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I am having a problem with mod podge. I used it to try to place photos on a clay pot that I had hand-painted. I printed the photos out on photo paper and I applied a thin coat of mod podge to the back because that is what the videos on YouTube said to do. When I went to place it on the pot it would not stick really well. It just kept coming back up on the ends and even the middle did not stick really well. I even held the photos for several minutes to try to get them to stick and that did not work. They just came up when I let go. So I tried adding a thicker coat of mod podge to the pot and then sticking it and that still did not work really well. Finally after several hours of working on it I got three photos to stick but not very well. I used so much mod podge it kind of messed up the pot a little bit. it still looks alright, but it is not perfect. Does anyone have any advice for how to do this differently? Is there something that I did wrong? I was planning to try to make a similar gift for a friend of mine, but I really wanted it to be perfect since it is going to be a birthday gift for him. Do you have any suggestions? I would really appreciate any help or advice! Thanks!

When using any decoupage medium you need to use it generously, especially on a non-porous surface. You said you hand painted the pot so I am assuming you are decoupaging over acrylic paint? If decoupaging a non-porous surface it's best to prepare your surface by sanding and wiping clean with a cloth.

The other factor at work here is the photo paper. I personally don't recommend it for decoupaging. It is too thick and can be hard to work with. Use a thinner paper like regular copy paper for best results. It will absorb the decoupage medium and lay flat.

**If this pot is to have a plant in it you need to seal the inside of the pot and around the drainage hole in the bottom. If you don't, the pot will absorb water and over time your paint and decoupage work will eventually bubble underneath.

Thanks so much for your response. I am decoupaging over acrylic paint. Will sanding it affect the paint or chip it? I will definitely try using regular copy paper on the next one. And thanks for the tip about sealing it too. I am using this to make what will look like a gumball machine that you can fill with candy, but I will probably need to use that tip for a different project!

Hi Nicole.

Sanding over the acrylic paint directly may chip or remove some of the paint, but if you are decoupaging over the area it will be covered by the photo paper anyway.

What you could do is put one or two light coats of finish on the acrylic paint BEFORE you decoupage. That way you can lightly sand the surface to rough it up which will only effect the varnish and not the paint.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rainee,

I agree do not use photo paper, I decoupaged photos on a fake pumpkin of my grands turned out gorgeous, I printed the photos on regular paper, I did tint the photos in paint. Joan