Just bought a new chest of drawers "as is" for somewhat lower price.
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Adi32926443
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It is bright white and would like to decoupage it with a flower design with a cream background. Must I sand it first or can I just start my project? First new big piece.
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Always always always sand my projects its better to sand and do a good prep so when your project is complete you wont say oh I wish I would have sanded it first it would have looked better. You don't always have to sand, but a painter starts with a blank canvas before he/she starts their masterpiece.
It is important to wipe it down and clean it first. Then I would use a fine sandpaper and lightly. Chalk paint works the best. It comes in different brands it is worth the money and best of all you don't have to prime it first. It goes on beautiful. I recommend to do one coat, let it dry and do one more for the final touch. The teal color is my favorite and looks so nice. They sell decoupage gel which comes in glossy or mat finish. first you put a coat on the area you are decoupage then you put a coat on top. Smooth it out when you are finished, any bubbles will dry hard and not be a smooth finish. I use my fingers to smooth out an area. You brush will be damaged after using the gel so you may not want to use an expensive brush. Sponge brushes are good because you can just throw it away when you are done. Hopefully this helps you.
My advice is to sand it first. After sanding, the new paint will have a surface to adhere to. Do it right the first time. That way you will never have any regrets. Best of luck to you.
Sand, Prime, Paint, then Decoupage.