Providing an opportunity to learn best designs, techniques and tricks as well as special effects to create a piece of art using tissue paper and recycled material, the Arts and Crafts Doha is offering Decoupage workshops for women. 
With one session already held on January 3, two more sessions of the workshop will be held on January 5 (today) and 7 at the Arts and Crafts centre located behind Landmark Mall. The two-hour workshops will be held at 10am.
Decoupage is the art of decorating an object by gluing coloured paper cut-outs onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and so on.
Commonly an object like a small box or an item of furniture is covered by cut-outs from magazines or from purpose-manufactured papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes until the stuck on appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work.
The traditional technique used 30 to 40 layers of varnish which were then sanded to a polished finish. 3D decoupage, sometimes also referred to simply as decoupage, is the art of creating a 3D image by cutting out elements of varying sizes from a series of identical images and layering them on top of each other, usually with adhesive foam spacers between each layer to give the image more depth.
Pyramid decoupage, also called pyramage, is a process similar to 3D decoupage. In pyramid decoupage, a series of identical images are cut into progressively smaller, identical shapes which are layered and fixed with adhesive foam spacers to create 3D ‘pyramid’ effect.
The word decoupage comes from Middle French ‘decouper’, meaning to cut out or cut from something. The origin of decoupage is thought to be East Siberian tomb art. Nomadic tribes used cut out felts to decorate the tombs of their deceased.
From Siberia, the practice came to China, and by the 12th century, cut out paper was being used to decorate lanterns, windows, boxes and other objects. In the 17th century, Italy, especially Venice, was at the forefront of trade with the Far East and it is generally thought that it is through these trade links that the cut out paper decorations made their way into Europe.
Arts & Crafts Doha says it offers a place where reality meets magic. The variety of their workshops, from silk painting, glass painting, mixed media, pencil sketching, oil painting, are some examples of their passion for creativity.
“The centre’s establishment is an example of a challenge being met and turned into success by the enthusiasm, and hard work of ordinary people who felt strongly enough the need to continue in spreading the art in Doha,” says Arts&Crafts Doha.
Their main aim, they add, is to introduce art in a simple, fun and creative style where the artists show everyone their artistic skills in an enjoyable atmosphere. “Our team will work with you to tailor your talent, enrich your skills and give all their best to make it an experience to remember.”