage also brushed on well; however, it was easier to see brushstrokes in it so you had to go over the same area multiple times to smooth it out. The matte smelled better while I was using it. I like the gloss finish very much; it would have looked very good on either project, whereas the signs probably would not have benefited from a matte finish. Although either product could be recommended, the gloss was just a hair better in almost every way. The smell and brush strokes are the only downfalls about it, and both were minor.

Winner – DecoArt Glossy Decoupage!

decoupage road test results

Stephanie says…

I chose the Matte finish because it would be hanging on a wall next to photographs and I didn’t want a glossy finish to take away from that. I used foam craft paint brushes to apply thick comic book pages to clipboards to make a place for my son to hang his art work. The clipboards had a smooth glossy finish. I put two medium-thick layers on each project. The DecoArt brushed on smoothly; the ModPodge was a little thick and I had a hard time spreading it into an even layer. There were brush strokes on each project but they were less noticeable with the ModPodge. It also looks more clear when dried. Both products dried without leaving a tacky feeling but I like the finish with the ModPodge better – it looks professional. However, because of the ease of use during the application, I have to go with DecoArt as my final choice.

Winner: DecoArt Matte!

decoupage road test results

Vanessa says…

I prefer matte to glossy – it is just the right sheen when the light hits it. I created a decoupaged backing for these bird cages to give them a unique look! I used a standard 1″ paint brush to apply two layers of product over the magazine clippings on to thin foam board to make the backing. The ModPodge was very streaky as I brushed it on – it seemed a little thinner than the DecoArt. The DecoArt had a much smoother feel to it. I could see brush strokes on both products but that makes me happy! I like the detail and texture it adds to the final product. The ModPodge has the better dried finish – it is more clear and dry looking. The DecoArt warped my material and it looks very “wet”. Neither product dried with any tackiness. Both products had an even amount of pros and cons but, based on the finish product, I have to give my recommendation to the ModPodge – it had the best overall appearance in the end!

Winner: ModPodge Matte!

Decoupage Road Test Winner

So who won?? Overall, the total highest votes goes to…..

{drumroll please!}

ModPodge Matte!

Between each finish, however, DecoArt Glossy took the title for glossy finishes.

So what do you think? Does this surprise you? Which brand do you use?

happy crafting,

Linda

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I wanted to try something new and give readers a chance to put products to the test and tell us they think. The brands kindly provided free product for the participants to use.

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